U n i t e d S t a t e s A r m y C e n t e r o f M i l i t a r y H i s t o r y

ST RAT EGIC PL AN

2007–2011

United States Army Center of Military History

ST RAT EGIC PL AN

2007–2011
The Center of Military History and the leaders of the Army’s History Program

are committed to achieving six strategic goals:

1. Strengthen the Army historical community’s role as the nation’s authoritative

source of official Army history

2. Strengthen Army cohesion and morale through unit, organizational, and

institutional history initiatives

3. Improve the effectiveness of Army history education

4. Grow and cultivate a diverse, multitalented, and innovative military and

civilian Army historian workforce for the twenty-first century

5. Implement innovative Army museum programs, ensuring synchronization,

full-spectrum support, and the infusion of best practices and technology

6. Provide relevant, historical expertise for our Army’s leadership and field

units on issues of operations and transformation

These goals fully support the President’s Management Agenda and the Army’s Strategic Goals.

Continuous change and improvement in all aspects of the organization are essential—evolutionary

transformation leads to innovative outcomes. We are driven to provide superior service and are steadfast

in upholding a common set of values. These are challenging times for the Army and the Army History Program.

While the Army is engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, it is also undertaking a comprehensive effort

to transform into a new force for the future. We are a part of the Army team. We know that our ability to support

the Army warfighter through our dedicated service validates us as a relevant and ready leader in these

extraordinary times.

There are many ongoing efforts working toward accomplishing this ground-breaking change. The role of

both the Center of Military History and the larger Army History Program in these efforts is an important one. We

must transform our organization to be as efficient and effective as possible while providing the valued services so

vital to the success of our Army. Our strategic plan, as laid out in the following pages, will provide a framework

to continue our transformation. We remain vigilant, yet passionate about continuous improvement, while we work

together to shape the Army of the future. Change has become a way of life for the Army, yet we remain committed

to the Army values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Although we

have achieved much, we have significant challenges ahead of us, and I ask for your full support and participation

as we execute this strategic plan.

 JEFFREY J. CLARKE

 Director, Center of Military History

 Chief of Military History

M   D
CONTENTS

Our Vision 2

Our Mission 2

Guiding Principles 3

Our Values 3

Key Enablers 3

Enduring Interests 4

Strategic Management System 5

The Army History Program 6

Center of Military History 6

Army Heritage and Education Center 9

Combat Studies Institute 10

Department of Military History 11

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command 12

U.S. Military Academy 12

Army Commands 13

Situational Assessment 14

Operating Environment 14

Strengths 14

Weaknesses 15

Opportunities 15

Threats 15

Strategic Goals 16

U.S. Army History Program Strategic Action Plan 16

Implementation 16

17

22

26

30

33

38

GoGoal 1 al 1

GoGoal 2 al 2

GoGoal 3 al 3

GoGoal 4 al 4

GoGoal 5 al 5

GoGoal 6 al 6
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A highly efficient and effective professional history and museum program serving Army needs in

the twenty-first century.

The mission of the Army History Program is fourfold and knowledge based. First is to advance

knowledge through research. The heart of the historical and the curatorial professions is the acquisition

and study of primary historical material, both documents and artifacts, in order to establish an accurate

record of past decisions and events, and through analysis, suggest why particular courses of action or

material developments took place and how they interacted with one another.

As a corollary, the second function of the program is to preserve knowledge through artifacts

and records. While Army historians do not have responsibility for records management or audiovisual

records, they have a vital interest in their preservation and assist wherever possible while supplementing

official record keeping with extensive oral history programs and by securing copies of key documents and

images, especially those of an electronic nature that would not otherwise be saved. Preserving material

culture is one of the main missions of the Army’s museum system. It involves a broad collection effort that

often takes curators to remote battlefield locations and demands a deep technical expertise to preserve

and account for such material.

The third function of the program is to transmit knowledge through teaching. This vital task

encompasses the classroom instruction in the Army’s officer educational system, with a focus on

precommissioning history courses as well as those history and history-related blocks of instruction offered

at the branch schools, the Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. Also

included, however, is the history and heritage training given to the enlisted ranks and to Army civilian

employees, as well as that provided to visitors at all of the Army’s many museums. Finally, the service’s

formal and informal staff ride programs provide nontraditional venues for the overall teaching mission and

are important adjuncts to classroom instruction.

The fourth and final function of the Army History Program is to disseminate knowledge through

historical products. Such products include not only a variety of traditional publications—monographs and

more comprehensive historical works—but also small, yet timely staff studies and information papers of all

manner; maps, posters, brochures, and other smaller historical studies; print and visual electronic products;

and artifact, photographic, and art exhibits that focus on historical themes and events through a different

milieu. The main purpose of such work is to increase the effectiveness of today’s Army. To achieve this

objective, the history program establishes the basis for Army doctrine; provides the historical perspective

to current decision makers; enhances unit morale and traditions by providing the historical material on

which to base unit heritage; and in a more general sense gives Army students an appreciation of how

the past forms and conditions our responses to the future. These same historical products also provide

a record for American leaders and the American people of what their Army has accomplished. This

encourages a greater understanding of both its strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that public support

for the institution is grounded in a true appreciation of the Army and how it works.

Our Vision

Our Mission
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Our guiding principles are as follows:

• Customers come first. We establish good relationships, know our customers, and ensure that

they are satisfied with our products and services.

• We take care of our people. Our people are the prime contributors to our success. We

recruit intelligently, and effectively manage, train, develop, motivate, and reward our

talented employees.

• Quality in products and services. Our comparative advantage is the continuous high quality

of our products and services. We will do it right the first time!

• Encourage and implement innovation. We foster an environment that promotes and rewards

innovative thinkers and risk takers.

• Stewardship. We are guardians of the public trust and are accountable for our resources.

Army History Program values support the Army values, characterize the culture of our organization,

and communicate our philosophy in approaching our mission:

• Loyalty. We are firm in our allegiance to each other, our organization, our mission, and

our country.

• Duty. We fulfill our personal and professional obligations.

• Respect. We treat others as we expect to be treated, and in so doing establish mutual trust.

• Selfless Service. We act for the greater good by putting our organization and customers

ahead of our personal interests.

• Honor and Integrity. We do what is right, legally and morally.

• Personal Courage. We demonstrate the courage of our convictions and accept

personal accountability.

The key enablers for the Army History Program are as follows:

• Military History Coordinating Committee—leverages the experience and talents of the Army’s

primary historical centers

• Army Historical Advisory Committee—consults with leaders of the Army’s history and

museum communities, government archivists, and academic military history experts

• Revision of Army Regulation (AR) 870-5, Military History: Responsibilities, Policies, and 

Procedures; and AR 870-20, Army Museum, Historical Artifacts, and Art—facilitates

implementation of the strategic plan

• Professional historian and museum workforce—are adaptive, skilled, and committed to

setting and achieving the highest standards

Guiding Principles

Our Values

Key Enablers
4 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Enduring interests are those timeless historical topics that are relevant to today’s Army leaders

and to those of the future. Topics include both general and specialized subject material common to all

political-military endeavors. Together, they guide Army history professionals (historians, curators, archivists)

in the focus of their efforts.

I. Primary Enduring Interests

Subjects include military strategy, operations, tactics, and techniques.

• Strategy—the overall plan for using military means to achieve political objectives.

• Operations—the movement of military forces in pursuit of a strategic plan.

• Tactics—the actions of military forces reacting to hostile forces or elements while pursuing

 operational goals and strategic plans (i.e., combat).

• Techniques—processes and methods associated with military strategy, operations,

 and tactics.

Note: Military strategy, operations, tactics, and techniques are pursued in many different

environments (such as conventional, low-intensity conflict, peacekeeping, disaster relief), each with its

own peculiarities and elements and each as a distinct enduring interest.

II. Secondary or Functional Enduring Interests

III. Scope

For the purpose of narrative history, products may be as follows:

• Long range and broad

• Short range and topical

• Long range and topical

• Short range and broad

Short range and long range refer to an approximate four-year dividing point for topics treated

(conveniently, the length of some of our more intense wars and the term of presidential office, although a

relationship was not intended). Broad and topical refer to the number of enduring interests taken up by

the product.

• Doctrine • Communications-electronics

•. Logistics • Construction/engineering

• Recruitment • Public information

• Training • Procurement

• Intelligence • Force structure (organization)

•. Health (medical) • Research and development

• Administration

Enduring Interests
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The Secretary of the Army initiated a program where the Headquarters, Department of the Army,

will measure its strategic performance to enhance its decision-making processes. Working from the

foundation of the Army vision and strategy, we will continue to develop our strategic plan to support the

four overarching and interrelated Army strategies.

The four Army strategies are:

• Provide relevant and ready landpower for the twenty-first century security environment

• Train and equip soldiers to serve as warriors and grow adaptive leaders

• Sustain an all-volunteer force composed of highly competent soldiers who are provided an

equally high quality of life

• Provide the infrastructure and support to enable the force to fulfill its strategic roles

and missions

The Army strategy showsthe links of performance objectivesto strategy realization and has adopted

a tool to assist in measuring performance across the Army. Through the strategic management system, the

Army and the Center of Military History will be able to monitor and measure strategic performance.
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The Origins

The Center of Military History (CMH) is responsible for the appropriate use of history throughout

the U.S. Army. Traditionally, this mission meant recording the official history of the Army in both peace and

war, while advising the Army Staff on historical matters. In terms of this tradition, the Center traces its lineage

back to those historians under the Secretary of War who compiled the Official Records of the Rebellion,

a monumental history of the Civil War begun in 1874, and to a similar work on World War I prepared by

the Historical Section of the Army War College.

The modern organization of the Army’s historical efforts dates from the creation of the General

Staff historical branch in July 1943 and the subsequent gathering of a large team of historians, translators,

editors, and cartographers to record the official history of World War II. This team began publication of the

U.S. Army in World War II series (the well-known Green Books), which now numbers 79 volumes. More

recently, the Center has produced detailed series on the Army’s role in the Korean and Vietnam Wars

and is beginning a series on the U.S. Army in the Cold War. These works, supplemented by hundreds of

monographs and other volumes, have made the Center one of the major publishers of military history in

the world.

Since its formation, the Center has provided historical support to the Army Secretariat and Staff,

contributing essential background information for decision making, staff actions, command information

programs, and public statements by Army officials. In recent decades, it also has progressively expanded

its role in the vital areas of military history education, the management of the Army’s museum system, and

the introduction of automated data-retrieval systems. The Center’s work with Army schools ensures that the

study of history is a significant part of the training of officers and noncommissioned officers. It also supports

the use of history to foster unit pride and give today’s soldiers an understanding of the Army’s past. Much

of this educational work also is performed at field historical offices and in Army museums. The Center thus

provides all levels of the Army—as well as other services, government agencies, and the public—with a

growing awareness of history that goes well beyond publications alone.

Historical Activities 

Under the direction of the Chief of Military History, CMH’s staff is involved in some 50 major writing

projects. Many of these efforts involve new research that ranges from traditional studies in operational and

administrative history to the examination of such areas as procurement, peacekeeping, and the global war

on terror.

Center of Military Histor y
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In addition, Army historians maintain the organizational history of Army units, allowing the Center

to provide units of the Regular Army, the Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve with certificates

of their lineage and honors and other historical material concerning their organizations. The Center also

determinesthe official designationsfor Army units andworkswith the Army Staff during force reorganizations

to preserve units with significant histories, as well as unit properties and related historical artifacts.

Underscoring the importance of oral history to an understanding of the past, CMH serves as a

clearinghouse for the oral history programs in the Army at all levels of command. It also conducts and

preserves its own oral history collections, including those from the Vietnam War, Operation DESERT STORM,

recent contingency operations, and the Global War on Terrorism. In addition, the Center’s end-of-tour

interviews within the Army Secretariat and Staff provide a basis for its annual histories of the Department

of the Army.

As tangible representations of the service’s mission, military artifacts and art enhance the soldier’s

understanding of the profession of arms. CMH manages a system of more than 120 Army museums

and their holdings, encompassing some 450,000 artifacts and 15,000 works of military art. The Center

also provides professional museum training, staff assistance visits, teams of combat artists, and general

museum support throughout the Army. Current projects include the establishment of a National Army

Museum at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and a complementary Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle

Barracks, Pennsylvania.

The Chief of Military History is responsible for ensuring the appropriate use of military history

in the teaching of strategy, tactics, logistics, and administration. This mission includes a requirement that

military leaders at all levels be aware of the value of history in advancing military professionalism. To that

end, the Center holds a biennial history conference and workshop; publishes Army History, a professional

bulletin devoted to informing the larger military history education community; and supplies readings for

the Army school system, including the ROTC community, and texts and other support for the Army’s staff

ride program. In this effort, the Chief of Military History is assisted by a Historical Advisory Committee that

includes leading academic historians and representatives of the Army school system.

Staff rides enable military leaders to retrace the course of a battle on the ground, deepening their

understanding of the recurring fundamentals of military operations. As one of the Army’s major teaching

devices, staff rides are particularly dependent on a careful knowledge of military history. Center historians

lead rides directed by the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff and attended by senior members

of the Army Staff.
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The responsibilities of the Chief of Military History have also thrust the Center into the national

and international historical arena. It administers the Army’s far-flung Command History Program, to provide

historical support to Army organizations worldwide. In addition, since the end of World War II, the Center

has coordinated the deployment of military history detachments and the collection of historical data

during peacekeeping and wartime operations, including most recently those in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia,

Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Finally, the Chief of Military History is responsible for coordinating historical activities throughout

the Army, including those for historical professionals within the Army Education System at TRADOC,

CGSC, and the Army War College; those acting as command historians throughout the service hierarchy;

museum curators and specialists at active and reserve component institutions; and the uniformed historians

serving in commands and historical units throughout the world. The program also encompasses the many

editors, archivists, visual information specialists, and artists who provide direct support to the various

historical programs. The Army History Program is assisted by the Department of the Army Historical

Advisory Committee (DAHAC), a committee appointed by the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff,

and the Chief of Military History, to advise on the Army’s historical work, methods, and professional

standards.

The Army Museum System

The mission of the Army Museum System’s sixty museums is to preserve, study, and interpret the

history and material culture of the United States Army, providing a continuous record of the Army’s heritage

for the soldiers and the nation. The Army’s oldest museum is the West Point Museum established in 1854,

and today the Army’s museums continue to teach and inspire soldiers and the public about the significance

of the Army’s role in history. The Army Museum System is guided by the polices and regulations of the U.S.

Army Center of Military History, which oversees the training, accountability, preservation, and research of

the Army’s historical artifacts and works of art.

As stewards of the Army’s historical collections, the Army Museum System provides visual

support of the Army’s written history through exhibits in its museums, which are specific to branch,

school, installation, or unit commands. The Museum Division administers professional museum training

to soldiers and civilian museum staff; professional certification inspections to ensure the Army’s museums

meet the highest standards; staff assistance visits; the Command Supply Discipline Program; and the

Army Historical Catalog Accountability System (AHCAS), which enables property book officers to

register historical property, research and catalog artifacts, take inventory, upload and view imagery,

search and read documentation, and print standardized forms. In addition, the Museum Division

issues the annual report on the Department of Defense Operation and Financial Support for Military

Museums, a requirement mandated by Congress; responds to Army staff and congressional inquiries;

and provides day-to-day policy and administrative guidance. The Army Museum System enriches the

Center’s ability to reach a vast audience through its exhibits and educational programs.
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The ArmyHeritage and EducationCenter (AHEC) is an important facility for interpretation, research,

and preservation of the Army’s history. In order to tell the Army’s history through the eyes of its soldiers,

the AHEC combines the famed U.S. Army Military History Institute (USAMHI), the future Army Heritage

Museum (AHM), a state-of-the-art Conservation Center, and the Army Heritage Trail. The AHEC campus

rests on 55 acres located adjacent to Carlisle Barracks. The 67,000-square-foot Ridgway Hall provides

enhanced protection for the USAMHI collection and improved facilities for patrons and staff.

USAMHI acquires, preserves, and makes available to a broad audience historical records and

materials on the heritage of the U.S. Army. It serves as the Army’s central repository for unofficial materials

relating to the history of the military. USAMHI’s vision is to provide unequalled access to the world’s

premiere collection of historical records and materials on the heritage of the U.S. Army. USAMHI responds

to official and public inquiries; supports the Army War College Military History Program; conducts the

Senior Officer Oral History Program and the Division Command Lessons Learned Programs; surveys and

documents the experiences ofveterans; hosts a coordinating lecture series on military history; and develops

and maintains the Army Heritage Collection Online (www.ahco.army.mil).

AHM is designed to highlight an extensive collection of military artifacts related to the service of

individual soldiers throughout the history of the Army. The museum’s mission is to acquire, preserve, and

interpret artifacts of the American soldier in order to educate a broad audience about the U.S. Army’s

heritage through exhibits and research. Objects speak most eloquently of the soldiers who served their

country long after the soldiers can no longer speak for themselves. The wealth of individual soldier’s

stories depicted in the 50,000 square feet of exhibit galleries will illustrate the history of the Army and

bring it to life.

The Army Heritage Trail rings the grounds of the AHEC, covering about a mile, and highlights many

of the Army’s major campaigns with exhibits and periodic vignettes. Thirteen individual settings include a

full-scale reconstruction of Redoubt Number 10 from the Revolutionary War, a section of the Antietam

battlefield, a Civil War winter encampment with cabins, a WWI trench system, a WWII company area,

a replicated Omaha beachhead scene from D-Day, and an interpretation of the Vietnam helicopter air

assault at Ia Drang. Designed as a stage for living history presentations by living historians serving as

interpreters, the trail hosts historic personages every weekend during the summer and fall months.

The AHEC embodies the highest standards of quality for conservation and preservation of

photographs, manuscripts, and the artifacts of the Army. The Conservation Center will serve to build on this

mission with a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Museum Support Facility scheduled for construction in

fiscal year 2009. The multifunctional structure is slated to house conservation and analytical laboratories

as well as provide artifact storage for the Army Heritage Museum. The Conservation Center will take a

holistic approach to its mission consisting of individual object treatment and whole collections care, cuttingedge conservation science research to benefit the collection, and educational opportunities for the public

dealing with proper stewardship and care of cultural and historical heritage materiel.

Army Heritage and Education Center
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The Combat Studies Institute (CSI) is a TRADOC-chartered organization located at Fort

Leavenworth, Kansas, with a mission to provide historical services to TRADOC and the Army generally.

CSI consists of six major elements: the Research and Publication Team, the Staff Ride Team, the Military

History Instructional Support Team, the Contemporary Operations Study Team, the Combined Arms

Center History Office, and the Frontier Army Museum. CSI is comprised of a mix of military, permanent

civilian, and civilian contractor personnel, all of whom hold appropriate professional certification for

their assigned duties. CSI conducts an annual Military History Symposium to bring together leading

nonmilitary and military historians and policy makers to present their research on a topic of current interest

to TRADOC and the Army.

The Research and Publication Team (R&P) is assigned to “conduct original, interpretive research

on historical topics pertinent to the current doctrinal concerns of the U.S. Army in accordance with priorities

established by the TRADOC Commander, the CAC [Combined Arms Center] Commander, and CSI

determined priorities, and to publish the results of the research in a variety of useful formats.” Research

projects are consistent with the above mission and are generated by taskings from TRADOC and CAC

or by the Director, CSI. The variety of formats in which completed projects are published include Global

War on Terrorism Occasional Papers, Leavenworth Papers, Research Surveys, Special Studies, CSI Press

monographs, and a host of miscellaneous historical efforts.

Additionally, R&P conducts the Operational Leadership Experience (OLE) or oral history program

for CAC. This four-person team conducts oral history interviews with students, faculty, and visiting officials

at CAC to build an archive of first-person accounts of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). These

interviews span the vast geographic and functional range of the GWOT. They are transcribed and posted

on the Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) Web site in an easily accessible database. All the material

collected is unclassified and thus is made available to researchers from the government and the public.

The Staff Ride Team conducts staff rides for the Command and General Staff College and for

U.S. Army units and agencies that want to conduct staff rides for the purposes of leader professional

development and education. The team can conduct over thirty different staff rides in the United States and

Europe, provide support to organizations wanting to conduct their own staff rides, and produce staff ride

handbooks for use by the Army at large. Using satellite imagery and 3-D modeling software, the Staff Ride

Team has produced and conducts an Operational Iraqi Freedom Virtual Staff ride of key actors in Iraq,

and is now building an Operational Anaconda Virtual Staff Ride to cover that battle in Operation ENDURING

FREEDOM–Afghanistan.

The Military History Instructional Support Team assists the TRADOC Chief Historian with the

implementation, maintenance, and coordination of an integrated and progressive program of military history

instruction in the TRADOC service school system. The team has four primary responsibilities: biannually

conduct the Military History Instructor Courses tailored to address all levels of TRADOC military history

instruction based on relevant programs of instruction and training support packages; assist the TRADOC

Chief Historian with the Military History Certification Program; develop, maintain, and facilitate a field

historian course to qualify Army personnel for the 5X Military Historian Additional Skill Identifier (ASI); and

update TRADOC military history curriculum as necessary.

Combat Studies Institute
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The Contemporary Operations Study Team (COST) is CSI’s newest team, formed in late 2005.

COST is chargedwith producing comprehensive, preliminary historical accounts of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM

(OIF), Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF), and other GWOT-related operations for the U.S. Army. These

accounts will serve as a first cut of the Army’s operational history, will tell the Army story, and provide

insights on Army operations, filling the gap between journalistic accounts and official Army histories not

published till decades later.

The Combined Arms Center (CAC) History Office in fiscal year 2006 consisted of two personnel:

a command historian who also serves as the deputy director, CSI, and an assistant command historian. The

CAC History Office collects and maintains the command history of CAC, provides historical support to the

CAC commanding general, and administers numerous memorial programs at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 2006 the office was able to obtain contract archival support to catalog and sort the decades of CAC

official documents in its collection.

The mission of the Frontier Army Museum is to collect and preserve artifacts that tell the story of the

Frontier Army from 1804 to 1916 and the story of Fort Leavenworth from 1827 to the present. The museum

supports its story line from its collection of more than 7,000 artifacts. Certified by the Center of Military

History and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Frontier Army Museum contributes

greatly to Army education through interaction with the Command and General Staff College and to

general public knowledge of the Army’s heritage through robust outreach and living history programs.

The Department of Military History (DMH) is charged with presenting military history at the

Command and General Staff College (CGSC) and assisting other departments in integrating military

history into their instruction. Currently DMH has twenty-five civilian instructors and three administrative

personnel. DMH is authorized seven military instructors, but currently has no military personnel assigned.

Each history instructor is assigned to a multidisciplinary teaching team composed of twelve instructors.

Each of twenty-one teaching teams is allocated to a section of approximately sixty-four CGSC students

for the duration of the academic year and delivers most of the instruction to that section. During the recent

academic year, sixteen student sections were in residence and four were at satellite campuses (one at Fort

Lee, one at Fort Gordon, and two at Fort Belvoir).

All DMH instructors teach core and elective courses in history, as well as out-of-discipline courses,

such as, strategy, critical reasoning/creative thinking, leadership, and tactics. In addition to classroom

responsibilities, all instructors chair, or serve as members of, about three master of military arts and sciences

(MMAS) graduate thesis committees. The focus of DMH remains quality education in theory and conduct

of modern warfare to CGSC students.

DMH supports the Total Army School System (TASS) by preparing and maintaining courseware

and assisting in the training of TASS resident CGSC instructors. Recently, CGSC completed conversion

of the intermediate-level education (ILE) core curriculum to the advanced distance learning (ADL) format

to support conversion of the nonresident course from a paper-based to a Web-based system. The DMH

lesson authors developed ADL versions so that nonresident students can participate in identical course

material delivered in an interactive, self-paced methodology.

Department of Militar y History
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DMH also supports several history-related initiatives. While enrolled in the basic CGSC

curriculum, resident students may pursue a MMAS degree, the equivalent of an academic master’s

degree. When pursued with a concentration in history, the fully accredited MMAS program is a core

component of the CSI’s 5X Military Historian ASI program. DMH instructors provide guidance for such

work along with qualified outside academics. This program is supervised by CSI’s Military History

Instructional Support Team.

The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Military History Program overall

consists of the command Military History Office at the headquarters and includes those activities designed

to collect data and material related to the organization and mission of TRADOC; develop historical

interpretation of the command and related subjects; and provide instruction in military history and heritage.

Central to these activities are military history offices, museums, and military history instruction in initial entry

training, precommissioning, and Army schools. The TRADOC Military History Program overall consists of

the headquarters military history office, twenty-one subordinate history branch or command offices, CAC’s

Combat Studies Institute, CGSC’s Department of Military History, AWC’s Army Heritage and Education

Center/Military History Institute, and twenty-three branch or topical museums. The TRADOC Military

History Office at the command’s Fort Monroe headquarters exercises Army Management Headquarters

Activity responsibilities regarding overall policy formulation, total program oversight and management, and

establishment of inclusive standards and monitoring their implementation.

In accordance with the TRADOC Military History Program Strategic Plan, the program’s core

competencies are acquiring, preserving, organizing, chronicling, and analyzing the historical and material

culture record; teaching military history and heritage, broadly defined; developing museums that are

the technical repositories of branch material developments; developing field history offices that are the

corporate memory of their branch or command; conducting, collecting, and preserving oral history; training

teachers of military history; designing and executing staff rides; producing short- and long-term research,

resulting in doctrinally relevant publications; educating soldiers and civilians to become searching, thinking,

questioning, and reasoning, flexible, adaptive leaders able to apply the insights of military history to the

profession of arms; and using the historical record to assist leaders in making critical decisions for the

present and future.

The Department ofHistory at theU.S. Military Academy (USMA) remains committed to itsmission of

teaching history to cadets as part of the academy’s broader purpose of developing commissioned leaders

of character to serve the nation as officers in the United States Army. The Department of History’s faculty

supplements its primary mission with scholarly and professional outreach and support to the academy, the

Army, and the nation.

The Department of History instituted a strategic-planning process that permitted a top-tobottom review of the history curriculum and department operations. The strategic planning is cyclical—on

an annual basis—and provides a mechanism for managed change within the department. During academic

U.S. Military Academy

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 13

year 2005–2006, the department established a new mission, vision, and program goals. Additionally, faculty

goal teams were created to address issues that emerged during the review and throughout the year.

The Department of History established the USMA Center for Oral History in 2005. The purpose of

the center is to record the professional military experiences of USMA graduates and other Army leaders to

promote the education, training, and inspiration of cadets and to enrich the study of the history of the U.S.

Army. The Center for Oral History will oversee the collection, transcription, cataloging, and archiving of

oral history interviews. These interviews will grow into a rich historical database that will house the records

of professional military experiences before they are lost forever. The superintendent designated the Center

for Oral History as an “approved need,” which grants authority to the Association of Graduates to begin

fundraising for an endowment large enough to hire a permanent oral historian and a small staff. Currently,

the Center has completed more than fifty interviews.

The Department of History hosts the annual Summer Seminar in Military History. Begun in the

1960s, this widely acclaimed program prepares civilian and military scholars to teach military history at

an undergraduate level. Twenty academic fellows from universities in the United States, Canada, Nigeria,

South Africa, and Spain enjoyed a series of seminars, a variety of guest lecturers, and battlefield studies.

The Summer Seminar included two staff rides—one on the American Revolution (Saratoga) and one on

the American Civil War (Gettysburg and Antietam). As part of the program, the Department of History

conducted the first annual West Point Current Policy Symposium. This event was an opportunity for the

Summer Seminar fellows to consider current policy issues in the context of military history. The symposium

included panels on insurgency and counterinsurgency, occupation and nation building, role of the historian

in shaping current policy, and the future of military history.

Senior historians at Army Commands, Army Service Component Commands, and Direct Reporting

Units advise and support their commanders and staffs in much the same way that the Chief of Military

History (and the Director of the Center of Military History) advises and supports the Army Chief of Staff,

the Army Staff, and the Army Secretariat. For this reason, field historical offices have a role within their

organizations comparable to that of the CMH within the Department of the Army.

Currently, an average of 230 historians supported more than sixty Army commands, service

schools, and separate agencies. An additional 240 curators, archivists, and support staff provided

parallel historical services to the Army and the general public through museums and archival holdings.

Major historical offices in the field included those at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Forces

Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, U.S. Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Europe,

and U.S. Army Medical Command. The restructuring of Army commands on 1 October 2006 to create

Direct Reporting Units, Army Service Component Commands, and Army Commands may increase the

number of reporting historical offices.

Historians at all levels prepare annual command histories for their organizations and, along with

specialized historical offices (such as the Combat Studies Institute), research and write monographs and

smaller studies on subjects related to their commands. Other important activities include support of military

history detachments, use of military history in service schools and unit training, management of historical

records, oral history programs, staff supervision of command historical properties and museum activities,

and the provision of reference services.

Army Commands
14 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

In preparing our road map for the next five years, this strategic plan takes into account issues that

have shaped or will shape the international climate, the Federal Government, the Department of Defense,

and the Army, as well as the role of the Army History Program in that environment. In this section, we

discuss those issues, which form the basis for the organization’s goals and objectives.

We must meet the challenges of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act and address the

challenges of supporting our customers in innovative ways to minimize the impacts of relocating U.S.

Army Materiel Command (AMC) and TRADOC museums. We must prepare for the implementation of

the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). As we implement this new performance-based system,

we must ensure that our workforce has the knowledge and skills necessary to continue into the future as

a high-performing organization.

We must develop our managers and supervisors to effectively lead a multigenerational and

demographically diverse workforce, where everyone’s contributions are valued. We must continue to

strive to operate like a successful business and ensure we are doing our part to help modernize the

institutional Army and support the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). We are in an environment of

change, and the process of change requires us to be adaptive and flexible. Our continued success will

require the effort of all employees working together.

This plan establishes a common set of goals and objectives that will prepare us to successfully

support the Army’s mission and manage the challenges that lie ahead (i.e., GWOT, BRAC, and NSPS).

Throughout this period, we will continue to achieve efficiencies in product and service delivery, and to

posture our increasingly diverse workforce for continued success.

The Army History Program has a strong tradition of customer service, and a robust mix of motivated,

professional, and technically competent soldiers, civilians, and contractors dedicated to serving our

customers. Our executive leadership possesses many years of experience. Our management team

cares about its people and works well together. Our desire to succeed and get the job done through

collaboration, innovation, and team building is second to none.

SSiittuuaattiioonnaall AAsssseessssmmeenntt

Operating Environment

Strengths
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 15

Resource constraints are a challenge. The present processrelies on reactive,short-termmanagement

of dollars, facilities, and equipment. Shortages of both resources and trained employees in needed skill

areas make it difficult for the Army History Program to remain agile and relevant. As with other Government

organizations, we are beginning to feel the impact of having an aging workforce that may soon retire in

large numbers. This shift in personnel will leave large gaps in institutional knowledge and in the number

of qualified staff to perform Army History Program services.

The GWOT requires us to focus on providing unique support to our warfighters. Through Lean Six

Sigma and other similar processes, we can gain even more efficiencies. We will reduce redundancies

and streamline processes, thus eliminating activity that does not add value. We can exploit technology

and digitization to rapidly access, collaborate, and disseminate information. Additionally, we can take

advantage of pilot programs and other established Department of Defense and Army initiatives that

align with our vision. With the implementation of NSPS, we have an opportunity to design a program to

develop a cadre of professional leaders that will lead the Army History Program into the future.

The GWOT heightens customer expectations and can constrain resources needed tomeet customer

demands. Any shortcomings we face in securing resources affect our ability to provide needed services

to our customers. Additionally, as we work to make improvements, we are only as good as our people

and their ability to work within systems that are sometimes difficult and inflexible.

Threats

Opportunities

Weaknesses
16 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

SSttrraatteeggiicc GGooaallss

Implementation

GoGoal 1 al 1

GoGoal 2 al 2

GoGoal 3 al 3

GoGoal 4 al 4

GoGoal 5 al 5

GoGoal 6 al 6

—Strengthen the Army historical community’s role as the nation’s authoritative

source of official Army history

—Strengthen Army cohesion and morale through unit, organizational, and

institutional history initiatives

—Improve the effectiveness of Army history education

—Grow and cultivate a diverse, multitalented, and innovative military and civilian

Army historian workforce for the twenty-first century

—Implement innovative Army museum programs, ensuring synchronization, full- spectrum support, and the infusion of best practices and technology

—Provide relevant, historical expertise for our Army’s leadership and field units on

issues of operations and transformation

The implementation date for this plan is 1 June 2007. In-Progress Reviews (IPRs) will be conducted

on a regular basis for each of the actions identified in this strategic plan. For each action, a timeline will be

developed to identify key milestones, such as interim reports/assessments, decision points, and other tasks

essential to meeting the deadline. IPRs will assess progress in meeting milestones and provide necessary

guidance and decisions, to include adjustments to the timeline and scope of the effort.

U.S. Army History Program 

Strategic Action Plan

U.S. Army History Program 

Strategic Action Plan

In light of the environment in which we operate, specific strategies are outlined in the following

pages based on the six major Army History Program goals listed below:
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 17

Goal 1

Strengthen the Army historical community’s role as the nation’s authoritative source 

of official Army history

Action 1-1-1—Conduct a comprehensive review of the scope and timeline of all Vietnam histories

currently assigned to identify opportunities to accelerate writing projects.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Histories Division (HD) 1 September 2007 (90 days) Written report to Director CMH

Action 1-1-2—Establish priorities, programs, and tracking mechanisms that ensure final drafts of the

official Army History of the Vietnam War are completed within the next four years.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 December 2007 (180 days)

Written standard operating

procedure (SOP) and timeline to

Director CMH

Action 1-1-3—Review, refine, and publish an official history publication concept plan for the Cold War

and post–Cold War periods, ending on 10 September 2001.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Chief Historian with HD support 1 September 2007 (90 days) Written concept plan

Review and update the Army Official History Publication Program.

Accelerate the writing of the Vietnam-era official history of the Army and both organize and write

remaining twentieth-century official Army history (Cold War and post–Cold War eras). Simultaneously,

Army historians expand efforts to write on Army Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) operations.

Objective 1-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
18 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 1-1-4—Establish a monograph/study series for first five years of the GWOT to include subjects at

the tactical, operational, strategic, and institutional levels of war.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD and Combat

Studies Institute (CSI) 1 October 2007 (120 days)

CMH Director approved

publication plan for HD; CSI

Director approved publication

plan for CSI

Action 1-1-5—Analyze narrative history programs of major command historical offices, to include the

annual command histories and supplemental products.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Field Programs (FP) lead 1 June 2009 (2 years) Written product done in concert

with certification program

Action 1-1-6—Analyze future of DA Historical Summary (DAHSUM) (contract vs. in-house; electronic

vs. narrative vs. staff study format) and future utility.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 June 2008 (1 year) Test e-DAHSUM; outline

alternative solution

Action 1-2-1—Identify and analyze current practices and programs within the Army’s History

Writing Centers to identify opportunities for synchronization of narrative historical topics toward

common objectives.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

CSI lead with HD support

1 March 2008 (9 months; must

wait for Action 1-1-4 to

be completed)

Review Action 1-1-4; prepare a

coordinated, synchronized plan

for GWOT

Improve synchronization, information sharing, and communication of the History Program throughout

the Army.

Conduct a collaborative examination of the processes to collect data and produce studies across the

Army’s History Writing Centers (CMH, CSI, and field historians) to coordinate, streamline, and clarify

roles, missions, responsibilities, and deliverables.

Objective 1-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 19

Action 1-2-2—Develop mechanisms to synchronize oral histories collection, transcription, and access

across the Army History Program. Includes update of Field Manual (FM) 1–20, Military History Operations, as required.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD lead with Army Heritage

and Education Center (AHEC), CSI, and FP support1 April 2008 (300 days)

Collect data from field and

analyze, formulate options, and

brief Director CMH

Action 1-2-3—Develop an Army-wide marketing strategy for historical products.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Publishing Division (PD) 1 December 2007 (180 days) Written plan

Leverage technology to improve access to and preservation of the Army’s historical data, records,

and material.

Assess technology, utilization of historical data, and current Army storage and access practices in order

to maximize efficiency and minimize cost across the history community through simplified and streamlined

storage, access, and preservation of high-demand Army historical data, records, and materials.

Action 1-3-1—Identify and recommend standards and commonality of storage, access, and

preservation of historical data using appropriate and effective technology.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

AHEC lead with CMH (FP) and

CSI support 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Identify areas of technology

then prepare, coordinate, and

present recommendations

Action 1-3-2—Develop and implement a Web-based index/abstract on Army Knowledge Online

(AKO) of available oral history interviews.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD lead with FP support 1 December 2008 (18 months)

Collect data, coordinate data,

and recommend a plan to take

from desktop access database

to an online database

Objective 1-3

Supporting Strategy

Actions
20 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 1-3-3—Develop and implement a Web-based index/abstract that links the Army’s History

Program (Command History Offices) records.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 December 2008 (18 months)

Review the collection of

records, develop a plan, and

brief Director CMH; develop

database and implement

Action 1-3-4—Develop a searchable database for GWOT military history detachment collections and

associated records.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 June 2009 (2 years) Review records and develop

index/abstract

Action 1-3-6—Identify and prioritize the expedited movement of nonessential operational records and

information collections to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 December 2007 (180 days)

Data call on operational

records, identify nonessential

records, develop plan to move

nonessential records to NARA

and implement

Action 1-3-5—Develop an automated referral and response system to expedite responses to historybased public and official inquiries.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Research; review current

inquiries system; collect data

from AHEC, CSI, and TRADOC;

develop concept plan; and brief

Director CMH
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 21

Action 1-3-7—Develop Army historical programwide digitization strategy and priorities for Army

historical records, publications, and materials. 

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

AHEC lead 1 December 2007 (180 days) Collect data, develop options, and brief Director CMH

Action 1-3-8—Index and integrate the research and development holdings of the Army Museum System.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Museum Division (MD) 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Collect data from field, identify

R&D holdings, incorporate into

AHCAS, and develop a finding

aid for R&D holdings
22 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Goal 2

Strengthen Army cohesion and morale through unit, organizational, and institutional 

history initiatives

Action 2-1-1—Conduct a review and analysis of existing historical programs for their direct contributions

to building or sustaining institutional heritage and morale.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead with

CMH support 1 December 2008 (18 months) White paper to Director CMH

Identify, expand, and improve Army-level historical programs across the Army that contribute to

institutional heritage and morale.

Identify and strengthen those Army-level historical programs that directly contribute to institutional

heritage and morale.

Action 2-1-2—Establish an Army commemorative cell to synchronize Army historical community efforts for

major national and DOD war commemoration programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Develop plan and move it

through the program objective

memorandum (POM) cycle

Action 2-1-3—Develop a comprehensive engagement, exhibit, and publication strategy to support key

national and DOD commemorations through 2020.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 December 2007 (180 days) Develop plan and brief

Director CMH

Objective 2-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 23

Action 2-2-1—Conduct a review of roles and missions of the Army Museum System to identify its existing

support to cohesion programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD lead 1 June 2009 (1 year) White paper to Director CMH

Action 2-1-5—Conduct a comprehensive review of the Army Country Study Guide program.

.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

PD 1 August 2007 (60 days)

Review program and present

recommendation to Director

CMH

Action 2-1-6—Conduct a comprehensive review of the command relationship between AHEC

and CMH.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Assistant Chief of

Military History

1 December 2007 (180 days)

Coordinate with AHEC and

present recommendation to

Director CMH

Action 2-1-4—Publish a coffee table Army art book on GWOT.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2009 (2 years) Publish book

Strengthen and clarify the role of the Army Museum System to support unit and organizational

history programs.

Study the core missions and functions of the Army Museum System to identify opportunities to provide

more effective support to Army heritage and cohesion programs.

Objective 2-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
24 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 2-2-2—Develop initiatives that would expand and improve cohesion programs through museum- related events and products.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD lead 1 December 2008 (18 months)

Based on white paper in Action

2-2-1, develop a series of

proposals for projects

Action 2-2-3—Develop a robust traveling exhibit program that supports Army cohesion programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2009 (2 years) White paper to Director CMH

Action 2-2-4—Develop an art exhibit program with four major exhibits a year that supports Army

cohesion efforts.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Develop a plan, target an

audience, fund requirements, and execute a timetable

Action 2-3-1—Develop and implement a plan to digitize Organizational History.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 June 2010 (3 years)

Conduct review of current

state of digitization, identify

shortfalls, develop concept plan

to complete digitization, brief

Director CMH, and implement

Conduct a comprehensive review of Organizational History programs.

Leverage electronic means to increase availability of Lineage and Honors products to both units and

the public.

Objective 2-3

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 25

Action 2-3-2—Analyze existing Lineage and Honors process and improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 December 2007 (180 days)

Conduct Lean Six Sigma, develop a plan, and brief

Director CMH

Action 2-3-3—Develop and implement plans to automate and place Lineage and Honors material on

the CMH Web site.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 June 2009 (2 years) Develop concept plan, brief

Director CMH, and implement

Action 2-3-4—Streamline and finalize disposition processes for retiring Organization History files.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead with MD and

AHEC support

1 December 2007 (180 days) Develop a concept plan and

staff with MD and AHEC
26 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Goal 3

Improve the effectiveness of Army history education

Analyze and improve military history classroom and distance education.

Develop and implement an integrated program to support and enhance the value of military history in

the Army’s classrooms. Leverage distance learning to increase opportunities to incorporate history into

Army education system, with specific focus on the TRADOC schools curriculum.

Action 3-1-1—Conduct a comprehensive review of the use of military history in pre-accession, enlisted, officer, and civilian education systems.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC 1 June 2008 (1 year) White paper to Director CMH

Action 3-1-2—Conduct a comprehensive analysis of Army military history blocks of instruction to

determine which ones could be converted to distance learning.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC 1 December 2008 (18 months) White paper to Director CMH

Action 3-1-3—Establish a working group to evaluate military history blocks of instruction converted to

distance learning for lessons learned regarding selection, resourcing, and conversion.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead 1 December 2008 (18 months) White paper to Director CMH

Objective 3-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 27

Action 3-2-1—Conduct a review of Army military history curricula to determine which ones could be

technologically enhanced with electronic educational products.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC 1 December 2008 (18 months) White paper to Director CMH

Action 3-2-2—Assemble a committee of military history educators to determine methods and procedures

to use technology to enhance the quality of military history instruction.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead 1 December 2008 (18 months) White paper to Director CMH

Develop a broad range of electronic educational products.

Use electronic products to enhance the quality and interest in the military history curricula.

Objective 3-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
28 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 3-3-2—Publish a revised version of The Staff Guide.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

CSI 1 June 2008 (1 year) Revise and republish

Action 3-3-4—Analyze new technologies and determine how to incorporate them into staff ride programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

CSI 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Review current technologies and

identify the system that should

be adopted by the Army

History Program

Action 3-3-3—Create an online database of staff rides.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

CSI 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Identify TRADOC school

requirements for staff rides, build

on Action 3-3-4, and develop

database on selected staff rides

Action 3-3-1—Develop doctrine and provide design advice and pedagogical expertise for staff rides.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

CSI lead 1 June 2008 (1 year) Review current doctrine and

update as necessary

Develop coordinated Battlefield Staff Ride contact plans with key Army stakeholders and constituents.

Conduct a complete review of the Army staff ride programs, to include technological innovations, and

examine the best way to leverage this important educational tool.

Objective 3-3

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 29

Action 3-4-1—Conduct a comprehensive review of the military heritage and history curriculum and

examine opportunities to use artifacts, art, and museum exhibits to enhance instruction.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead with MD support 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Collect data, develop

recommendations, and brief

Director CMH

Leverage the museum program to enhance military heritage and history education.

Expand the utilization of museums to reinforce military heritage and history curriculum and to enhance

branch and unit cohesion.

Objective 3-4

Supporting Strategy

Actions
30 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Goal 4

Grow and cultivate a diverse, multitalented, and innovative military and civilian Army 

historian workforce for the twenty-first century

Strengthen the relationship of CMH, CSI, and AHEC with academia for historical research and

scholarly publication.

Expand educational, extension, and outreach programs linked to major Army History Program

organizations.

Action 4-1-1—Conduct a comprehensive review of the Conference of Army Historians.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Chief Historian lead 1 December 2007 (180 days) Report to Director CMH

Action 4-1-2—Establish a visiting professor chair of history at CMH.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Assistant Chief of

Military History

1 June 2009 (2 years) Develop plan and brief

Director CMH

Action 4-1-3—Establish and fund a visiting research scholar position at CMH.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 June 2009 (2 years) Develop plan and brief Director

CMH

Action 4-1-4—Establish an intern program for final year Ph.D. candidates at CMH.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 June 2009 (2 years) Develop plan and brief Director

CMH

Objective 4-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 31

Action 4-1-5—Collect and publicize (through in-house communication, Web site, and news releases

to appropriate media outlets) the achievements of the Army History Program and the corresponding

benefits to the Army.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

PD lead 1 December 2007 (180 days) Develop plan and brief

Director CMH

Action 4-1-8—Transform Army History into a professional bulletin of debate and information geared to

the interests, work, and concerns of Army historians.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

PD 1 December 2007 (180 days) Publish Army History quarterly

Action 4-1-7—Review the structure of the Army civilian education system and determine how to use the

system to enhance the professional development of History and Museum personnel.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Chief Historian lead 1 June 2008 (1 year) Report to Director CMH

Action 4-1-6—Develop professional development mechanisms for historians, such as writing for external

publications and attending training opportunities.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Chief Historian lead 1 March 2007 (270 days) Report to Director CMH
32 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 4-2-2—Investigate and develop opportunities to use staff rides, art, and book publications for

corporate outreach programs that enhance training and support to Army programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

Assistant Chief of

Military History

1 June 2008 (1 year)

Coordinate with OGC, USMA,

CSI, AHEC, and TJAG; develop

concept plan; and brief Director

CMH

Action 4-2-1—Increase staff interaction/involvement in local university scholarship and

education programs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 December 2008 (18 months) Research, develop concept

plan, and brief Director CMH

Establish programs and incentives that make the Army history a sought-after partner by academia.

Establish benchmarks for today’s military-civilian historian exchange opportunities and both identify and

create opportunities to partner and interact with academia and industry.

Objective 4-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 33

Action 5-1-1—Identify state-of-the-art MSC capability requirements.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 September 2007 (90 days)

Update current MSC

requirements and staff

with AHEC and develop

concurrence within museum

community on roles and missions

of MSC

Build and operate a world-class Museum Support Center (MSC).

Identify, document, and fully resource an MSC that provides Army-wide support and expertise.

Goal 5

Implement innovative Army museum programs, ensuring synchronization, fullspectrum support, and the infusion of best practices and technology

Action 5-1-2—Solidify design-build plans with the Corps of Engineers in FY 2007.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 30 September 2007 (120 days)

Review input from field on Action

5-1-1 and update plans with

Corps of Engineers

Action 5-1-3—Plan and fund movement of Army art artifacts stored at 14th Street Collections Branch

facility to new MSC as construction is completed.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2010 (3 years) Develop plan and brief concept

to Director CMH

Objective 5-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
34 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 5-1-4—Hire personnel for MSC as construction is completed.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2010 (3 years)

Develop job descriptions and

synchronize with Action 5-1-1,

and brief Director CMH

Action 5-1-5—Develop MSC-based training program for museum specialists and curators.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Develop training plan in

conjunction with Actions 5-1-4

and 5-2-5

Strengthen and synchronize Army Museum System (AMS) operations.

Conduct extensive Lean Six Sigma reviews of various processes as well as review roles and missions of

AMS activities in order to streamline and improve operational efficiency and support to the field while

simultaneously meeting external requirements such as BRAC and directed museum management transfers.

Action 5-2-1—Develop and implement an interim plan to consolidate museums in accordance with

BRAC and the Integrated Global Basing and Posture Strategy (IGBPS).

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 October 2007 (120 days) Develop a written plan and staff

with field museum community

Action 5-2-2—Develop and implement a comprehensive CMH management plan for the former U.S.

Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) museums.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 March 2008 (270 days)

Develop a fully coordinated

written product (incorporating

personnel, funds, and reporting)

Objective 5-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 35

Action 5-2-5—Evaluate and recommend ways to improve museum curator and specialist recruitment

and training.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead 1 June 2007 (1 year) White paper with detailed

concepts and proposals

Action 5-2-4—Revise AR 870-20 to provide updated guidance and direction for the Army’s

Museum Program.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2008 (1 year) Draft, staff, and publish AR

revision

Action 5-2-3—Complete a comprehensive study to identify and recommend long-term museum

management and resource efficiencies for Army museums.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Build on Lean Six Sigma and

develop a plan to back brief the

Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

Action 5-2-6—Develop and implement World Wide Web access to Army Museums through the CMH

Web site and use the Army Historical Catalog and Accountability System (AHCAS).

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 December 2008 (18 months)

Complete cataloging, coordinate, and recommend

plan to take from desktop

access to an online database

Action 5-2-7—Analyze best public and governmental practices to increase the return on gift shop

operations at Army museums.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead 1 June 2008 (1 year)

Conduct study of gift shop

operations and recommend

courses of action to

Director CMH
36 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 5-2-8—Explore and analyze the potential for partnerships with the private and public sector with

an emphasis in the multimedia arena to increase the marketability of Army museums and Army artifact

collections to the public.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

TRADOC lead 1 March 2008 (270 days)

Collect data and present

recommendations to Director

CMH

Modernize the Army Museum System (AMS) to meet twenty-first century Army requirements.

Conduct a detailed review of the Army’s expected operating environment (future force structure,

infrastructure, and budget) and AMS material condition (infrastructure, funding, and holdings) in order to

determine priority actions for future strategic investment in conservation, facilities, and holdings.

Action 5-3-1—Review and validate basic missions of the Army Museum System. 

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 December 2007 (180 days)

Build on Lean Six Sigma, develop a white paper, staff

with field museum community, and build consensus

Action 5-3-2—Conduct a comprehensive review of the Army’s strategic plans to identify requirements for

AMS adaptation to meet anticipated changes in Army posture and operations. 

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 December 2008 (18 months)

Build on Lean Six Sigma, develop a white paper, staff

with field museum community,

and build consensus

Action 5-3-3—Extensively review the location, material condition, and cost-benefit performance of

AMS museums, museum activities, holdings, and other related programs to identify opportunities for

expansion, consolidation, or divestment. 

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2009 (2 years) Develop an execution plan

based on Action 5-3-2

Objective 5-3

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 37

Action 5-3-4—Assess out-year Army funding strategy for AMS and synchronize with strategic initiatives

developed during this detailed review.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2009 (2 years)

Develop funding requirements

synchronized with Action

5-3-3

Action 5-3-5—Study the implications of the future establishment and integration of the National Museum

of the U.S. Army into the AMS.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

MD 1 June 2010 (3 years) White paper to Director CMH
38 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Goal 6

Provide relevant, historical expertise for our Army’s leadership and field units on 

issues of operations and transformation

Restructure and enhance the Army’s military history detachment (MHD) program.

Examine MHD training and products to identify lessons learned from previous four years of

GWOT experience.

Action 6-1-1—Survey all available MHD commanders who deployed overseas since September 2001

and assess the training they received and actual requirements on the ground.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 April 2008 (10 months)

Develop survey, collect data

from former commanders, and

develop brief for Director CMH

Action 6-1-2—Conduct an assessment of all materials received from MHDs and determine shortfall for

writing Operational History of GWOT.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD lead with FP Support 1 June 2008 (1 year)

FP downloads data; HD

prepares an assessment of

quality and a plan for

Director CMH

Action 6-1-3—Evaluate program of instruction for MHD training and propose adjustment as required.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

U.S. Army Reserve Command

(USARC) 1 September 2007 (90 days) White paper to Director CMH

Objective 6-1

Supporting Strategy

Actions
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 39

Action 6-1-4—Develop plan to increase Active Component Military History Force Structure inventory to

expand capability and flexibility for active force operations.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 June 2008 (1 year) White paper to Director CMH

Action 6-1-5—Study the command and control arrangements and roles and missions of organizations

involved in MHD training, mobilization, deployment, and daily operations.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 June 2008 (1 year) White paper to Director CMH

Strengthen Army Historical Operations in the field.

Review capabilities of field organizations in order to improve and sustain key capabilities in areas of

historical collection and analysis.

Action 6-2-1—Review and evaluate the effectiveness and frequency of the Army History Program

coordination practices in support of field history offices.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 December 2007 (180 days) White paper to Director CMH

Action 6-2-2—Study establishing a rapid response cell to support the Army in the field, serving as a

“hotline” between CMH and deployed military history detachments and teams, historians (civilian and

5X), and other key contacts of deployed units.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD lead 1 March 2008 (270 days)

Conduct study and prepare

decision paper for Director

CMH

Objective 6-2

Supporting Strategy

Actions
40 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011

Action 6-2-3—Investigate the feasibility of a “historian embed” program to key Army headquarters that

assures networked and supported historians in deployed units.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 June 2008 (1 year) Develop a concept plan and

brief Director CMH

Action 6-2-4—Review and upgrade the Army History Certification Program as required.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 March 2008 (270 days) Write letter of instruction (LOI)

Action 6-2-5—Review the training, assignment policy, and utilization of 5Xs.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 June 2008 (1 year) White paper to Director CMH

Action 6-2-6—Explore use of individual mobilization augmentees (IMAs) throughout the Army

History Program.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP lead 1 June 2008 (1 year) Develop concept plan and brief

Director CMH
ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011 41

Action 6-3-1—Identify critical senior leader information requirements where historical analysis can be

value-added input to the decision-making process. Consider an annual summary, white paper series,

and special topics papers and briefings as possible tools to distribute information to senior leaders.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 October 2007 (120 days) Collect data, define issues, and

brief Director CMH

Action 6-3-2—Evaluate the mechanism for a collection program for HQDA that will focus on the

collection of vital decision and planning documents from the Secretary of the Army, Chief of Staff, and

the Army G–3.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

HD 1 November 2007 (150 days) Collect data and present

assessment to Director CMH

Strengthen Army historical support to Army senior leaders.

Review current practices and policies with respect to Army historian support of senior leadership to

identify opportunities, increase effectiveness, and both anticipate and proactively meet senior

leader needs.

Objective 6-3

Supporting Strategy

Actions
Action 6-4-1—Assess the CMH International Program’s strategy and activities as they relate to the

Army’s International Affairs Strategy and Program.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 March 2008 (270 days) White paper to Director CMH

Action 6-4-2—Identify the full range of ongoing Army military history activities involving international

partners and their support of objectives of the Army History Program.

Responsible Unit Deadline Measurement

FP 1 March 2008 (270 days) White paper to Director CMH

Fully integrate the Army Military History International Program within HQDA and across the Army’s

major academic and writing institutions.

Examine the Army Military History International Program to ensure it optimizes resources and pursues

strategic priorities of the Army and its Military History Program.

Objective 6-4

Supporting Strategy

Actions

42 ST RAT EGIC PL AN FOR FI SCAL YEAR S 2007–2011