History should be important to you

  • Published
  • By Paula Taylor
  • 90th Missile Wing museum director
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  History, why is it important to learn about what happened before today? I have had that question many times throughout my 25 year career as a museum director. The saying I like to repeat to museum visitors concerning history is, "Learning about our past tells us how we got where we are today and helps predict the future. Hopefully, we won't make the same mistakes." Even so, many Airmen have not realized their true potential of "love of history." I have found, it will become very important to each and every one of you as your lives progress.

The military is well aware of the importance of studying our past. Through airmen's careers, history is part of your curriculum and rightly so. History is reflected in the uniforms you wear, the military ceremonies you participate in, the patches you proudly wear on your uniforms and even the way you protect our nation. A very good example recently of how we have learned from our past, is how the War on Terror changed when we went into Afghanistan due to the type of terrain in which our military found themselves fighting. For the first time in more than 100 years, the military found itself mounted on mules and horseback to traverse the rough terrain of Afghanistan.

Another modern example is when the War on Terror took us into Iraq; many military historians immediately began researching life saving information on past incidents during Operation Desert Storm. There were many lessons learned in the early 1990s in which our present military members benefited from.

Okay, how many of you know what our wing patch stands for? For those of you who are curious, the shades of blue allude to day and night vigilance. The globe signifies the intercontinental scope of the wing's mission. The red isosceles triangle represents the wing's endeavor for peace through the strength of its assigned weapons. The lightning bolts depict the constancy and swiftness of the wing's deterrent force, while the yellow denotes excellence, honor and the highest of values. Lastly, the six stars represent the original squadrons and the honors awarded to the wing. The word Impavide in the scroll means "Undauntedly." Everyone should hold their heads high when wearing the 90th Missile Wing emblem on their uniform, because of what it represents.

The Mighty Ninety has had the same patch for more than fifty years. Under the Latin word of "undauntedly," members of this base have defended the United States of America from her enemies, and the Mighty Ninety has served its country with the highest levels of pride and excellence shown throughout the Air Force. From the bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the 1950s to the present-day intercontinental ballistic missile force, the wing has shown its power and dedication toward world peace. In closing, I challenge each and every one of you to research and find out some new piece of military history. You might be surprised at what you learn! Your research can begin by looking at the Air Force Historical Research Agency Web site at http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil.