KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- On Wednesday, Sep. 25, Kirtland Air Force Base hosted an inaugural History Seminar, a groundbreaking event that featured presentations by the base’s eight major mission partners as well as Twentieth Air Force and the installation’s cultural resources manager. These briefings highlighted the numerous events and mission changes that have defined Kirtland’s 70-plus year legacy. The seminar drew over 100 in-person attendees and engaged a broader audience through a livestream, with more than 400 virtual participants.
The seminar aimed to showcase the rich history of Kirtland AFB and its mission partners, which have been intricately linked to the base since its establishment in the 1940s. Jeremiah Foster, the 377th Air Base Wing Historian explained that the event was organized to bring together the knowledge of various historians from the base's partner organizations.
Foster noted, "Kirtland is a huge base with a complex mission set that is executed by a number of large organizations and all of those organizations have historians---so as the base historian I can give a baseline on a lot of things but it occurred to me after talking to some of my fellow colleagues on the base that to really tell the Kirtland story we needed to organize an event that could combine all of our knowledge."
The Kirtland History Seminar was a resounding success, with a high turnout of both in-person and remote attendees. Foster expressed his gratitude for the support of his fellow historians and the base populace. He noted, "I am very grateful to have so many outstanding fellow historians on the base that were able to bring their exceptional knowledge and expertise to bear explaining this thing we call Team Kirtland—after all that’s what the seminar really was, an exercise in understanding who we are and where we come from."
The success of the event has led to talks about making the seminar an annual occurrence. The event not only provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the base's history but also served as a reminder of the importance of understanding the past to build a stronger future. As Foster observed, "I was a little surprised. Outside of the college environment, you never know if people will show up to get a history lecture. But I think the event’s success speaks to the fact that a lot of our base populace clearly has an interest in learning about and understanding the base and its unique mission."
You can watch the entire seminar here.