The history of the United States Army is one that is lengthy and mighty. This means there is a mountainous supply of materials to research on the subject. But before you run to the Internet in search of information, there must be an actual place one can visit to stand on solid ground and become educated on the United States Army's impressive history. In this blog, we will provide you with some interesting information on the U.S. Army Heritage Education Center – a facility enriched in all elements involving the United States Army. What is it? The U.S. Army Heritage Education Center (USAHEF), located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is the United State Army's primary historical research facility. It is here that the USAHEF provides interpretative and educational outreach programs in order to help create a greater understanding of the Army's integral role in the growth, development and protection of the nation and its way of life. First formed in 1999, then later reorganized in 2013, the USAHEC consists of the U.S. Army Military History Institute (USAMHI), the Army Heritage Museum (AHM), the Historical Services Division, Visitor and Education Services, the U.S. Army War College Library, and the USAHEC Staff. The USAHEC stands by the motto: Telling the Army story, one solider at a time. With this motto in mind, they provide an incredible research college that contains military history books, military newspapers, technical and field manuals, periodicals, veteran's surveys, photographs, and transcribed oral histories. It also includes materials from as early as the French and Indian War to current U.S. Army operations. The Campus As part of the U.S. Army War College, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center features its own 56-acre campus located near the Carlisle Barracks in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This prominent center stands as the U.S. Army's primary historical research facility. Here, contemporary and historical materials related to strategic leadership, global applications of Land-power, and U.S. Army Heritage are available to the public to research, educate, and honor soldiers of the Army both past and present. Since 2014, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center has consisted of three primary working buildings. Here is a look at each: Ridgeway Hall: Ridgeway Hall – Home of the Military History Institute – stands at 66,000 square feet and holds over 15 million items on the history of the U.S. Army. It was named after Matthew B Ridgeway (1895-1993). Ridgeway filled several prominent rolls in the U.S. Army, including Chief of Staff General, commander of the 82 nd Airborne Division in WWII, and commander of the United Nations forces in the Korean War. Visitor and Education Center: The USAHEF's Visitor and Education Center stands as the welcome and orientation site for visitors of the facility after opening its doors to the general public in May 2011. This specific building includes a 7,000-square-foot museum exhibit space, a museum store, and 2 large multi-purpose rooms designed for conferences and lectures. Within the museum space is “The Solider Experience”. While traveling through the exhibit, there is access to artifacts, oral history recordings accessible via smartphone, a movie theater, and the opportunity to write a letter to a currently serving soldier. At the exhibit, guests also have the chance to test their skills at a digital shooting range, discover what it was like to parachute into Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion, and experience a nighttime attack during the Korean War. This noted exhibit allows visitors to explore the U.S. Army through the eyes of the men and women who lived during times of war and peace, from as far back as the Spanish-American War to operations currently happening today. Conservation Facility and Collections Management: Providing a 35,000-square-foot museum, the Conversation Facility and Collections Management building hold the Army Heritage Museum's artifacts and serves as a curatorial work space. Unlike the other buildings mentioned, it is not open to the public. The building is designed with state-of-the-art climate-controlled storage space that contains objects, paper, and analytical and digital laboratories. Here, a team of specialists are in charge of acquiring, conserving, and administering historical materials. For more information on the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, click here.