Military history detachment facts for kids

A Military History Detachment (MHD) is a special team in the United States Army. Their main job is to collect information about what the Army does during wars and other events. They gather stories and documents so that historians can write the official history of the Army. The United States Army Center of Military History helps organize this important work. MHDs collect things like interviews with soldiers and official papers. This helps future historians understand what really happened.

What Military History Detachments Do

A Major from a Military History Detachment collects an interview from a Kuwaiti colonel about the War in Iraq.

These special teams have a few key jobs. They help military leaders keep track of their unit's history. They also gather extra information about events as they happen. This information adds to the official records. Their goal is to help document all the Army's activities.

A Brief History of MHDs

Military History Detachments first appeared in a similar form during World War II. These early teams started in April 1944. They had a senior historian, other officers, and enlisted soldiers. Their job was to collect materials and write histories. About 300 people worked in these history units back then.

After World War II, the Office of the Chief Historian of the Army was created. This office helped organize the Army's history efforts. Many of the wartime history units were closed down. Some remained in the Army Reserve. These new units focused more on collecting historical information. They didn't write as many full histories themselves.

When the Korean War started, more history teams were formed. On September 22, 1950, the first MHD was officially organized. One MHD commander in Korea, Russell Gugeler, even helped write a book called Combat Actions in Korea.

In 1963, the units were reorganized again. By 1970, 35 detachments were active. Twenty-six of these were working in Vietnam. They reported to the theater commanders. However, they received training and support from the Office of the Chief Historian. Since the Vietnam War, only one MHD remains in the regular Army. The rest are part of the National Guard and Reserve. These teams usually have one officer and two enlisted soldiers.

MHDs don't only cover combat zones. For example, after a disaster at Fort Bragg in 1994, the 44th MHD helped document the Army's response. Their work was used in a book about the incident. By 1998, there were 22 MHDs. Most were in the Reserve or National Guard. Since 2008, the number of MHDs has grown to 35 units.

How Many Units Are There?

Today, there are 35 Military History Detachments across the United States. Most of them, 27 units, are part of the Army Reserve. Seven MHDs are in the National Guard. Only one is an active-duty unit. This is the 44th MHD, located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Different Types of MHDs

There are three main types of Military History Detachments:

• MHD Team A: This team has two officers, usually a Colonel and a Lieutenant Colonel. They often work at the highest levels, like Theater and Corps Headquarters.
• MHD Team B: This is a three-person unit. It includes a Major and two non-commissioned officers (NCOs). These NCOs often have a Public Affairs background. Team B MHDs work at many levels, from small brigades to large divisions and even higher headquarters.
• MHD Team C: These teams usually work at the Division level.

Sometimes, Team A and Team C MHDs can join Team B units. This helps them collect even more information in a specific area.

Images for kids

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  A chart showing the structure of Military History Detachments.