MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The Air Force Historical Research Agency serves as an institutional memory of the Department of the Air Force, preserving history through a vast collection of documents, personal records and historical papers since its establishment in 1943.
The agency plays a crucial role in maintaining the stories of the DAF’s past, ensuring future generations have access to this vital heritage. From groundbreaking operations to personal collection papers of those who served, it is a cornerstone of military history preservation.
“This place is what I often refer to as one of the hidden gems of the Department of the Air Force,” said Timothy Brown, AFHRA director. “The amount of information here is significant. We are not only helping with relevant topics like logistics and operations, but we are also involved with public requests.”
With 50 employees, the agency is open to the public and has 396 million documents dating back to World War I. The AFHRA was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. and was finally moved to Maxwell in 1949 so it could be used by Air University students. This resource supports students from the Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, Studies and Analysis Squadron, and the Air War College.
“We ingest thousands of documents each year into the archive, and answer thousands of requests,” said Brown. “All the organizational history are handled here. We are the hub of the entire DAF history enterprise.”
Around 98% of the documents are original firsthand accounts of events. The oldest documents (from 1906) are from U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Frank P. Lahm’s personal collection, one of the first aviators in the U.S. Army.
“People get so excited that they finally get to learn about their fathers and grandparents service,” said Mellisa Lahue, AFHRA Research Division chief. “It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had, as far as gratitude, especially on the public side. On the official side, answering a specific request and seeing it being implemented in real time is the exciting part."
The AFHRA has six divisions, to include Research, Organization History, Digital Curation, Accession, Oral History, and Information Technology. These divisions are responsible for answering inquires, the curation of all archives, submitting documentation and more.