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Office of Army Reserve History
Welcome to the Office of Army Reserve History!
The Office of Army Reserve History (OARH) has been in existence since 1992 and reports to the Chief, Army Reserve (CAR)/Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC CG).
The Director of History and his staff provide advice and recommendations to the USARC CG and the leadership of the Army Reserve on Department of Defense and Army historical policy, operations, and developments, and exercise overall staff responsibility for military history programs within the Army Reserve community.
The Director of History manages the Army Reserve History Program, the National Museum of the Army Reserve (NMAR), the Army military history detachment (MHD) training and readiness oversight programs, and the Army Reserve historical research collection. In addition, the OARH provides technical historical expertise to the command history programs of all major Army Reserve units and activities.
The primary functions of the OARH are outlined below:
I. Leader Development. The fundamental element of this function is to facilitate staff rides. Staff rides are considered training events and may be supported by training funds if necessary. The staff ride teaches invaluable lessons in the resourcefulness, courage, skill, and initiative of military leaders in actual combat operations of the past. Please visit the “Staff Ride Program” page for more information.
II. Combat Historian Training & Education. The Office of Army Reserve History has oversight responsibility for the training of all Army military history detachments (MHDs) and the MHD Course. The MHD Course provides the required education to military history units and tactical unit historians of the Active Army, Reserve Components and deploying history personnel of the other services. For more information please visit the “Combat Historian” page.
III. Publications. An essential mission of the Office of Army Reserve History is to write the official history of the Army Reserve. The office prepares and publishes historical monographs and special historical studies on topics and events of historical significance to the Army Reserve and the Army. Army Reserve historians also publish the Biannual Army Reserve Historical Summary (ARHS) in accordance with Army regulations and guidelines. For more information please visit the “Publications” page.
IV. Army Reserve Historical Research Collection. This function encompasses the establishment, maintenance, intellectual control, referencing and implementation of an Army Reserve-wide permanent historical research collection. The repository has an impressive collection of historically significant records and personal papers which serves as a useful tool, promoting a deeper understanding of the citizen soldier and providing the institutional memory of the Army Reserve. Please visit the “Historical Research Collection” page for more information.
V. National Museum of the Army Reserve. An Army Museum Activity was established for the Army Reserve in September 1999 at the USARC headquarters building. The museum seeks to educate the military and the general public about the contributions of the Army Reserve and citizen soldier to this country's history and defense. This is accomplished through exhibits, a website, and an effective educational outreach program that includes living history displays and staff rides. Please visit the “National Museum of the Army Reserve” page for more information.
VI. Oral History. The Army Reserve Oral History Program focuses on conducting oral history interviews of key personnel involved in events and topics of historical significance to the Army Reserve that otherwise may not be part of the more traditional written word and record. The tapes and transcripts of these interviews are retained permanently in the Army Reserve Historical Research Collection, and available to the Army’s decision-makers. Selected interviews are published.