Keeping the Edge. Air Force Materiel Command Cold War Context (1945-1991). Volume 1: Command Lineage Scientific Achievement and Major Tenant Missions
Abstract
The inventory, documentation, and evaluation of Cold War properties have been an expanding cultural resource effort on Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) bases from the late 1990s to the present. As inventories are completed for archaeological and 50-year-old architectural properties, the Cold War survey effort is fast becoming the priority. This is especially important as the military rehabilitates or demolishes older buildings to keep abreast of their expanding mission to maintain air superiority. Since Cold War era buildings make up a large part of the real property on most Department of Defense (DoD) installations, the inventory of such properties can become an enormous and costly undertaking. In direct response to this logistical challenge, the DoD, including the United States Air Force and its individual commands, has created guidance and contextual references to assist base managers in determining how to handle a potentially daunting task. Keeping the Edge: Air Force Materiel Command Cold War Context (1945-1991) represents the latest contribution to this effort. The push to manage Cold War resources began for all intents and purposes in 1991, when the DoD recognized that within its installations throughout the world there was a wealth of unique and irreplaceable resources representing one of the most important events since World War II. DoD cultural resource managers were operating under existing laws, regulations, and practices during the evaluation process for historic resources. The end of the Cold War coincided with the greatest organizational transformation of the Air Force since its creation in 1947. Confronted with a reduced military threat, the Air Force inactivated some distinguished commands, such as the Strategic Air Command, and established new ones. This period of transition and the recent nature of the Cold War left cultural resource managers confused as to a proper course of action, and Cold War resources were being lost as a consequence.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA640719
Entities
People
- Karen J. Weitze