USTRANSCOM's research center director has chronicled the command's history from its beginning
Dr. James K. Matthews is a USTRANSCOM plank owner, an original member of the command. He started at USTRANSCOM in April 1987 as the command historian. Since May 1994 he has been the director of the USTRANSCOM Research Center, charged with historical, archival, library, art, and artifact responsibilities.
Matthews is the senior historian for the command and has counterparts in each of the Department of Defense's other eight unified commands.
Historians "teach at service and other military schools, conduct research and write books, special studies and articles dealing with the roles, functions, responsibilities and operations of their organizations," said Matthews. "Most federal agencies have an historian or historians."
"Being able to help my senior staff, my bosses (to) make informed decisions," Matthews feels, is his primary contribution. "I try to apply my knowledge, my historical training…to the day-to-day operations of the command to help my co-workers do their jobs."
Matthews produces a variety of written historical studies for use by leaders.
"The main goal of these studies…is to create an accurate account of our organization's activities to be used as a basis for decision-making at the highest levels of government. (We want to) make sound decisions in strategic planning, budgeting and operations."
His publications focus on difficulties faced by the command and how the people of the command addressed them.
"We're really here to help everyone do their jobs better so we write a warts-and-all history," said Matthews. "We really try to get at the problems and the mistakes we made." The documents are used by "senior leaders at the highest levels to make decisions."
Matthews' current focus is on America's war on terrorism.
"Right now I'm…writing a combat chronology," of current operations, said Matthews. "I'm concentrating on the current operations, Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, getting the documents from the crisis action team and cataloging them for the archives."
Among his many publications is his book, written with Cora J. Holt, So Many, So Much, So Far, So Fast: United States Transportation Command and Strategic Deployment for Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He has also produced oral histories with Air Force Generals Duane H. Cassidy, Hansford T. Johnson, Ronald R. Fogleman, Robert L. Rutherford, Walter Kross, and Alfred G. Hansen, among others.
Most of the publications are available to the public while some remain classified.
Matthews received a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Santa Barbara after earning a Master of Arts in history and Bachelor of Arts in history from California State University, Northridge, California.
The Research Center contains the command archives, including documentation of the command's formation, reorganizations, and operations; and a library containing more than 2,000 books on transportation and military history.
For further information on USTRANSCOM historical products contact the research center at ustcrc@hq.transcom.mil or by phone at (618) 229-1167.
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