The Company of Military Historians was founded in 1949 as an educational, scientific, and literary institution devoted to the study and dissemination of "information on the uniforms, equipment, history, and traditions of members of the Armed Forces of the United States worldwide and other nations serving in the Western Hemisphere."

The membership includes both professionals and amateurs in the field of American military history. On the rolls are not only historians, artists, writers, curators, librarians, teachers, and researchers, but people from virtually every walk of life. Among the members are serious collectors of militaria: uniforms, accoutrements, weapons, equipage, military miniatures, artwork, and books.