The Army Heritage Center Foundation shares the stories of U.S. Army soldiers from all eras, fostering understanding and building meaningful connections between the military and civilian communities. We accomplish this mission through public outreach activities like community-building, resource-sharing, education, and philanthropic investments in the preservation of Army history.
The primary beneficiary of our philanthropic contributions is the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We’ve supported the Center for over a quarter century, since 1999 when then Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera authorized its creation, and we’ve helped it grow into the 56-acre campus it is today–literally from the ground up.
We envision an America where every soldier’s story is honored and where the bonds between those who serve and the society they protect are strong, enduring, and deeply understood.
Our priority is to enhance USAHEC’s mission by funding programs beyond federal resources.
We design development and outreach programs that foster the public’s awareness of Army history and values, and we seek to do it in a way that both complements USAHEC’s exhibits and benefits our community in Cumberland Valley.
The Army Heritage Center Foundation is a charitable organization separate from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. As a private, nonprofit, non-Federal entity, AHCF is not affiliated with the Department of Defense and has no governmental status.
U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center Mission – The U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center collects, preserves, and presents materials related to the evolution and application of landpower, as well as the experiences of American Soldiers, to build a foundation for strategic thought and to connect the public to the United States Army.
Our History
In 1999, Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera committed the U.S. Army to “the establishment of an Academic Research Facility and Army Museum at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.” In that same year, the Army Heritage Center Foundation incorporated under its legal name Military Heritage Foundation.
The Foundation supports the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center as it seeks to preserve the memories of Soldiers and their families, honor their service, and educate the public on contributions of Soldiers and the U.S. Army to our Nation’s history through generous philanthropic donations.
The Army Heritage Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Foundation is registered in all states and locations that require charitable organization certification. (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin)
The Foundation is also registered and rated with Charity Navigator and Candid (formerly Guidestar).
Foundation Timeline
1999
Military Heritage Foundation incorporates and gains authority to build an Army museum in Carlisle, PA. The Foundation facilitates the transfer of 56 acres of land adjacent to Carlisle Barracks from Cumberland County, PA to the U.S. Army.
2001
Secretary of the Army Thomas White announces redevelopment of the U.S. Army Military History Institute into the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. The Foundation assumes the Doing Business As name Army Heritage Center Foundation to align with the Center.
2003
The Foundation funds the master planning and for the utility infrastructure of the Center.
2004
Ridgway Hall, a federally funded construction project that houses the Army’s premier library, archive, and research facility, opens to the public.
2005
The Center hosts its first Army Heritage Day event on the new Army Heritage Trail. The Foundation works with congressional sponsors to promote construction of the Conservation facility.
2006
The Foundation begins fundraising and design for the Visitors and Education Center. The Foundation sponsors construction of World War II Exhibit Barracks on the Army Heritage Trail.
2008
The Foundation’s Education Department begins sponsoring National History Day in Pennsylvania. The Foundation also holds its first Annual Membership Dinner.
2009
Construction of the Foundation-funded Visitor and Education Center and the federally funded Conservation facility begins.
2010
The Foundation completes construction of the Visitor and Education Center and donates the building to the U.S. Army. The Foundation’s Education Department launches the Veteran’s Oral History Program.
2011
The Museum Store, sponsored by the Foundation, opens. The Conservation facility is completed. The Foundation launches the Build on Success campaign to fund Phase Two of the Visitor and Education Center.
2012
The Foundation funds and manages infrastructure enhancements to support future construction on the Center’s campus.
2013
The Foundation hosts its first U.S. Army Birthday Dinner at the Center. The Foundation is accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign.
2014
The Foundation’s Education Department holds its first Soldier Experience Living History Adventure Camp on the Army Heritage Trail.
2015
The Foundation secures funding and hosts a groundbreaking ceremony for The Hall of the American Soldier (Visitor and Education Center Phase Two) construction.
2016
The Foundation establishes the Veterans’ Cafe and character development programs for regional schools. The Foundation completes the Ridgway Hall Lobby renovation to accommodate additional exhibits. The Foundation formally transfers the Hall of the American Soldier to the U.S. Army.
2017
The Foundation hosts the first Walk with a Veteran event on the Army Heritage Trail.
2019
The Foundation begins ROTC Staff rides to Gettysburg in coordination with orientations and tours of the Center. The Foundation funds and constructs the Event Pavilion on the Center grounds.
2023
The Foundation begins architectural plans to update USAHEC’s outdoor event pavilion.
2024
The Foundation launches the Colonel Donald Esper Endowment to fund its ROTC Staff Ride program in perpetuity.
2025
Newsweek readers name USAHEC one of America’s top ten free museums. While our foundation can’t take credit for that honor, we are so proud of the professional Center staff who worked so hard to earn this distinction.
Central Pennsylvania Business Journal honors the Foundation with a Empowering Women Award for its efforts supporting and empowering women in the workplace.