| Former Name: | History and Traditions Museum |
| Location: | Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio, Texas |
| Type: | Military aviation museum |
| Collection Size: | 40+ aircraft 35 exhibits 4,000+ artifacts |
| Visitors: | 36,000 (2019) |
| Director: | Bill Manchester |
| Curator: | Fernando Cortez |
| Historian: | Stephanie Ritter |
| Parking: | On base (no charge) |
The USAF Airman Heritage Museum is an aviation field museum and heritage collection of the United States Air Force located at Lackland AFB near San Antonio, Texas.[1] [2] The museum, along with the Security Forces Exhibit Annex, are part of the Airman Heritage Training Complex, run by the Air Education and Training Command.[3] Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen.[4]
The museum opened as the History and Traditions Museum in 1956 as one of 12 satellite museums to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.[5] Museum construction began in 1956 inside a building that dates to 1942,[6] [7] and it opened to the public in February 1957.[8] With the stated purpose of giving basic trainees "pride in the past", museum staff arranged exhibits in coordination with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They refurbished aircraft on static display to pay tribute to the planes' respective squadrons, crew, and pilots, ensuring correct paint and insignias.
On March 5, 1958 the Air Force announced the consolidation of museums at Randolph and Lackland Air Force Bases into the one at Lackland.[9]
The History and Traditions Museum annual attendance was over 100,000 in the 1970s. The museum had over 50 aircraft and missiles, a reference library, and miniatures recreating WWII air battles.[10] The engine exhibit contained a Liberty L-6 and L-12 and an Allison V-12 among others.
The SR-71A "Blackbird" was put on static display in 1990 at the Parade Ground Airpark.[11] [12]
In 2010 the museum reopened with a new name—the Airman Heritage Museum.[13] The same year, Building 6351, a 1940s era barracks was moved to the museum.[14]
On February 11, 2013 the Lackland Gateway Heritage Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with the USAF to build a new museum. Its goal was to raise money for the new building, targeting a fall 2017 opening. The new museum would be located on a 85000abbr=onNaNabbr=on site north of the parade grounds. It would have 50000abbr=onNaNabbr=on of exhibit space and be privately funded with $50 million by the Airman Heritage Foundation.[15]
In 2014 the Airman Heritage Museum and Security Forces Exhibit Annex were brought together under a single entity, the Airman Heritage Training Complex, itself operated by the Air Education and Training Command.
The museum recognized members of the Tuskegee Airmen and their families at opening of their exhibit on May 4, 2015.[16] The research for the exhibit had begun in 2014 at the Air Force Historical Research Agency.[17]
The Airman Heritage Foundation continued to raise funds in 2019 for new building set to open in 2022. It is planned to be more accessible, with the entrance outside the base.
In 2019 the Airman Heritage Museum had 36,000 visitors and the Security Forces Exhibit Annex had 23,000 visitors.
In 2020, nine static aircraft of the Southeast Asia Airpark were moved to make room for construction of new Airman Training Complexes. Aircraft moved to the Parade Ground Airpark included the B-52, F-4, F-5, F-100, B-57, B-66, and F-105. The T-37 and UH-1 were moved to the Inter-American Air Force Academy. The Airman Heritage Training Complex provided technical support for the move.[18]
The current indoor space is 67780NaN0 with 5000square feet of exhibit space. The museum has over 4,000 artifacts from 1907 to present, which are on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. A total of 35 exhibits are on display, including scale models of planes, a B-24 bomber simulator, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, an original Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” bi-plane fuselage skeleton with OX-5 engine,[19] an exhibit on the precursor to the Air Force, the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, a display on the Women's Air Force, and more.[20]
Outdoors, the Airman Heritage Museum has over 40 aircraft on static display.[21] [22] Most of the Static Display Aerospace Vehicles are located at the Parade Ground Airpark. The aircraft represent Army Air Corps and Air Force history[23] spanning eight decades.
The Security Forces Annex contains 47 exhibits and an archival repository pertaining to the history of the Air Force Security Forces since 1947, including the history of military, air, and security police.[24] Special exhibits are on display regarding women in the Security Forces and military working dogs.
The Airman Heritage Foundation is the private non-profit organization that supports and raises funds for the museum. Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen.