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AIA Heritage Center ribbon cut Sept. 24

Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency opened the doors to the Air Intelligence Heritage Center Sept. 24 as part of the Freedom Through Vigilance Association annual meeting.

The Heritage Center honors the efforts, accomplishments and losses by the men and women of AIA and the agency’s predecessor units with special emphasis on future information operations. The heritage center, located in Bldg. 2000, is an extension of AIA’s Hall of Honor, across the courtyard in Bldg. 2007.

The AIA Heritage Center was sponsored by AIA Directorate of History, the 690th Information Support Squadron’s Visual Production Graphics Flight and the 668th Logistics Squadron Mobile Engineering Alteration and Repair team. The AIA Heritage Center is a member of the U.S. Air Force Museum System at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The heritage center takes advantage of the AF Museum technicians who serve as valuable mentors with advice, research tools and the loan of artifacts. The center also joined the American Association of Museums and the Texas Association of Museums, and will benefit from professional advice and presentation programs.

“Early Developmental Air Intelligence” is the opening series of the Heritage Center that features Civil War balloons through Pershing’s Mexican expedition using JN-2s for reconnaissance.

The heritage center will rotate displayed artifacts and will offer many unique items for viewing. Currently, the center features cigarette lighters, beer steins, ashtrays, dining in/out programs, unit baseball caps, mission model aircraft and uniforms.

The center will eventually include video presentations with first person interviews. As artifacts are contributed, individual units will be featured during specific time periods. Another planned project is the development of a traveling AIA historical exhibit to be displayed at field units or particular Air Force conventions or get-togethers.

As part of AIA’s Heritage project, the agency has acquired two aircraft with significant intelligence value. The Ryan QRC-34C Fire Bee, a reconnaissance drone, and the Cessna 02A observation aircraft will both be displayed next to the EC-47 in front of Bldg. 2000. Both these aircraft performed in Southeast Asia in data gathering and psychological warfare operations.

To learn more about the heritage center or to get information about donating items such as unit coins, aircrew flying scarves, photographs or other items, call the AIA History Office at DSN 969-2303.