CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – “Off we go into the wild blue yonder …” is the first line from the United States Air Force theme song. The Air Force celebrates its 62nd birthday Sept. 18 as its operations continue around the world.
From its simple beginnings, the need for an air service was brought to light during the European campaign of World War I. Officially, the Air Force began as the Aeronautical Section, Signal Corps in 1909 and commissioned as the United States Army Air Corps in 1926. It went through five designations during the early part of the century before becoming the United States Air Force on Sept. 18, 1947.
President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act in 1947 that established the Air Force as a separate service. The agreement allowed for the Air Force to have the same status as the Army and Navy as a branch of the armed forces of the United States.
Throughout the history of the U.S. Air Force, there have been significant events that have defined the monumental contributions to the success of the U.S. Armed Forces. Key to those events have been participation in the first jet aerial combat operations during the Korean conflict 1950-1953, a significant role in Vietnam from 1963 to 1975 including the airlift of the remaining U.S. combat troops when hostilities ceased.
The Air Force has provided a large number of pilots to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in support of the United States’ space program from the 1960s to the present.
The Air Force developed the first laser-guided bombs between 1970 and 1980. This time period also saw the introduction of the F-15 Eagle, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known as the Warthog, the Airborne Warning and Control System and the F-16 Falcon aircraft.
The F-117 Nighthawk and the B-1 were introduced between 1980 and 1990, revealing Stealth technology and the first super-sonic strategic bomber for the Air Force, deploying in support of Desert Storm in 1992. The U.S. Air Force provided the bulk of the Allied air support during the conflict.
From 1990 through 2000 the Air Force provided air support to the NATO mandated no-fly zones over Bosnia and Serbia. This was the first time the Air Force took military action as part of a NATO mission.
Current operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom have seen continued deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 in support of Coalition forces and the Iraq Army’s fight against the insurgents.
Today, the US Air Force is the largest and most technologically advanced in the world. There are about 5778 manned aircraft and 156 unmanned aircraft in its arsenal and a total of just under 500,000 personnel on active, Air Force Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and Air-National Guard.
Happy birthday to the United States Air Force, and thank you for guarding our skies.
