ACC history offices reap recognition Published Oct. 15, 2010 By Justin Oakes Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Air Force historians are found at nearly every level of the Air Force command structure and are responsible for creating and maintaining the Air Force legacy. Since 1943, that legacy has been preserved by the documenting and collection of information within each organization during both peacetime and wartime. Recently, three Air Combat Command history offices stood above the rest by garnering no less than four highly prized Air Force-level awards. The ACC History Office at Langley Air Force Base, Va., was the recipient of the 2010 John T. Bohn Award -- an honor bestowed upon a major command for the best overall program. This was the second time within three years that ACC has achieved this award. "This was a team effort," said James Frank, ACC command historian. "There are seven people in our office, and all those people put their talents together to produce the annual history of ACC." The annual history, which was a main contributor to earning the award, is a 600-page document signed by Gen. William M. Fraser III, commander of ACC, which talks about the mission, organization and activities that transpired within the command during 2009. The award was named after John. T. Bohn, who served as a historian at the Continental Air Forces and Strategic Air Command from 1946 to 1989. He fostered the idea that history was a necessity that carried great practical value for the Air Force. Mr. Bohn developed a history program than supported SAC and the Air Force for decades. Historians Yancy Mailes and Thomas Raab from the 366th Fighter Wing History Office at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, were among another award recipients. The 366th FW/HO earned the Air Force History Program's 2010 Dennis E. Casey Award for best periodic history submitted by a multiperson office. What set these historians apart from other offices was a 386-page narrative containing more than 2,200 supporting documents, which focused on a wide range of organizational and operational topics. Topics such as budget issues, transformation into an F-15E-only organization, combat deployments and the activation of a Royal Singapore air force squadron are highlighted within the narrative. "We worked hard to create this history, and the fact that it won an award is great, but I think our greatest reward will come in the future," Mr. Raab said. "Hopefully, our history will provide future leaders a useful record of lessons learned that will help improve combat capability in the future. That's what it's all for, really." The last two awards, the 2010 Albert F. Simpson and Dennis E. Casey Awards, went to the same place. On May 27, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center History Office at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., claimed both achievements. The Simpson Award recognizes the best history program above the wing level based on the quality and timeliness of the unit's periodic history and overall utility of the program. The Casey Award acknowledges the best periodic history submitted by a single-person office based on accuracy, objectivity, consistency, clarity and selection of supporting documents. "These awards are a tribute to the professionalism and dedication of those assigned to the USAFWC," said Richard Morris, USAFWC historian. "They are also a testament to the great support afforded by the commander and staff." These are the third and fourth Air Force-level awards that the USAFWC has received since October 2005. In summary, "ACC has some high quality historians and they produce outstanding products that will be utilized for years to come," Mr. Frank said.