Center for Military History Graduate Fellowship

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The Dale Center is proud to partner with the U. S. Army’s Center for Military History (CMH) providing an in-person, paid research fellowship for Dale Center PhD students.  Upon the recommendation of Dale Center faculty, advanced PhD students (typically those who have passed their comprehensive exams) will be invited to apply for a one-year fellowship at the U.S. Army Center of Military History's headquarters, located in Washington, D.C..   

The Center for Military History's mission, as noted on its website, is to:

“provide historical support to the Army Secretariat and Staff, contributing essential background information for decision making, staff actions, command information programs, and public statements by Army officials. The Center of Military History serves the general public, including military families and veterans, as well as researchers by compiling and publishing official histories and integrating the Army historical community with the nation.  Over the decades it also has progressively expanded its role in the vital areas of military history education . . .[and] the management of the Army's museum system. . . . . The Center's work with Army schools ensures that the study of history is a significant part of the training of officers and noncommissioned officers. It also supports the use of history to foster unit pride and give today's soldiers an understanding of the Army's past. . . . In addition to official operational and unit histories, the CMH publishes Army History magazine.  They also coordinate with the Army Museum Enterprise and offer Staff Rides.”

Dale Center graduate students selected as Dale Center/CMH Fellows are paired with a full-time CMH historian and tasked with assisting them in the compilation, production, and dissemination of military history in print and digital formats, as well as oral histories in certain cases.  Previous fellows have worked on projects such as reconstructing the history of operations from Desert Storm through the war with Iraq, reconstructing orders of battle from fragmentary records scattered across government agencies and military services, worked with the Army’s force structure division, researched unit awards and citations, edited bills and resolutions for historical accuracy, and vetted panels for museum exhibits in addition to carrying out research and writing for their supervisors and answering requests for information from the public.  They have also been involved in the transition from print to digital records.

Dale Center/CMH Fellowship alumnus Wesley Hazzard (USM PhD, 2020) researched World War II and other units for decorations from the Secretary of the Army and the White House as a Graduate Research Assistant for the Force Structure and Organizational History Division.  This led to a regular position with the CMH as an official historian after Hazzard’s graduation.  In his current capacity, Dr. Hazzard assists the Army with developing force structure, maintaining lineage and honors certificates and researching Army unit awards.  As he notes, “My input goes up to the Chief of Staff and impacts how the Army looks.  Historians like me help shape the force structure based on historical precedents and current needs.”

Dale Center/CMH Fellowship alumnus John Mortimer (USM PhD, 2021) developed expertise on the Iraqi Army in the 1990s, contributing to official pamphlets. He interviewed former commanders and assisted in the recovery and processing of captured Iraqi war documents, providing valuable intelligence for future operations.  Additionally, during his time as a CMH Fellow, Dr. Mortimer had the opportunity to network with historians in various government offices including the Secretary of Defense, the National Guard Bureau, the Air Force History office, and the Office of the Historian at the State Department.  In the process, he gained extensive knowledge of institutional practices and made professional connections that have proved invaluable in his career.  Dr. Mortimer now works as an independent historian writing official histories for the CMH.

These positions allow students to professionally represent the University of Southern Mississippi and the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society, expanding the institutional footprint of the Dale Center in the wider field of military history.  In the process, Dale Center/CMH Fellows make invaluable contacts in the military and government, often leading to post-graduate employment with the CMH itself, or other government agencies.  

Dale Center/U. S. Army Center for Military History Fellows:

• Westley Hazzard (2017-2018)
• John Mortimer (2018-2019)
• Justin Major (2022-2023)
• Daniel Ward (2023-2024)
• Bearington Curtis (2024-2025)