PACAF Wins History Award

  • Published
  • By PACAF Public Affairs
Pacific Air Forces historian office is the winner of the 2006 USAF History and Museums Program award.

There were three award categories overall: Excellence in Wing History Programs, Excellence in Historical Publications, and Air Force Heritage.

HQ PACAF received the Excellence in Historical Publication Award for their publication “With Compassion and Hope: The story of OPERATION UNIFIED ASSISTANCE.”

The OUA study chronicled the Air Force Support for Tsunami Relief Operations in Southeast Asia from December 25, 2004 to February 15, 2005.

“This history was based on research conducted by 10 historians who either deployed into the AOR (Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Malaysia) or operated out of the Air Operations Center (AOC) at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, during the two-month relief operation,” said Dr Timothy Keck, PACAF Command Historian

The OUA study includes, in addition to an annotated chronology, statistical appendices, a narrative history, a photographic essay, and an extensive documentation collection that provided the foundation for the narrative.

Apart from providing a narrative history and description of events of the largest Air Force relief operation since the Berlin Airlift, the OUA study deliberately sought to document the key decisions and decision processes integral to this historic relief operation.

“This will be seen particularly in the areas of controversy over air doctrine, commitment of funds at the outset of the operation, helicopter operations, and matters of good order and discipline in Thailand,” said Keck.

HQ Air Education and Training Command’s Historian office also received the Excellence in Historical Publication Award for 2006

Upon learning that his office had received the 2006 award, command historian Dr Timothy Keck said, “This study was a fully integrated team effort, active military and reserve, as well as civilian historians. It was a great team--they deserve the recognition.”

The awards will be presented at the Air Force History and Museums Program world wide conference in October 2006. Dr. Keck will attend the conference and will accept the award on behalf of PACAF.