Air Defense Artillery Museum; Fort Bliss Fort Bliss, Texas

Mailing Address

Museums Division, ATTN: ATZC-DPT-MM
Fort Bliss, TX 79916

Street Address

Bldg. 5000, Pleasanton Rd
Fort Bliss, TX 79916

Phone: 915-568-7345
Web: www.firsttofire.com/default.htm

Related Links

www.bliss.army.mil/Museum/fort_bliss_museum.htm

Description

We have two major projects in the offing: (1) A bi-cultural children s living history program set in the Fort Bliss of 1857. Through food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and entertainment, the children will learn the Army s contribution to the formation of the bi-cultural community that is El Paso. (2) A new building to house all three museums collections and archives, as well as to provide space for professional functions, community relations activities, Army training, living history, and teaching. Exhibits will interpret the histories of Fort Bliss and the Air Defense Artillery service branch of the Army. The 3rd Cavalry Museum s exhibits will remain in the Regimental area. Continued staff development so that individual members can contribute to our profession is a continuing rather than a major project activity, but is sufficiently important to list here.

History

The U. S. Army Air Defense Artillery Museum (ADA Museum) was opened at the direction of Major General C. J. LeVan on June 14, 1975, the 200th anniversary of the founding of the U. S. Army. It was opened under the administrative control of the Air Defense Artillery School and subsequently transferred to the Plans and Operations Division of the Directorate of Plans, Training, and Mobilization. It was certified by the Department of the Army Center of Military History in 1981 (recertified in 1986 and 1991) and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1982 (reaccredited in 1992).

The Fort Bliss Replica Museum was opened on November 6, 1955, and was assigned to the Plans and Operations Division of DPT. After the failure of its initial Army certification inspection, it was verbally made the responsibility of the Director of the ADA Museum on January 5, 1985. Following a second inspection, the museum was closed for three years and eventually reopened in 1989. It was certified in October 1990 and accredited in 1992.

The 3rd Cavalry Museum followed the relocation of the Regiment in 1972. It was founded in 1958 and was not staffed with civilian professionals until the fall of 1984 when it, too, was assigned to the Plans and Operations Division of DPT. On verbal orders, it was made the responsibility of the Director of the ADA Museum. It was certified in 1987, recertified in 1991, and accredited in 1992.

The reorganization of these three museums into the Museums Division was initiated in November 1984 by Major General James P. Maloney, Commander, Fort Bliss, Texas. Although the reorganization was not official until May 1, 1985, the effective operation of the division started in January 1985. Curator vacancies existed for nearly one year at the ADA and Fort Bliss Museums due to employees' changing positions and turnover in the staff, which still occurs periodically due to the training and promotion policy of the Division. A fourth museum at Fort Bliss, the U. S. Army Museum of the Noncommissioned Officer, is operated by the U. S. Army Sergeants Major Academy on Biggs Army Airfield.

Artifacts Collections

Militaria related to: Air Defense Artillery, Fort Bliss, & 3rd Armored Cavalry.

Air Defense Artillery Museum: Artifacts related to the history of antiaircraft gunnery since 1917. The adjacent Museum Park displays a selection of antiaircraft weapons and equipment from World War II until the present. U. S. weapons are represented by every major system adopted for use by the Army. Foreign weapons from Italy, Germany, and Japan are present in a variety of types and sizes. Target drones of all major configurations are mounted in the center of the park to illustrate the types of training devices that have been developed for gunnery training.

Fort Bliss Museum: Artifacts relating to the history of Fort Bliss since its founding in 1857.

3rd Cavalry Museum: Artifacts relating to the history of the 3rd Cavalry, beginning in the mid-19th century.

Research Collections

Photos, documents, and books pertinent to the histories of Air Defense Artillery, Fort Bliss, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and its predecessors, Regiment of Mounted Riflemen & 3rd Cavalry.

Library

Open to scholars and staff only; does not circulate print materials; appointment necessary; cannot assist with inter-library loans. Visual reference collection mainly black and white prints; ADA: 2,480, Fort Bliss: 2,150, 3rd Cavalry: 1,260; about 75 VHS videotapes; 100% of permanent collection visually documented.

Contact Chief, Museums Division, about rights and reproduction issues.

Appointment required: False

Services




Publications

Occasional publications include: "The Reasons Why" (Policies and Procedures); Spanish and German Exhibits Guides; Fort Bliss Driving Tour brochure; Air Defense Artillery Pocket History ; History, Customs & Traditions of the 3rd Cavalry; City on the Mesa: Fort Bliss

Facilities

See below for details of building size and accessibility for people with disabilities; 50-person lecture hall.

a. Building 5000. This is the Air Defense Artillery Museum's main building containing all of its professional functions and exhibits. It has minimal atmospheric controls and, in its present state, complies with the National Fire Code, life safety regulations, physical security regulations, OSHA standards, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. It houses the Division's artifact maintenance laboratory, electrical shop, Association Office, gift shop, and principal temporary exhibit gallery. Building 5000 is a wooden structure, erected in 1941 as a Type 3 enlisted service club with a combined square footage of 15,000. It is on a 5,625 square yard site with an adjoining parking lot of 4,960 square yards that is contiguous to an outdoor weapons park with a fence enclosing 5,616 square yards.

b. Buildings 5051, 5052, 5053, and 5054. These adobe buildings were constructed in 1948 as a donation to Fort Bliss by the citizens of El Paso on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Fort Bliss. They are the primary exhibit galleries of the Fort Bliss Museum and comprise 2,548, 4,321, 1,129, and 1,698 square feet respectively. They have no heating or air conditioning, except for Building 5054. Only this building has environmental controls and a JSIIDS system. They do have fire detection, but no suppression. They are accessible to the handicapped.

c.. Building 2407. This 2,578 square foot permanent masonry 1957 building houses the 3rd Cavalry Museum. It has reasonable environmental controls, adequate physical security, and is accessible to the handicapped. Work orders are being processed for fire suppression.

d. Building 515b (Ground Floor). This 1,693 square foot portion of a masonry 1934 "Double Enlisted Cavalry Barracks" houses the curatorial office, registration desk, archival collections, and education collection for the Fort Bliss Museum.

e. Building 5847. This 2,956 square foot permanent building houses the Museums Division administrative and operations offices and functions as the primary artifact storage for all three museums. It was assigned in July 1986 and is equipped with fire detection and suppression, humidity control, and JSIIDS. A year-round air conditioning/heating system was installed to accommodate the collections in the artifact vaults.

f. Building 11216. This 1941 temporary wood frame building was constructed as an aircraft engine maintenance and repair building, and houses the Exhibits Branch. It includes the office, graphic and design shop, metal/welding shop, silk screen shop, tool/supply room, and main fabrication shop. The square footage is 4,940 square feet.

g. Building 1014. This 1956 cinderblock barracks building is occupied by the 6th ADA Brigade. The Museums Division uses only the east basement arms room, comprising 225 square feet, as a consolidated arms room. It is one of six JSIIDS alarms systems in the Museums Division or the Division NCOIC. Keys are available only from the Chief, Museums Division, or the Division NCOIC. Only the Curators and Registrars of each museum are permitted access.

h. Building 2040. This brick structure of 5,668 square feet, was built in 1955. It is currently being used for tertiary storage. It is enclosed by a security fence which accommodates some 15,000 square feet of graveled area. This building has electrical service, but no other utilities. It contains artifacts which are too large for display in the existing museum buildings, but which are too vulnerable to vandalism to be placed in the museum parks. Additionally, items are kept here pending conservation and restoration. These items are available for study and research by persons making written requests to the Museums Division on an appointment only basis. As this building is remote from other museum facilities, it requires frequent inspection by the staff and the military police.

i. Building 11283. Built in 1956 as an automobile service station, this 2,576 square foot cinderblock and steel building is used by the Exhibits Branch for storage of props, cases, and building materials.

Programs

The institution does not (yet) have an Education Department per se. It provides military history training to officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted soldiers

Staff

Chief, Museums Division
Phone: 915-568-7345

Adalberto Saldaña, Chief, Exhibits
Phone: 915-568-8893

Dick Fritz, Curator
Phone: 915-568-1922

Sid Popejoy, Fabricator
Phone: 915-568-8893


Museum Type

Military
Specialized

Governance

Type: Federal (U. S. Army)



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