Research Division

AFHRA serves as the Department of Defense’s (DoD) primary repository for United States Air Force (USAF) unit histories and oral history interviews. Additionally, AFHRA houses a wide array of historical documents, maps, and papers, to include the personal papers of several prominent USAF officers such as Generals Henry “Hap” Arnold, George E. Stratemeyer, and George C. Kenney. For a list of personal papers housed at AFHRA see https://www.afhra.af.mil/Information/Documents/Personal-Papers/.

Given that AFHRA’s repository is primarily comprised of USAF unit histories, the collection is principally organized and catalogued by the respective USAF unit and date, no matter whether the respective USAF unit is a division, wing, group, or squadron. For instance, if a researcher is interested in learning about a July 7, 1944, operation involving the 301st Troop Carrier Squadron (301 TCS), an AFHRA archivist would aid the researcher by providing the corresponding 301 TCS unit history, as well as the unit history for the 441st Troop Carrier Group which the 301 TCS fell directly under.

No. AFHRA’s collection is primarily comprised of USAF unit histories, and said histories are generally centered on the respective unit’s mission, organization, and operations. For assistance with military service records or veterans’ records, the best resource is the following National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) veteran’s webpage: https://www.archives.gov/veterans.

Unfortunately, with but a few exceptions, such as in the case of high-ranking general officers or aircraft accident reports, AFHRA’s collection is not searchable by individual name. Personnel records are not held within the AFHRA collection. It would be best to reach out to the National Archives for this information: https://www.archives.gov/veterans.

Award lists are sometimes contained within USAF unit histories circa World War II, albeit incomplete lists. For Vietnam era unit histories, however, such awards lists are rare. Meanwhile, for modern, post 9/11-unit histories, it is becoming increasingly common for the unit histories to maintain individual citations for awards such as Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, and the like. If you know the unit and year the individual in question received the award or decoration, email the request for information to AFHRA.NEWS@us.af.mil.

Unfortunately, the AFHRA does not have the ability to assist Veterans in obtaining missing awards and decorations. For any questions regarding missing awards and decorations, the following NARA website provides helpful guidance: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/awards-and-decorations.

No, but it is something AFHRA’s archivists are trying to remedy in the years to come. In the meantime, it is worth noting that sometimes our USAF unit histories will contain images and photographs, particularly of key unit personnel and unit significant events. Images and photographs of personnel, base infrastructure, and aircraft are less common, but can be found in several USAF unit histories. If you know the unit and year that you would like AFHRA’s archivists to look for pictures, email the information request to AFHRA.NEWS@us.af.mil.

Yes. Although AFHRA’s audio and visual collection is significantly smaller than its paper collection, there is a substantial amount of audio and visual materials pertaining to the USAF’s oral history collection. Additionally, AFHRA maintains a small collection of film and video.

AFHRA serves as the USAF’s primary repository for aircraft record cards for all USAF aircraft from 1924 through 1979. For a small number of aircraft, AFHRA houses a more detailed history card. Please know that AFHRA no longer performs detailed historical information requests on aircraft unless the request is from an official requester, such as from the White House, Congress, DoD agency or unit, or another executive federal agency. You may request copies of aircraft record cards by emailing AFHRA.NEWS@us.af.mil.

Unfortunately, the AFHRA does not have a list, finding aide, or database of aircraft names or nose art, as this is outside the scope of the collection.

With but only a few exceptions, the answer is no. AFHRA’s collection is principally organized by USAF unit and year, not individual aircraft tail number.

To learn more about a particular aircraft accident there are two avenues of approach. The first is to request an aircraft accident report. AFHRA houses all USAF accident reports from 1918 through 1955. Any post-1955 accident reports are maintained by the Air Force Safety Center at Kirkland AFB, New Mexico: 9700 G Avenue SE, Albuquerque NM 87116, (505) 846-2098. To retrieve an accident report from AFHRA, you will need to provide the following information: a) date of accident; b) type of aircraft; and c) aircraft tail number or pilot. The second avenue of approach to learn more about a particular aircraft accident is to go the USAF unit history route. All that is required is that you provide information on the a) respective unit and b) date of accident.

AFHRA maintains most of the missing aircrew reports (MACR) for World War II. All that is generally required to request any respective MACR is the missing person’s last name and year they went missing.

The answer will depend on several factors, to include what materials the unit historian at the time decided to include in your respective unit’s history, how detailed the history narrative is, and the type of information being requested. For instance, if a Veteran requests copies of individual pay or medical records, given that this information is considered part of an individual’s military service record, it is highly unlikely that the unit history will have this information. The same can be said of individual flight records and manifests. Generally, these types of records are not maintained in USAF unit histories. However, if a Veteran wants to know a particular unit’s mission or whether that unit deployed to a specific area of responsibility, it is more than likely that AFHRA’s collection will provide the answer.

To aide AFHRA’s archivists in researching your claim, it is requested that you provide the following information: a) the exact type of document or piece of information you are looking for; b) the unit the claimant was assigned to and the years of assignment; c) the location or geographic area where the claimant was injured or exposed; and d) what the claimant’s Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) was at the time of the injury or exposure. Please DO NOT provide any personally identifiable information (PII) such as birth dates or social security numbers. It is not necessary to have PII to conduct our research for the claimant. 

Per AFHRA’s operating instructions, AFHRA’s archivists have up to 20 business days to respond to any request from a federal government official so long as the request is for official government business. Meanwhile, for unofficial requests from the general public, AFHRA’s archivists have up to 120 business days to respond.

Yes, but only for unofficial requesters. All unofficial, off-site requests for information are limited to no more than 10 documents every 30 days. However, the 30 days will be extended if the unofficial requester has a pending/open request for documents or information that is undergoing a security review by AFHRA’s SAFE PAPER/Security Division.

Yes, if the unofficial requester can demonstrate an irreparable harm or undue burden for having to wait 30 days before requesting additional information. Some examples of irreparable harm or undue burden include a) an unofficial requester needing a document for an upcoming legal proceeding and b) an unofficial requester needing a document due to a terminal illness.

There are two options. The first is to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which can initiated electronically by going to www.foia.gov or by emailing National.FOIAPortal@usdoj.gov. The second is to submit a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request, which will then require the agency responsible for the classification to review the document, unit history, or oral history interview for possible downgrade. All MDR requests are handled through SAF/AAII and are initiated by either emailing usaf.pentagon.saf-aa.mbx.mdr-workflow@mail.mil or writing to the following address: Department of the Air Force, SAF/AAII (MDR), 1000 Air Force Pentagon, Room 4B143B Washington, DC 20330-1000.

There are several reasons why a document or history—even as far back as World War II—is still marked classified, restricted, or For Official Use Only (FOUO). Such reasons include but are not limited to the federal government’s need to safeguard a) intelligence sources and methods, b) atomic or nuclear energy information, c) troop locations and maneuvers, d) unit missions, e) aircraft and equipment technology, and f) personally identifiable information.  Whatever the justification for the document or history being marked classified, restricted, or FOUO, in virtually all instances the classification authority DOES NOT rest with AFHRA or its staff. Rather, the classification authority rests with the USAF unit or federal agency that compiled or created the document. AFHRA is merely the repository.