Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the U.S. Air Force

On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, we give an overview of the history of the USAF and its predecessors.

Friday, September 23, 2022 at 11:35 AM ET

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A B-17G Flying Fortress and a B-52H Stratofortress fly in a heritage flight formation on Saturday, May 13, 2006 during the Defenders of Liberty Airshow at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force originated from the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aeronautical Division, established on August 1, 1907, evolving through various predecessors like the Air Service in WWI and the Army Air Corps.
It experienced immense expansion and proved its critical strategic and tactical importance as the Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II, growing to over 2.2 million personnel and tens of thousands of aircraft.
Acknowledging its distinct operational capabilities and pivotal role, the U.S. Air Force was officially established as an independent military branch on September 18, 1947, with the signing of the National Security Act.

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Millions across the nation and around the world celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force on September 18, 2022. FLYING also celebrates this “birthday” and salutes the men and women who serve—and who have served—as members of the U.S. Air Force and its predecessors.

Origins

Orville Wright made the world’s first controlled, powered, and sustained heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903. Less than four years later (August 1, 1907), the U.S. Army Signal Corps formed an Aeronautical Division. It was put in “charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The division was the first heavier-than-air military aviation organization in history and the beginning of what eventually became the U.S. Air Force.