Real Hero Report | November 2019 | 17
detachment.
The team collected interviews in
Germany and forward-deployed to nine
locations in Poland and the country of
Georgia. Members archived more than 50
gigabytes of documents, photos, operations
orders and other materials into the massive
digital archive at CMH.
While in the country of Georgia, the
detachment reunited with fellow GANG
members during the Agile Spirit exercise,
which marked the 25th anniversary of the
State Partnership Program between the
state and country of Georgia.
“My favorite interview was Mamuka
Gogiditze, the Georgian military historian,”
said King. “I had no idea what he was
saying before his words were translated,
but so much communication is nonverbal.”
The 161st Military History Detachment
is one of seven National Guard MHDs in
the program. There are 38 MHDs, most of
them comprised of Army Reserve units.
“The MHDs are the historical tip of
the spear, so to speak, as they collect the
operational data for the U.S. Army,” said
Col. Craig Mix, the CMH chief of military
programs.
The 161st MHD was the second history
detachment to cover the Atlantic Resolve
mission. Some of the detachment’s
challenges came from arriving as a small,
unknown unit consisting of a company
theater-level organization commanded by a
three-star general.
“We experienced a lot of growing pains,
mission was relatively new to the theater,
and we were Guardsmen working with
mostly active-duty soldiers.”
While the learning curve was steep,
the detachment succeeded by building
relationships, establishing new processes
and educating leaders about the importance
of the history collection mission. Wine
found that overcoming the adversity
was the most rewarding aspect of the
detachment’s mission.
“Seeing the personal growth of myself
and the other Soldiers of the detachment…
we all had to rise to the mission itself and
these newfound responsibilities,” said
Wine.
Cpt. Bryant Wine, a historian with the 161st
Military History Detachment, Headquarters,
U.S. Army Europe, conducts an oral history
interview with 1st Sgt. Glenn Cook, Foxtrot
Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery
Regiment. Cook’s company was responsible
(Photo by
Sgt. Amy King)
Georgia Guard Unit
Makes History with
Unique Mission
The Georgia Army National Guard’s
(GANG) 161st Military History
Detachment (MHD) completed a ninemonth
deployment to document history
as it happened in the Atlantic Resolve
mission.
Atlantic Resolve brings U.S. units
to Europe to build readiness, increase
interoperability and enhance the bond
between ally and partner militaries through
multinational training.
Troop Command in Marietta spent the
better part of the year throughout Europe
working on behalf of the U.S. Army Center
of Military History (CMH) and U.S. Army
Europe (USAREUR). They returned home
The team was strategically assembled
several months before mobilizing, with
GANG leadership hand-selecting two
enlisted public affairs professionals and
history. To prepare, they trained during
drill weekends and attended the Military
History Detachment course in Fort Dix,
New Jersey.
“We had ample opportunity to learn
about each other, identify strengths and
weaknesses, and to rehearse some aspects
of our mission,” said Capt. Bryant Wine,
during the deployment. “By the time the
deployment started, we were already gelled
as a team and devoted our attention to the
mission at hand.”
The primary mission was to document
modern history as it happened, including
the recording of 305 oral history interviews
with service members supporting Atlantic
Resolve. The interview subjects ranged
from junior enlisted soldiers at the platoon
level through senior leaders in command of
battalions and brigades in the theater.
“We conducted a lot of interviews with
people that make decisions at the strategic
level,” said Staff Sgt. Amy King, the
Before the deployment, Wine taught fulltime
as a history teacher at Johns Creek
High School in Fulton County, Georgia.
“As a teacher, I instruct students about
methods of writing history,” said Wine.
“Through this deployment, I was actively
part of the historical process. As a result,
I can return to the classroom with reallife
examples to articulate the concepts I
teach.”
The soldiers of the 161 MHD now return
to their civilian lives and continue to drill
as traditional GANG members. The unit
will likely be called upon again to deploy
and collect historic data for another theaterlevel
command.
“The fact that we now have experienced
soldiers which we didn’t have before this
next mission more successful and easier to
accomplish,” said Wine. “It may not be the
same individuals that go on deployment,
but we have people that can explain how to
do the mission so the next deployment will
be even more successful.”
The efforts of the team were recognized
in late September when the soldiers were
awarded Army Commendation Medals by
senior leaders of USAREUR.
“We are really proud of the outstanding
work the MHD accomplished in support
of the USAREUR mission,” said Maj.
Gen. Joe Jarrard, USAREUR deputy
commanding general for Army National
Guard, and former adjutant general of
the GANG. “Their accomplishments will
telling our story for years to come.”