FORT GORDON, Ga. – When Steven J. Rauch first arrived at Fort Gordon in August 2002, he had no idea what he had gotten himself into … much less the impact he would leave 23 years later.
Fresh out of the Army at the time, having retired from active duty after 20 years as an ordnance officer, Rauch decided it was time to put at least one of his masters’ degrees to use. Having earned one in Adult Continuing Education from Kansas State University and another in History from Eastern Michigan, Rauch recalled, “I thought if I couldn’t do history, I could at least do something in educational programs and planning. Then this job came up.”
“This job” was the Signal Corps branch historian.
Rauch admits he “didn’t know much” about the Signal Corps when he applied for the job, but his passion for history overshadowed any concerns he may have had about the position.
Early Life
Born in Dearborn, Michigan, the hometown of Ford Motor Company Founder, Henry Ford, Rauch had what most would consider to be very humble beginnings. Growing up in the Detroit suburbs, his father worked in the auto industry, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. They shared a 900-foot square home with Rauch’s younger sister.
Rauch’s interest in history took seed at a young age, during the early 1970s – around the 25th anniversary of World War II. He distinctly remembers building plastic model warplanes, each kit bearing a historical fact about the plane on its packaging. The discoveries he made from building those planes became a turning point for him, because it was no longer merely about building model planes.
“I started looking up what the context of these things were used for,” Rauch said. “I wanted to know what it did, where it fought … it was curiosity, I guess, and that’s how I became interested in history.”
Rauch went on to attend Eastern Michigan University (1978-1982), where he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program with hopes of becoming an armor officer. Instead, he was granted his second choice: ordnance.
“I’m not sure I really understood what it meant to be an officer or a leader at the time; I just liked the Army stuff,” Rauch said of ROTC.
On May 9, 1982, Rauch arrived at his first active-duty station, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The next 20 years would be a journey all over the world, filled with career milestones and a marriage overseas (which 40 years later is still going strong, he added). During one of his final assignments (Fort Lee, Virginia), Rauch received a letter stating that the Combat Studies Institute at Command General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, was looking for history professors. He applied, was offered the position, and finished his final three years in the military serving as an assistant professor of history.
Career Part II: Signal Historian
From Army officer to civilian, from ordnance to signal, and seemingly a world apart geographically, Rauch had his work cut out for him.
“I showed up at Fort Gordon in 2002 – straight from Fort Leavenworth – knowing zero about signal history, and I’m the historian, so people are expecting me to know stuff,” Rauch recalled half-jokingly. “That transition from Army to civilian was hard.”
Rauch said it took him a good five years or so to really “get comfortable” with signal and settled in. And as he settled in and built a rapport with others working on the installation, the more he took on. Being a branch historian is about far more than merely researching the history of one’s branch. In Rauch’s case, it meant meeting military history instruction course requirements (put forth by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command), which through his tenure amounted to 11 different professional military education (PME) courses taught to more than 15,000 students. It meant grading/evaluating thousands of papers written by students, involved more than 300 staff rides, and preserving/maintaining 2,243 boxes of historical materials inside the history office – which Rauch was responsible for relocating to in 2010.
“[The move] was a massive effort that involved planning and coordination at the most detailed and highest levels,” Rauch said. “It was painful, and it took about two years off my life, but it was done successfully.”
As much as the abovementioned duties entail, they only touch the surface. In essence, being the branch historian meant performing the duties of multiple people – but that few, if any, would have noticed, because Rauch performed them without faltering. Just ask one of his former students.
Lasting Impact
Col. Julia M. Donley, 43rd chief of Signal and Signal School commandant, met Rauch in September 2005 during the Signal Captains Career Course (SCCC). Donley said she has fond memories of his class and staff rides. She even reached back to him on numerous occasions seeking guidance after she became a battalion commander.
“Mr. Rauch was always available for advice on how to both properly execute a staff ride and to ensure the leaders got the most out of them,” Donley said. “My husband, Kevin, worked with him from 2006 to 2008 as a [small group leader] and heavily relied on him to help the students understand the importance of history.”
Adding to what Donley said, her husband described Rauch “an integral part of every signal officer’s professional development” – not only through impressing the importance of history upon them, but through refining their writing skills.
“During his blocks of instruction, he was able to show how the history of the Signal Corps was relevant to today’s operations and how even if technology advanced, the principles remained the same,” Kevin added.
Rauch was known to extend his passion of teaching history outside of PME walls.
During Brig. Gen. Paul D. Howard’s tenure as 42nd chief of Signal, Rauch met with him at least once a month, per the general’s request.
“I first met Mr. Rauch years ago when I was serving as a field grade officer, however, our relationship deepened significantly during my time as the chief of Signal,” Howard explained. “At that point, I relied on him more and more for his insight and expertise, and he became an invaluable resource as I navigated my leadership role.”
Now serving as chief information officer for U.S. Central Command, Howard doesn’t rely on Rauch these days. But the impact Rauch made on Howard – and the Signal Corps as a whole – is everlasting.
“Mr. Rauch’s efforts in educating and mentoring have contributed to building a corps that not only understands its history but is also inspired by it,” Howard said. “His influence has been crucial in fostering a sense of pride and unity within the Signal Corps that continues to resonate today.”
Donley echoed similar sentiments about the retired historian.
“Mr. Rauch’s passion for history and dedication to the history of the Signal Corps are unmatched, however, I think he is best known for his attention to detail and high expectations, Donley said. “He holds all of his students to the highest of standards because he wants us to be better writers, to be more critical thinkers.”
Retirement
For someone who has made such a profound impact on one of the Army’s oldest branches and who is as passionate about history as Rauch, retiring on one of Army’s biggest celebrations in history only seemed fitting.
June 14, 2025, Rauch officially retired from the Army – for good – and on the same day as the Army’s 250th birthday.
The date was partially careful planning and partially coincidence. Rauch said he initially considered retiring in February 2025, but once he realized that June 14 fell on a Saturday (e.g. end of a pay period), he decided to stick around a little longer.
“Many of my history friends think it’s neat that it worked out that way,” Rauch said. “As for me, personally, that date will be on all of my retirement documents, so I'm glad about that. Every June 14 from this point on will be the anniversary of my retirement.”
Despite being excited about retirement, Rauch said he really enjoyed his time at Fort Gordon.
“To be paid to study and do what you love has been my dream, and it didn’t just happen; I made it happen,” Rauch said.
As for what he won’t miss about it? The commute and long lines at the gate to get on the installation, followed by searching for a parking spot.
“There are days it seems like everything here is working against you to try to stop you from doing your job; I won’t miss that one bit,” Rauch said. “I calculated, and I figured I spent about 75 minutes in my car each day back and forth to work. Multiply that by about 255 workdays a year – comes out to be 19,000 minutes a year, times 23 years equals 440,000 minutes – and that equals 7,331 hours spent in my car for 23 years. That’s 1.19 years of my life using the 24-hour day. If I just use the 8-hour workday, that’s 3.59 work years spent in the car!”
Rauch is eager to replace time previously spent commuting with time spent doing more of what he enjoys– some being history-related, of course, beginning with events surrounding the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War.
“I am going to write about it and hope to publish a book about the battles of Augusta, Georgia, in 1780 -1781,” he said. “I want to control my time and do only what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want to do it. I’ll read of course, but I’ll also get back to some hobbies I once had … spend time with my grandson and probably drag him to history sites and events.”
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