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Visiting the Agency

Potential visitors to the AFHRA are encouraged to contact the Agency to let us know when you plan to arrive and how long you plan to stay. We will attempt to accommodate all visitors. To schedule a visit or request digitized copies of AFHRA holdings please utilize the "Contact Us" page or call (334) 953-5697. Please note, the Agency processes requests on a priority, first in, first out basis. Current wait times for general public requests are 150 days to receive a response. 

 

 

Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. (Central Time Zone)  

AFHRA
600 Chennault Circle
Maxwell AFB, AL
36112-6424

(334) 953-5697

*The AFHRA is closed on all Federal Holidays and the Reading Rooms are closed to the public on AETC Family Days. 

AFHRA Announcements

New Hangar Highlight! "From Bombing Tokyo to Escaping the Soviets: The Incredible Story of Doolittle Raider Col Robert G. Emmens" - Friday, April 18, 2025

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, America faced dark and uncertain days. Retired Air Force Colonel Richard L. Uppstrom, former Director of the Air Force Museum (now National Museum of the United States Air Force), described it best: "To say our backs were to the wall was perhaps an understatement." In today’s Hangar Highlight we're spotlighting a riveting oral history lecture from our audio collection at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. In this recording, Retired Colonel Robert G. Emmens—a member of the legendary Doolittle Raiders—shares his firsthand account of the daring Tokyo raid that took place just four months after Pearl Harbor. This lecture, delivered around the 43rd anniversary of the raid (circa 1985), takes you inside the operation and recounts the 14 months Colonel Emmens spent interned in the Soviet Union afterward. If you have two hours to spare, the full recording is an absolute must-listen. But for those on the go, here are the highlights! 

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From the Stacks - Defense from Above: Early Air Power and the Panama Canal - Tuesday, March 25, 2025

✈️ Journey back to the early days of aviation defense in the Panama Canal Zone! In the recent From the Stacks blog post, we explore the establishment of key airfields like France and Albrook Fields, the Army Air Corps expansion, and groundbreaking innovations in U.S. aviation from 1917-1936.🛩️ Discover how these pivotal years laid the foundation for future defense strategies. Stay tuned for more!
To read this latest post, click the link here: 

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Project CHECO and the Historical Support for Effective Search and Rescue in Vietnam - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

⏰Timeliness and quality are the backbone of any Department of the Air Force history report—because “if it loses its timeliness, it loses its value.”🔍 During the Vietnam War, CHECO historians, like Warren Trest, were at the forefront, documenting air operations in real-time. They flew on combat-rigged C-130s, worked through long nights, and braved base shelling to deliver critical reports that shaped decisions at the highest levels. Today, Department of the Air Force historians carry on their legacy, capturing operations in real time to ensure the warfighter and leadership have the insights they need. This critical mission hasn’t changed: provide timely and quality analysis to improve both operational effectiveness and combat capabilities in real time. 

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DAF History & Heritage News From the Field

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