16th Air Force Historians Recognized for Helping Veterans

  • Published
  • By 16th Air Force Public Affairs
  • 16th Air Force
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas --  JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, TEXAS -- Mr. H. Kelly Ammerman, Director of US Special Operations Command Warrior Care Program (Care Coalition), and Mr. Noel Hike Jr., Outreach, Transition, and Economic Development-Veteran Affairs Central Office, VA Liaison-USSOCOM, visited the 16th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas on a special mission Nov. 9, 2022. 
 
The representatives traveled from Tyndall AFB, Florida, to the 16th Air Force to recognize the Numbered Air Force’s historians for years of research assistance to resolve unique veteran claims. 
 
Sixteenth Air Force historians, Mr. Phil Myers, Mr. Gabe Marshall, and Mr. “B.J.” Jones, manage the historical records of the 24th Air Force, 25th Air Force, and 16th Air Force, organizational histories dating back more than 70 years.  Veterans in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and cyber career fields often have difficulty proving their VA claims due to the unique nature of their missions.  The historians examine classified records and communicate sanitized information to the VA liaison to verify certain activities, locations, or events, often leading to claim resolution. 
 
Ammerman and Hike presented the historians with challenge coins and certificates of appreciation.  The history team also received a trophy inscribed with a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan,” from his 1865 speech affirming the nation’s obligation to care for wounded warriors and their families.
 
The historian’s achievements have earned them more than 20 awards over the last decade, including multiple Air Force Heritage and Excellence in History Awards. 
 
“This award is different,” commented Jones, Deputy Director of History, “It means more to us because we’re leveraging our resources to help veterans get the benefits they deserve.”