The Museum Support Center, a tenant at Anniston Army Depot, recently received some assistance - from the west coast.
Lt. Col. Alicia Hamel will be stationed in Anniston for a year helping to sort, organize and consolidate the exhibits stored at the MSC.
Hamel, who arrived at ANAD in late October, will lead of team of five employees, four contractors and five term or temporary employees. Their job revolves around a push to consolidate museum storage nationwide.
"We have over 1,000 M1 Carbines in addition to M1 Garands and other weapons here and we need to keep about 10 percent of them," she said. "We are getting rid of all the excess, so we can bring in the collection storage of all the other Army museums."
Hamel is a Soldier with the U.S. Army Reserve. During her time in the Oregon National Guard, she developed an interest in military history and worked as a command historian for the Oregon National Guard.
Her journey to Anniston began during her time as a recruiter. She was asked to assist with a Lewis and Clark bicentennial project, where details of their exploration was taught to school kids.
As the program grew in popularity, Hamel's interest in history and museums grew as well.
When not serving in the military, she works for a non-profit organization, raising money for the Oregon Military Museum.
"I've done a lot of work raising money for museum construction projects and building exhibits. So, it wasn't a stretch for me to work in a museum," said Hamel.
She said the MSC staff has been a joy to work with - professional and passionate about their jobs.
"I am beyond lucky that I get to work with a good team," said Hamel.
Hamel said she knows the work needed will likely not be completed during her time in Anniston. But, she hopes to see dramatic progress, giving her and the other employees knowledge that artifacts will be properly preserved for future generations.
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