Creating a historian course

Maj Daniel Sauerwein · March 22, 2010, 12:23:54 AM

Greetings everyone,

I am working on my Ph.D. in History at the University of North Dakota and am the Wing Historian in ND. A good friend of mine is a retired AF Historian, who was Historian of the Year for three years and wrote the exams that AF Historians (it was an enlisted position) took to earn levels. What I would like to know is if there is any interest in developing a course for CAP historians that would be correspondence-based? This course would cover topics including the basics of the profession, historical inquiry, citing sources, CAP History, AF History, and how to prepare publications. I am more than willing to lend my knowledge of the profession to this endeavor and would love to make this contribution to the historical program, as if we could have the type of courses akin to the AF History Program, our program would grow.

Thoughts?

RiverAux · March 22, 2010, 12:27:49 AM

It probably couldn't hurt but I've got to say that CAP does have some pretty well developed manuals for historians to use if they have an interest. Unfortunately, I think what CAP promotes in those guidelines are way too complex for most people, which probably explains why actual annual reports and historical studies are apparently so rare. What I'd say is a bigger need is some guidelines for abbreviated historical reports that at least get the high points of the unit's history even if they don't go into as much depth as we like. In other words, something just about every unit could produce annually.

Maj Daniel Sauerwein · March 22, 2010, 12:38:00 AM

River,

Great point. One thing that I feel is desperately needed is for the guides to be updated, as the dates for the pamphlets and regulations that guide historians are almost or over twenty years old, which does not consider recent technologies, including computers and the Internet. The latest edition of Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations came out in 2007 and includes material dealing with computers and the Internet (this book is the Historian's bible and is a good source). I guess my goal would be to bring together all resources into a comprehensive course, or series of courses to help new historians. Thanks for your insights.

lordmonar · March 22, 2010, 01:44:03 AM

That is why the historians want all those reports......in order to get a good "history" of something you need all those primary sources of just stupid raw data.

I would like to see a good Historian program course.

(my BA is in history).

RiverAux · March 22, 2010, 02:25:09 AM

Oh, I agree its just in this case CAP has shot itself in the foot by expecting the perfect rather than settling for the good enough. I don't think there is a historian out there who wouldn't be happy to see 50 years of 1 page wing history compared to 5 great annual histories each separated by 10 years (which is probably more than available in the majority of wings).

James Shaw · March 22, 2010, 03:12:45 AM

The National Historian Col Blascovich is actually working on an updated Historian Track. I have been working on a guide of sorts for the masses. I have shared it with a few that have asked. I am always open to great ideas.

My goal from the beginning has been to get our history to the members more. We have alot of information available, it just happens to be in binders and bookshelves. I am working on several projects to get our history published and available for all members.

tarheel gumby · March 22, 2010, 12:15:18 PM

Quote from: caphistorian on March 22, 2010, 03:12:45 AM
The National Historian Col Blascovich is actually working on an updated Historian Track. I have been working on a guide of sorts for the masses. I have shared it with a few that have asked. I am always open to great ideas.

My goal from the beginning has been to get our history to the members more. We have alot of information available, it just happens to be in binders and bookshelves. I am working on several projects to get our history published and available for all members.

I think that with all of the seperate efforts that are being made by various CAP historians that we need a national conference to pool all of the work going on, and not put it on just a few key people. A lot of members have some very good ideas that would add to the program. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

BillB · March 22, 2010, 12:36:28 PM

Doesn't AU ECP (Formerly AFIADL) offer a Historian's course?

tarheel gumby · March 22, 2010, 01:32:01 PM

No that course was de-commisioned, back in 2006 I think.

BillB · March 22, 2010, 02:53:31 PM

It's stiull listed in the 2010 catalog

3H) HISTORIAN 3H051M-Historian Journeyman (Multimedia CD ... CD Multimedia Course: 3H051M, Historian multimedia CD-ROM, was ... paper-based CDC.

tarheel gumby · March 22, 2010, 07:18:43 PM

I tried to order it and was informed that it was no longer avaiable

AdAstra · March 22, 2010, 09:14:08 PM

I took the Historian Journeyman Course back in 2001, and was definitely underwhelmed. The software they used was fairly basic. The liberal use of cartoon illustrations sort of sent the tone, for me at least.

ol'fido · March 23, 2010, 12:56:54 AM

In addition to the already discussed topics, I would also like to see training on document preservation and storage. Also, links to a source for this purpose such as Gaylord but priced more for the individual historian rather than a research library. Heck, I would like to see all the annual reports, CAP newspapers, and other significant documents on the web for research.

BA History, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale,1988.

flyboy53 · March 23, 2010, 12:06:31 PM

That would be an excellent idea. I have a senior rating as a historian, mostly because of my experience as a unit historian in the Air Force Reserve.

Here in the CAP, we tend to get a lot of our information from PA news releases, which is fine but doesn't really help when we are justifying our existance to the powers that be. Access to the other information is generally fractured and difficult to obtain.

Creating a course would establish a framework and protocol to assist commanders and a lot of information wouldn't be lost to the eons.

tdepp · March 23, 2010, 01:06:26 PM

The move to a "paperless" society and CAP creates both challenges and opportunities for preserving and displaying our history. Same with the Internet.

And let's face it. Most of our commanders and members are mission and "here and now" focused, not too worried about whether there is a sufficient trail for one of us nerdy historians to follow 10, 25, or 50 years from now.

I think a revised historian course is an excellent idea. But who has time to develop it? And where does it fall in our priorities as an organization? I for one find our history fascinating. And like most of the people who have commented on this thread, we're probably a small minority who do and worry about its preservation.

And, then there is the use of history. Some think it is important to save every shred of information every squadron on up has ever generated. Perhaps so. But that is a Herculean task to gather, catalog, and preserve. If you are writing a detailed book, yes, it is a mother lode. But I'd settle for having photos and key reports preserved, as well as special items like posters, flyers, press coverage, and the like. I also think we need to make far more use of video to shoot interviews with older members to preserve their memories and experiences. (And I think this is a requirement in the historian track.)

Again, who has time? Among our other priorities--recruitment, fund raising, looking for lost people and planes, training cadets, etc.--where does this fall? I love history and I love our history but I also have other operational and administrative duties (Aircrew, legal, public affairs, training, etc.). And I even come from a fairly large squadron. Imagine a small squadron where SMs wear 3, 4, 5, 6 hats just to keep the squadron functioning.

Whatever we come up with needs to be user friendly and practical so us historians can actually git r done.

Smithsonia · March 23, 2010, 02:11:12 PM

There is a truth that I think should be included - I do not propose it - but offer it for your reflection. There is a level above Master Historian. Some people will understand this and some won't. There is a craft side... an aesthetic side... an artistic side to history that I can not teach. And perhaps you can not learn. Heck, perhaps that I can't learn also.

I can occasionally exemplify it. I can often point to it. I can perhaps see it in others and recognize it... but like foot speed, grace, and sense of humor... you are a natural or you are not. It must be mentored to enhance it. It must be done through a guild craft model. It is beyond any formal pedagogical classroom - It will drive the literal among you crazy. In other words, you can not train people to do everything. God touches you with a gift or doesn't and it is that straightforward. So at this level the 6th sense gifted must be viewed differently. It must be monitored but it can not be instructed as to where it should lead. The outcome is unpredictable. The outcome is always in doubt. But the ultimate goal is truth, not trifling with expectation.

Not unlike the highly experienced field craft teams - NCATeam - or even the CISM and Chaplains... there is a highly developed 6th sense to a historian.

Formal CAP and military classrooms are designed to teach the basics to thousands, higher levels of education to hundreds of people, and even higher levels to dozens.

However, in an organization of 60,000 people we won't have 5 who can work at this highest level of craftsmanship. We may not need anymore than 5. BUT, we need people who aspire to be among those 5. This is the level of the Priesthood of Historians. Account for this. Understand this. It will drive command nuts. That is something for Command to deal with internally. Inside every great institution it must be accommodated. Only when this 6th sense is accommodated can the work be done. In this matter CAP needs to make room for intellectual warriors. This is disconcerting news to many but it is the truth.

tarheel gumby · March 23, 2010, 02:14:31 PM

Quote from: Capt Daniel Sauerwein on March 22, 2010, 12:23:54 AM
Greetings everyone,

I am working on my Ph.D. in History at the University of North Dakota and am the Wing Historian in ND. A good friend of mine is a retired AF Historian, who was Historian of the Year for three years and wrote the exams that AF Historians (it was an enlisted position) took to earn levels. What I would like to know is if there is any interest in developing a course for CAP historians that would be correspondence-based? This course would cover topics including the basics of the profession, historical inquiry, citing sources, CAP History, AF History, and how to prepare publications. I am more than willing to lend my knowledge of the profession to this endeavor and would love to make this contribution to the historical program, as if we could have the type of courses akin to the AF History Program, our program would grow.

Thoughts?

Louis Thoms and my self are working on a historian's took kit your input would be most welcome, see the Historians toolkit thread in this section.

tarheel gumby · March 23, 2010, 02:18:27 PM

Ed,
Well Said , thank you for all of your hard work.

tdepp · March 24, 2010, 01:39:30 AM

Quote from: Smithsonia on March 23, 2010, 02:11:12 PM
There is a truth that I think should be included - I do not propose it - but offer it for your reflection. There is a level above Master Historian. Some people will understand this and some won't. There is a craft side... an aesthetic side... an artistic side to history that I can not teach. And perhaps you can not learn. Heck, perhaps that I can't learn also.

I can occasionally exemplify it. I can often point to it. I can perhaps see it in others and recognize it... but like foot speed, grace, and sense of humor... you are a natural or you are not. It must be mentored to enhance it. It must be done through a guild craft model. It is beyond any formal pedagogical classroom - It will drive the literal among you crazy. In other words, you can not train people to do everything. God touches you with a gift or doesn't and it is that straightforward. So at this level the 6th sense gifted must be viewed differently. It must be monitored but it can not be instructed as to where it should lead. The outcome is unpredictable. The outcome is always in doubt. But the ultimate goal is truth, not trifling with expectation.

Not unlike the highly experienced field craft teams - NCATeam - or even the CISM and Chaplains... there is a highly developed 6th sense to a historian.

Formal CAP and military classrooms are designed to teach the basics to thousands, higher levels of education to hundreds of people, and even higher levels to dozens.

However, in an organization of 60,000 people we won't have 5 who can work at this highest level of craftsmanship. We may not need anymore than 5. BUT, we need people who aspire to be among those 5. This is the level of the Priesthood of Historians. Account for this. Understand this. It will drive command nuts. That is something for Command to deal with internally. Inside every great institution it must be accommodated. Only when this 6th sense is accommodated can the work be done. In this matter CAP needs to make room for intellectual warriors. This is disconcerting news to many but it is the truth.

No disagreement with any of this Ed. And we need people like you to remind us of the importance of history. But we also have missions--life saving missions--we need to accomplish when called upon. Thank goodness there are people like you who not only put the pieces of such tasks back together, but put it in a context with flair.

It is in part the history of CAP that runs through all of us and calls us to serve. It is often unstated but it is there.

One of my colleagues commented after some postings of mine on Facebook after our flooding photo flights here in SoDak that we were like the Minutemen of yore. Instead of leaving our farms, and jobs and businesses and grabbing our guns to go fight the British marching down the road, we grabbed our cameras, our dataloggers, and headsets to go fight the floodwaters coming down the river. I thought it was an appropriate historical comparison. Maybe a bit over stated, but hey, I'll take the historical analogy any day.

Smithsonia · March 30, 2010, 11:58:36 AM

^^^^
Todd;
There is nothing small about the Dakota Flooding. I've got friends out of the Denver Regional FEMA Office who've been on duty
up there for 4 years. If I am not mistaken, I was lead to believe that - this is the longest running ongoing FEMA mission, right now. Even running longer than Katrina... but perhaps I misunderstood this casual conversation.
My point is:
1. Everything we do, every training session, every piece of learning, every mission is capable of being a part of history. My squadron built the original Scanner, Observer, Mission Pilot training syllabus. Jim Smith and Norm Kholos wrote the same basic training manuals that we use today. Others participated but these two dedicated members worked through the issues in their basement offices. I wish I had pictures. Norm died a little over a year ago. Jim is no longer a member. I'd give anything to have that piece of my squadron's history. I'd love to tell that story in full. It is all part of our history. Unfortunately it might have slipped right through my fingers.

2. To be a historian, like acting, like Olympian, like any real thing... you must live in the verb not the noun. You must commit. You must record. You must do. Recognize the worth of what you see as eventually being historical that is what you must do. If you are right 5 percent of the time then you are a genius historian. To see then predict the eventual outcome of importance is the development of this 6th sense. One must literally be a fortune teller to be a good historian. To predict what will BECOME important is much tougher than looking back like some Monday Morning Quarterback, researching records that are provided by other, and picking up the pieces, is frankly easier.

I am a PIO, Historian, and ES Officer. I am always amazed at how looking for people in the woods and looking for people in the words is often the same.