Airmen escort presidential papers into history Published Feb. 24, 2009 By Pacifica Chehy 316th Wing Public Affairs WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force District of Washington Airmen took their place in history Feb. 23 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 AFDW, the 316th Wing 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 NARA to the temporary library facility at Lewisville, Texas. "This move is a key part of the presidential transition of power," said Adrienne Thomas, the 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 long process that began in September 2008 and is expected to be completed at the end of February. The team moved approximately 439,000 pounds, including more than 27,000 cubic feet of textual records, 5,400 records of the National Security Council, more than 1,000 cubic feet of audio-visual materials and 41,000 artifacts. In addition, they transferred more than 100 terabytes of electronic information using a total of 16 long-haul trucks and three planes, said Nancy Smith, the 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 Socks 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 The team used innovative techniques to ensure the historical documents and artifacts would be preserved well into the future.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 316th LRS commander. "We saved a lot of money that way. It was a true team effort with the 89th 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, the 89th 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 (and) 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, the 89th APS aircraft services flight commander. 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. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page