The Cultural Heritage by AIA-Military Panel (CHAMP) is dedicated to improving awareness among deploying military personnel regarding the culture and history of local communities in host countries and war zones. Education and training of military personnel is a critical step in preserving and safeguarding historical sites and cultural artifacts and will promote greater understanding and improved relations with local communities. Learn more…
Dr. C. Brian Rose, AIA Past President
As President of AIA, I am pleased to provide a website for the CHAMP. AIA has been a strong advocate for cultural property preservation in war zones since 2003. By partnering with military personnel and various government agencies, AIA has provided training and guidance on how to operate affectively around cultural sites and property while protecting both personnel and heritage. This working group is now ready to expand this effort by joining forces to create more training opportunities for military and government personnel, providing cultural heritage information and support to all affected nations, and helping to write reference materials. I invite all interested AIA members and other interested parties to join this working group. Cultural heritage property and military personnel will both benefit greatly from your experience and support.
Dr. Laurie Rush, Ft. Drum Archaeologist
The people of the United States and its allies ask their military personnel to serve all over the world in an unimaginable range of situations. Conflict has become increasingly complex, and a wide range of countries look to our military personnel for help in the event of natural disasters. We ask military personnel to apply the same heritage and stewardship principles that we all follow in our home nations to military efforts during global operations. We, as archaeologists, can help by providing expertise. From building better maps, to answering questions from personnel stationed abroad who are encountering archaeological features, to networking with each other to plan for and enable site preservation, cooperation with the Archaeological Institute of America, as represented in this website, is valuable and significant. Most importantly, it offers hope for preservation in areas of the world where hope is needed the most.
Ms. Laura Childs, Communications Coordinator; Ms. Antoinette (Anne) Egitto, Deputy Communications Coordinator
As a collaborative working group, the CHAMP encourages ideas and communications from military, government, and academic participants. Your inputs to the information and documents provided here are very welcome. To be included on this website, please send them to the Communications Facilitator, Ms. Laura Childs, AF ISR Agency, at Laura.Childs@us.af.mil, 210-977-6100 and the Deputy, Ms. Antoinette (Anne) Egitto at Anne.Egitto@gmail.com at 216-904-6288.
