Updates to the History Program

[RiverAux]

Major changes in CAPP 5, 6, and 223 regarding the CAP written and oral history programs, and the historian specialty track.  Glanced at the specialty track and it seems like an improvement over the old program which wasn't terribly detailed. 

[LSThiker]

Good stuff.  Love the changes.  A little easier to obtain ratings in the Historian Track.  Like the idea of cadets earning the badge.

[MisterCD]

This is the first wave of more revisions and new pamphlets/regs. By National Boards the new website should be up and running as well.

[LSThiker]

A few questions/comments before I send out the updates to my wing:

When will the Historian Tech Rating test be available?

the volunteer 10 hours.  What exactly would qualify for people volunteering in a library?  Any volunteering or only historical archiving?  I ask because I know some of my wing's members live in small town USA.  While some small towns have city/county history museums, a number of towns are either closing theirs or never had one.  Just would like to get some clarification.

For the senior rating, you have "Read any three of the publications listed in attachment 1 to this pamphlet." on page 9 but on page 11 (checklist) you have "Read an additional two of the publications listed in the Recommend Reading List found in Atch 1."  But on page 18, it states "For the Senior Rating: Read one book from the Recommended Reading List, in
addition to the required book(Gaddis) and the citation guide (Turabian)."  Is it 1, 2, or 3?

For the master rating, on page 13 it states "Read three articles in a published journal by a national level historical society listed in Atch 2." but in the checklist it states "Belong to a reputable national or state historical society with a published journal or magazine listed in attachment 2 to this pamphlet and read the articles in three issues of the journal or magazine."  Is being a member a requirement or not?

Otherwise, great changes and glad the history program is not remaining in history.

[MisterCD]

A few questions/comments before I send out the updates to my wing:

When will the Historian Tech Rating test be available?

the volunteer 10 hours.  What exactly would qualify for people volunteering in a library?  Any volunteering or only historical archiving?  I ask because I know some of my wing's members live in small town USA.  While some small towns have city/county history museums, a number of towns are either closing theirs or never had one.  Just would like to get some clarification.

For the senior rating, you have "Read any three of the publications listed in attachment 1 to this pamphlet." on page 9 but on page 11 (checklist) you have "Read an additional two of the publications listed in the Recommend Reading List found in Atch 1."  But on page 18, it states "For the Senior Rating: Read one book from the Recommended Reading List, in
addition to the required book(Gaddis) and the citation guide (Turabian)."  Is it 1, 2, or 3?

For the master rating, on page 13 it states "Read three articles in a published journal by a national level historical society listed in Atch 2." but in the checklist it states "Belong to a reputable national or state historical society with a published journal or magazine listed in attachment 2 to this pamphlet and read the articles in three issues of the journal or magazine."  Is being a member a requirement or not?

Otherwise, great changes and glad the history program is not remaining in history.

1. Test is in the hands of NHQ. It should be online relatively soon.

2. Yes, someone volunteering in a library is still legitimate. The concept is to get people out doing something for the community while learning first hand, and yes, the consideration was small town America and for those people who live in rural areas.  My preference is for people to be volunteering in local historical societies or with local historical events, but I do not by any means discount library work.

3. Gaddis + Turbian (you do not so much "read it" as become familiar with citation format and writing/editing advice) + three works. There is a large selection provided of books that are available in almost any library nationwide.

4. In most cases membership in a historical society is essentially to pay the costs of the journal, ergo, by joining a society you will subscribe to the journal and read it, presumably imbibing the essence of the methodology, research, writing style used. Being a member of historical society is essentially a requirement, yes. I realize that joining a society might be an added expense, but this is far more affordable than telling someone to take a course on history at an educational institution and a person is not limited to joining any one society. There are plenty organizations out there which are very affordable to join and the journals are first-rate. We need to get CAP historians involved in the professional community to help them learn and grow, so yes, the idea is join the organization, read their journal and see what others are doing and how they perform as historians, then apply this knowledge to CAP to benefit the unit and corporation as a whole.   

[RiverAux]

I would hope that any Master Level historian would already know several ways to get their hands on articles from these national journals so that membership wouldn't actually be required. 

[MisterCD]

Perhaps, but by engaging in a society and becoming a member the organization's historians will in theory improve their skills in ways outside of mere black and white requirements. If you wish to be treated as a professional in this profession, it helps to network and be part of the historical societies/organizations.

Granted, if earning a badge and rating are the only things that matter then so be it. Note that changing the talk of CAP as "the Air Force's best kept secret" is not just a PAO's job but a historian's as well.

[RiverAux]

To be clear for LSTHiker, the pamphlet does not require membership in another organization.  You can either join one of the approved organizations OR read 3 articles from one of their journals to meet part of the requirements. 

Granted, if earning a badge and rating ares the only things that matter then so be it.

Not sure how that applies to this conversation. 

[MisterCD]

To be clear for LSTHiker, the pamphlet does not require membership in another organization.  You can either join one of the approved organizations OR read 3 articles from one of their journals to meet part of the requirements. 

Actually, this is incorrect. The wording is off and this (plus the confusion over the number of books for the senior rating) is going to be corrected hopefully this week by NHQ. For the master rating, it is either read three additional books not used for the senior rating OR join a historical society and read three articles in their journal or magazine. 

[RiverAux]

Ah, thanks.

[LSThiker]

Actually, this is incorrect. The wording is off and this (plus the confusion over the number of books for the senior rating) is going to be corrected hopefully this week by NHQ. For the master rating, it is either read three additional books not used for the senior rating OR join a historical society and read three articles in their journal or magazine.

Thanks.  I figured that was the requirement but just wanted to be clear before getting asked.  Not that I discount any one wanting to join a historical society, I know there are methods of obtaining free permission.  This is especially true for those of us that work at large undergraduate research universities.  The University buys an institutional license to journal archives such as PubMed, Ebsco Host, Elsevier, or to journals directly.  Thus we get tons of access to other fields or journals that we would not normally join. 

Granted, if earning a badge and rating are the only things that matter then so be it.

I hope that is not how my questions came off.  Being that I know you have a PhD and know that those of us that hold PhDs can become very passionate in our fields, so please do not take them the wrong way.

[MisterCD]

Actually, this is incorrect. The wording is off and this (plus the confusion over the number of books for the senior rating) is going to be corrected hopefully this week by NHQ. For the master rating, it is either read three additional books not used for the senior rating OR join a historical society and read three articles in their journal or magazine.

Thanks.  I figured that was the requirement but just wanted to be clear before getting asked.  Not that I discount any one wanting to join a historical society, I know there are methods of obtaining free permission.  This is especially true for those of us that work at large undergraduate research universities.  The University buys an institutional license to journal archives such as PubMed, Ebsco Host, Elsevier, or to journals directly.  Thus we get tons of access to other fields or journals that we would not normally join. 

Granted, if earning a badge and rating are the only things that matter then so be it.

I hope that is not how my questions came off.  Being that I know you have a PhD and know that those of us that hold PhDs can become very passionate in our fields, so please do not take them the wrong way.

Spot on in regards to the university library access, and I do hope people use them more and more. No, your questions did not come off that way. My ideal is for all the members who enter the track not to do so because they want the badge (the "collect the whole set!" mentality) but rather to bring CAP history more in line with mainstream and get our members who have committed considerable time and effort to preserving and sharing the past a place at the table with academic and public history counterparts.

[MisterCD]

Major changes in CAPP 5, 6, and 223 regarding the CAP written and oral history programs, and the historian specialty track.  Glanced at the specialty track and it seems like an improvement over the old program which wasn't terribly detailed.

A updated version of CAPP 223 just posted today, 22 July. It corrects some of the confusion discussed here.

[RiverAux]

Major changes in CAPP 5, 6, and 223 regarding the CAP written and oral history programs, and the historian specialty track.  Glanced at the specialty track and it seems like an improvement over the old program which wasn't terribly detailed.

A updated version of CAPP 223 just posted today, 22 July. It corrects some of the confusion discussed here.

Problems fixed in less than a week!  Great work NHQ (and helpers)!

[LSThiker]

Excellent.  Thanks.

[Eclipse]

Seriously, the entire History Program is really yesterday's news!

[Luis R. Ramos]

You almost cost me a computer!

[Garibaldi]

You almost cost me a computer!

You were the victim of a recipriversexclusion.

[bobcat746]

Thanks for the update on the history program.   Well received here.

[Private Investigator]

I would hope that any Master Level historian would already know several ways to get their hands on articles from these national journals so that membership wouldn't actually be required.

How many Master level Historians exist? I am in a large Wing and we have one. He is also a 50+ year member and I do not recall him at any events since he got his 50 year plaque.