U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center

Thank you for your interest in making a gift of materials to the U.S. Army. The majority of the materials we make available to the public from our library, archival and museum holdings are from generous gifts made by Veterans and private individuals. If you have any questions, or would like to make a gift, please email usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.ahec-acq@army.mil.

Download Guide to Gifting Historical Materials (PDF)

How to Gift Your Materials

Please email usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.ahec-acq@army.mil with a description of the materials you wish to gift. A member of the Collections Management Staff will contact you to gather information about the gift, review the materials, and discuss the gifting process.

Please do not send any items to the USAHEC without first speaking to a member of the Collections Management Staff. Current Army Regulation prohibit the gifting of any materials without prior approval. Any materials received without prior coordination will be returned to the sender.

Materials of Interest

The USAHEC considers select manuscripts, audio and video, digital and printed materials related to the history of the U.S. Army, which will be helpful in the development of the USAWC curriculum, and the education of future Army Senior Leaders for inclusion into the Collection:

Manuscripts, Publications, and Media

  • Memoirs
  • Diaries and journals
  • Personal correspondence (letters home, etc.)
  • Official documents
  • Photographs
  • Unit and command newsletters
  • Audio and video recordings
  • Films
  • Unit histories
  • Books

Artifacts

The USAHEC considers select artifacts with a direct tie to a specific Soldier or specific historic event:

  • Uniforms
  • Weapons
  • Accouterments
  • Original Soldier created artwork

Items Not Accepted

Items that will not be accepted into the collections include:

  • Live ammunition, explosives, and ordnance
  • Hazardous materials
  • Pharmaceuticals or controlled substances
  • Items in poor or infested condition
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Personnel Reports or files
  • Soldier's Medical or financial records
  • Commercial motion pictures
  • Any item that does not fulfill the mission of the USAHEC

Please note, if the USAHEC cannot accept an item, we can often direct you to a public collection that will.

Gifts Involving Firearms

Army Regulations prohibit a firearm from being brought onto an Army Installation. Our staff must make arrangements with security personnel.

Please do not walk unaccompanied up to any USAHEC building with a firearm. All firearms and inert ordnance must be left in a potential donor's vehicle and can only be brought into a building by a designated member of the USAHEC staff.

Conditions for Accepting Materials

Please note, Army Regulations prohibit the acceptance of gifts with any restrictions or requirements of the U.S. Army. Once an item is accepted, it becomes the property of the U.S. Army. Examples of restrictions include: length of exhibition of materials, how items are displayed or interpreted, how archival materials are arranged, or limits to public access.

The USAHEC may not be able to accept all of the items a party would like to gift. Proposed gifts are handled on a case by case basis, evaluated against the USAHEC mission and current collections policies. Archival items are evaluated by the USAHEC Collections Committee, and artifacts are evaluated by the Center of Military History. Any items received by the Center that are not included in the proffer will be returned to the donor.

No copies of materials, to include photocopies or scans, will be made by the USAHEC staff as a requirement of the gift.

Appraisals

According to U.S. Army and Internal Revenue Service Regulations, the USAHEC cannot appraise artifacts, archival collections, or books, nor can USAHEC staff suggest the name of an appraiser or appraisal service.