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Wing historian records 380th AEW challenges, accomplishments

  • Published
  • By Maj. Khalid Cannon
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing historian prides herself on being able to document how Airmen have faced daunting challenges, come together and overcome them.

Aungelic Nelson talked about one such challenge: a severe rain storm, which caused flooding throughout the base this past fall.

Nelson, who taught history at Georgia Military College prior to being hired by the Air Force, recorded the collective efforts of 380 AEW personnel who filled hundreds of sandbags in support of the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron.

During the flood, she also detailed the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron's efforts to creatively respond to a myriad obstacles including efforts to make sure communications were not disrupted.

"When describing my job, I tell people that I'm not public affairs and I'm not with the Office of Special Investigations," said Nelson. "A historian is somewhere in between."

According to the Air Force History and Museums Program website, the historian mission is to "improve combat capability through the collection, preservation, interpretation, dissemination and display of historical information, artifacts and Air Force heritage to commanders and the public."

Each month Nelson sifts through nearly 3,500 documents, which include mission and situation reports, and completes a monthly history report. The 50-page report consists of a chronology, which lists important events that occurred, and the narrative that details all major events.

"I'm proudest when I know I've gathered every possible source document available to create the narrative," said Nelson. "The greatest challenge to being a deployed historian is locating the source documents, those primary sources that are critical to the narrative."

Nelson, whose hometown is St. Louis and serves as 305th Air Mobility Wing historian at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., stressed two important tenants for all historians.

"You can't stay in your office 100 percent of the time," said Nelson. "Back home we only had two groups but here the mission is varied and there are many more airframes."

Getting out and learning about how Airmen perform air refueling, close air support and reconnaissance missions was at first daunting, said Nelson.

The other tenant, she said, is that historians' documentation is relied upon by future researchers.

"All historians' work contributes to the big picture understanding of what that wing has done over a long period of time," she said.

Lt. Col. Rick Rachal, 380 AEW director of staff, spoke of Nelson's contributions to the 380 AEW.

"Ms. Nelson has done a great job as our historian," said Rachal. "She has managed to capture all of the incredible results this diverse wing has accomplished during the last four months. This is an important task because future Airmen and others will be able to learn from the things we are doing here today."