Is there a connection between the Army's Mexican border service in 1916-1917 and its performance in Europe during World War I?

Some scholars argue the border experience was of negligble importance while others have argued with varying degrees of vigor the experience was important.

This site contains exhibits arguing the latter: the experience was important to the Army's preparations for World War I.  It made a difference in mobilization, leadership, technology and training and the exhibits provide the facts and images to support this argument.

The BACKGROUND exhibit provides a timeline of events and biographical information on some of the important actors, both military and civilian who impacted the Army's experience.

The MOBILIZATION exhibit highlights the mobilization of National Guard units and includes details on several mobilized regiments representeative of the experience as well as a map displaying training and outpost locations occupied by National Guard units.

The LEADERSHIP exhibit highlights several officers including General John J. Pershing, commanding general of both the Punitive Expedition and the American Expeditionary Force as well as General Henry T. Allen, Major General Benjamin Foulois and Colonel Nelson Holderman.

The RESOURCES exhibit includes a comprehensive finding aid identifying primary and secondary source material used in site construction.  These sources include War Department and State Department materials, reports from a number of Adjutants General of the National Guard as well as secondary source scholarship.

The TECHNOLOGY exhibit explores the Army's use of motorized vehicles, aircraft and new communications technologies that proved important both during the border crisis and the war in Europe.

The TRAINING exhibit provides details on the training experiences of units and documents how the experiences of the border transformed units from under-manned and ill-trained shells of units into units capable of fighting in Europe.

The RESOURCES exhibit includes a comprehensive finding aid identifying primary and secondary source material used in site construction.  These sources include War Department and State Department materials, reports from a number of Adjutants General of the National Guard as well as secondary source scholarship.