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Special Duty Summary. Performs and manages historical research, writing, and collection and preservation of historical materials. Plans and coordinates use of historical resources. Advises commanders and staffs on use of historical information in policy development and decision making. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 5D.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Plans, directs, and conducts historical research projects. Develops procedures to prepare studies. Assures completeness and accuracy in research, and clarity and relevance in writing. Ensures satisfactory rates of progress toward completion. Ensures studies preserve focus in areas intended.

Screens files and databases. Analyzes, selects, preserves, and organizes key documentation. Indexes material for retrieval and research.

Performs historical research and writing. Gathers evidence through interviews and examination of materials in archives and files. Analyzes and evaluates data, and develops meaningful conclusions. Prepares narrative history or report. Assists in final editing and production before publication.

Administers command or unit historical program. Serves as historical staff advisor to commander. Develops policies and plans for preparing periodic histories and other historical publications. Prepares periodic command or unit history. Details activities and problems in operations, logistics, management, and administration. Plans and operates historical reference collection, and organizes microfilm program for preserving documents. Guides historical activities of lower units, critiques their historical products, and makes staff assistance visits.

Contributes to staff actions and studies. Prepares historical inputs for use by staff officers and study groups. Develops sources of historical information through contact with personnel active in primary research area.

Provides historical information. Consults historical literature and records to provide information for officials and members of the general public.

Directs and conducts oral history collection. Plans oral history program, and supervises scheduling, conducting, and preserving of recorded interviews of significant historical events. Prepares for and conducts interviews.

Serves as historian with Air Force or Joint service task forces. Deploys to theaters of operation as member of Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operations team or Joint service history team. Acquires documentation, interviews participants, writes eyewitness accounts, and prepares historical reports. Participates in planning and exercises to ensure readiness for team deployment.

Reviews historical studies. Critically reviews and comments on historical manuscripts in preliminary draft stage. Special Duty Qualifications:

Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of: US Air Force organization, mission, history, and role in joint service operations; basic organization, roles, and missions of other services; unified command structure; and historical research methods and interviewing techniques.

Education. For entry into this SDI, a Master’s degree, preferably in history or social sciences is mandatory for entry into this SDI.

Training. None.

Experience. None.

Other. The following are mandatory for award and retention of this SDI:

Demonstrated ability to write with competently, precisely, and descriptively.

Eligibility for a Top Secret security clearance according to AFI 31-501, Personnel Security Program Management.

Specialty Shredouts:

None

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Above Information Derived from AFMAN 36-2105