Civilian historian makes mark in deployed location Published July 3, 2008 By Holly Birchfield 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- When Alan Marsh became the 116th Air Control Wing historian, he knew that deployment was inevitable. He never imagined how it would change his appreciation for his fellow Airmen though. The 48-year-old Macon native deployed to a forward operating location in January for a 120-day assignment that charged him with documenting the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing's operations in theater. Mr. Marsh is the first Title 5 civilian assigned to the 116th ACW to deploy, an honor he didn't take lightly. At home, Mr. Marsh documents the 116th ACW's mission and any other related aspects. "We do a periodic history, which is an annual history stateside that's approved by the commander and eventually housed at the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.," he said. A large part of Mr. Marsh's job involves tracking lessons learned so that future leaders and key staff can make better decisions ahead. Mr. Marsh carried his zest for history to the field. The historian was often armed with pen and paper and sometimes a recorder to document the deployed mission. Mr. Marsh's job is quite different in theater. "This year was my first deployment, and I am in the Air Expeditionary Force bucket so I'll be going again," Mr. Marsh said. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of (Department of Defense) civilians out in the deployed area, but it's increasing." The way he prepared for deployment isn't much different from that of military Airmen though. "Even though I'm a DOD civilian, I go through a lot of the same training that any Airmen would go through: chemical warfare, weapons qualification, etc.," Mr. Marsh said. One difference that distinguishes Mr. Marsh from military Airmen is his civilian uniform, though some have mistaken him for an active-duty Airman at times. The main difference between Mr. Marsh's uniform and a military one was his civilian patch, one that many often missed. "Many times, people who would approach me would start to salute thinking perhaps I was an officer," Mr. Marsh said. "After a while, it just gets to where you just let them salute." While Mr. Marsh never served in an active-duty military role, he now feels closer to the experience and has gained a greater appreciation for those in the armed forces. "I loved this country before I left and I respected all of our Airmen before I left, but that has increased and I didn't even know that it could," he said. "Our men and women over there are doing a tremendous job, not just the Airmen, but other military branches as well. I feel it's not only important to document what's happening for commanders to learn from, but also as a testimony to what our military personnel are accomplishing." Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore, 116th ACW commander, said his wing historian's deployment lines up with today's 'total force' approach. "We live in an age of transition and integration, an era of Total Force," he said. "Here at the 116th Air Control Wing, we are one family. It does not matter if an individual is active duty, Guard or civilian. What is important is that we accomplish our mission." General Moore said DOD historians are a great asset to deployed units. "DOD civilian historians are well equipped to record and present our operations in an unbiased manner and that is important," he said. "Alan Marsh is the first DOD civilian to be deployed from the wing and I am pleased to have a DOD civilian in our wing who is committed to the mission and willing to be deployed where needed." Dr. Bill Head, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center historian who worked with Mr. Marsh when he first came to Robins, said he's very proud of his fellow historian. "(Alan) has been a great personal friend and a superb historian for his entire career," he said. "His dedication to serving his country came as no surprise to me." Dr. Head said Mr. Marsh was eager to deploy, knowing his role was important. "The Air Force deployed one of its best historians to collect the important documents and provide the most accurate history possible so future generations will know the important role that the U.S Air Force has played in this war," he said.