Enlisted Heritage Research Institute welcomes new director

  • Published
  • By Carl Bergquist
  • Air University Public Affairs
Freshly back from a deployment to Afghanistan, the former command chief of the Air Force Reserve Command's 908th Airlift Wing stepped into the job of Enlisted Heritage Research Institute director at Gunter Annex in November.

"I'm thrilled to be here," said Chief Master Sgt. Rick Fanning. "The first week I was here I had a visit from Chief Master Sgt. Rodney McKinley, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and the second week, retired Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Fisk, the first EHRI director, dropped in. The third week Chief Brye McMillon, the Air University command chief, came by for a visit. How about that for a start?"

The chief said the EHRI staff provides continuity for running the institute and has been very receptive to him. He said he couldn't feel more welcome at the institute. 

"We are one cog in the wheel of the Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, and as such, we do our part for the center. EHRI is another way the Barnes Center outreaches and educates," he said.

Chief Fanning said as the new director he is very committed to outreach. The Enlisted Heritage Hall museum has between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors each year, and he would like to provide additional facilities at EHRI that will bring even more visitors.

"I'm committed to turning the old research area of EHH into a conference room with plasma screens and a projector. This facility could be used by groups as a meeting area," he said. "That should help with outreach, as visitors can come to the conference room for their meeting, then take a tour of EHH. It will help bring people to EHRI for reasons other than tours."

Chief Fanning said the newly completed patio area behind the main museum will hopefully also bring visitors to the facility. The area can be used for military or personal gatherings and events and will give base members another place to meet.

The chief said he and other EHRI staff members attended the Air Education and Training Command Symposium in January, and the institute had the opportunity to sponsor two seminars. One highlighted wounded warriors, while the other examined history's warriors.

"Chief Fisk, who was involved in the Son Tay POW camp raid during the Vietnam War, was on the 'History's Warriors' panel, and a former Vietnam prisoner of war, who was held at Son Tay, came to the seminar to thank him for his efforts to rescue POWs from the camp," Chief Fanning said. "They brought the man up on stage to meet Chief Fisk, and there wasn't a dry eye in the place."

He said the conference also provided another opportunity for EHRI. During a lunch, retired Brig. Gen. Ed Wenglar presented EHRI with a check for $6,000 on behalf of the Staff Sergeant Pilots Association. The money is earmarked for a Vernon Burge exhibit, honoring Mr. Burge as the first enlisted pilot, and provides "seed money" for the Burge project.

Chief Fanning said upon his arrival at EHRI, he had to evaluate where the institute stood in terms of the future.

The chief said EHRI is "right on target" concerning the long range plan. He said just since he has arrived several exhibits being renovated, and a couple of new displays, have been completed. Renovations of the Khobar Towers, Sgt. Archibald Mathies and Air Force Cross exhibits are done, and the new Senior Airman Jason Cunningham display is completed. Airman Cunningham was a pararescue jumper, or PJ, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2002.

"We will have a PJ come in and view the Cunningham exhibit to be sure everything is right," Chief Fanning said. "One thing I've learned since coming here is that everything we do has to be completely accurate. While the museum honors people from the past, it also honors those from the present like Airman Cunningham."

He said he is also a "huge fan" of using kiosks to help explain the story behind exhibits. In addition to adding modern technology to a display they serve another important role.

"The kiosks bring the exhibit to life," the chief said.

Chief Fanning said the four-person staff and the volunteers at EHRI do a remarkable job of managing the museum and the research institute. And, there are some nice perks to his job as director.

"I just get to live all of this," he said referring to the museum's exhibits. "It's part of my job and it's great."

For more information about EHRI and EHH, call 416-3202. The museum is open for tours Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.