ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Members of Team Andrews took their place in history Monday as they were honored for moving presidential documents safely and in "record" time.
Standing before the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, Airmen from the 316th Security Forces Squadron, 316th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 316th Command Post, and the 89th Aerial Port Squadron were presented certificates by officials from the National Archives and Records Administration for their efforts in providing airlift and ground support in the transport of the George W. Bush presidential papers from the National Archives and Records Administration to the temporary library facility at Lewisville, Texas.
"This move is a key part of the presidential transition of power," said Adrienne Thomas, NARA Acting Archivist of the United States. The National Archives takes ownership of each outgoing administration's artifacts at noon on Inauguration Day. "These historical materials must be moved as part of the presidential transition of power. To accomplish this mission we have always depended on the military for logistical support and manpower that we need to accomplish this feat," she said.
The move of presidential papers has been a five-month process which began in September 2008 and is expected to be completed at the end of February.
The team moved approximately 439,000 pounds, including over 27,000 cubic feet of textual records, 5,400 records of the National Security Council, over 1,000 cubic feet of audio-visual materials and 41,000 artifacts. In addition, they transferred over 100 terabytes of electronic information using a total of 16 long-haul trucks and three planes, said Nancy Smith, National Archives presidential materials director. She noted that it was the first modern presidential move accomplished in a time of war.
Among the artifacts moved are the 9 mm pistol Saddam Hussein held in his hands when the soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division captured him in 2003 and the 2004 World Series Champions Boston Red Sox jersey signed by the entire team.
The team used innovative techniques to ensure the historical documents and artifacts would be preserved well into the future.
"For the first time ever, many of the materials were moved overnight, in a 24-hour time period from Washington, D.C. straight to Lewisville," said Maj. Troy D. Keepnick, the 316 LRS commander. "We saved a lot of money that way. It was a true team effort with the 89 APS doing much of the packaging of the materials, the security forces did a tremendous job in terms of providing security and wing command post and the LRS did a tremendous job in their roles, as well."
Other team members appreciated the significance of the event and were honored to be a part of it.
"To be working with this kind of material that I personally can load onto an airplane and someday go look at in a museum is just an awesome experience," said Staff Sgt. Nathan Rust, 89 APS aircraft services supervisor. "We worked with the folks at the Archives to get the cargo - which was 94 pallets and ended up being roughly 218 tons - onto two 747s and a DC-8. It took a team a lot of time, and I learned a great deal in the process. A lot of pallets come in already done for us so it was a really great training experience for those who don't build pallets on a daily basis."
Movement of the Bush presidential papers was as much an art as it was a science.
"We got the process down to the point where we were downloading the trucks and getting the pallets built almost as fast as they were loading them up at the archives. We were unloading the trucks about one every fifteen to twenty minutes," said Capt. Eric Mason, 89 APS aircraft services flight commander.
"It's a great day for Team Andrews," said Col. Steven Shepro, 316th Wing Commander. "And what a great location to have this recognition - right in front of our nation's Constitution - the very one we pledge to support and defend. There's a significant historical tie that our Team Andrews members now have to the archives."
The NARA becomes the manager of all the official presidential papers that will eventually be placed in a presidential library when a president leaves office. Until Bush's library opens, his papers will be in a temporary library location in Lewisville, Texas. The George W. Bush Presidential Center will be on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. A foundation is currently raising money to aid in the construction of the library, which is scheduled to begin in 2010. The opening of the library is currently planned for 2013.