USM graduate becomes state’s first higher education student to win national Coffman military history honor

By Simeon Gates | Originally published by Mississippi Today

U.S. Army Capt. Travis Salley is the first person from a university or college in Mississippi to win the Coffman Prize, a distinguished award in military history scholarship.

The Society for Military History’s Edward M. Coffman First Manuscript Prize is an annual competition for the best military history dissertation. The winner receives a cash prize and is honored during the society’s annual conference in Arlington, Virginia.

Salley’s dissertation, which was part of his work to earn a doctorate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, was titled “Sex and Danger, Airborne Ranger: A Historical Analysis of G.I. Songs, Jody Calls and Marching Cadences.” The dissertation is about the history of military cadences, how they became a tradition in the military and in popular culture and how they “can shape the military through culture within the context of basic training,” he explained.

He earned his PhD in military history from USM in December. He said he was ecstatic to learn he’d won, as he didn’t expect his dissertation to be received so well.

“I was very much surprised, because my project is … niche, it’s unique,” Salley said.

“Conventional military history is very much about generals and battles, and mine is a completely different angle.”

He said this prize is also a credit to USM’s military history program.

“I was happy for the program as well, because it just demonstrates the excellence that Southern Miss provides in the history department,” he said.

Salley was born and raised in Henderson, Nevada. He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard in 2010. He earned his bachelor’s in music from University of Nevada, Reno in 2013, where he was in ROTC. That same year, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army Reserve as a signal officer through ROTC. In 2015, he earned his master’s in music history from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He became active duty in 2017.

In 2019, Salley applied to teach at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Once selected, he was sent to Hattiesburg to earn his PhD in history from USM. He began teaching at West Point in 2024, and will continue to teach there until at least 2027. He lives with his wife and their three children.

He said his dissertation is under contract with the University of Alabama Press, and it may be published as a book by next year.

This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Source: Original Article