JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. --
“I am faithful to a proud heritage, a tradition of honor and a legacy of valor.” These words, as documented in the Airman’s Creed, have been recited by many Airmen in the past.
To help us keep the memory of heroes before us, special Airmen have been tasked with keeping track and documenting those men, women and historic events. Airmen like Tech. Sgt. Brooke Howells, the 315th Airlift Wing aerospace historian, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
“History repeats itself,” said Howells. “It shows you what works and what doesn’t. Knowing this information provides our leadership with guidance so they can make informed decisions.”
Historical documentation is not just about nostalgia, but important to the current operations of the wing.
“It is important to track our heritage for the future,” said Col. Jeanine McAnaney, vice commander of the 315 AW. “There is a special unit pride, an esprit de corps, in understanding the past accomplishments that a wing or squadron achieved. That rich heritage is preserved and documented by Air Force historians who link us to the past and provide us a way to stand on that past as a foundation for the future.”
Howell said she was surprised by the age of the wing, being that it was first established in 1942 during World War II. She continued by pointing out that the wing was one of the oldest Reserve wings in the Air Force, but only came to Charleston in 1973.
From capturing the past information, to creating informative reports, the wing’s story is recorded for everyone to read and reflect upon, Howells said.
Another factor that makes Howells a great fit for recording the 315 AW’s story is her diverse military service and her attention to detail.
Howells joined the Air Force in 1999 where she served as a precision measurement equipment laboratory technician with the 20th Component Repair Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. In 2001, she cross-trained into PMEL while serving with the 31st Maintenance Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Prior to becoming a historian, Howells was a member of the 315th Maintenance Squadron here.
“It’s a 180-degree difference between my past assignments and my current one,” Howells said. “I’ve had to be better at time management, prioritizing workloads and organized all while not having much downtime.”
Howells’ hard work and honor graduate smarts have been noticed by her leadership and peers.
“Sergeant Howells far exceeded all expectations when she took on the historian job,” McAnaney said. “She took an office that was in shambles, organized it and started producing results before we even got a school slot for her. She is self-motivated and has already made numerous contributions to the wing. She even designed a 315 AW Heritage Pamphlet!”
Whether it’s generating reports for leadership, distributing details from past missions, documenting the legacies of past Airmen or sorting the information to support future operations, the job of an aerospace historian is essential to promoting the Air Force’s mission to fly, fight and win.