Remember when... Air Force birthday

  • Published
  • By Charles "JR" Foster
  • 33rd Fighter Wing historian
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The United States Air Force was formed 63 years ago as a separate branch of service - Sept. 18 1947. President Harry Truman made this official when he signed the National Security Act of 1947 July 26, that year.

The President signed the Act aboard a VC-54C Presidential transport, the first aircraft used for the role of Air Force One. Since then, the Air Force has seen many leaders, many changes, and even more great innovations.

As we celebrate today, we stand in the shadows and reflect on the accomplishments of those who have gone before us in founding such a great, proud, and powerful organization. Leaders such as Stuart Symington, Gen. Carl Spaatz, and Gen. Curtis LeMay to name a few, were instrumental in setting the building blocks of which we are able to continually build and improve today.

Had it not been for the courage and determination of a few great men in the inception years, the organization may never have developed as we see it today or worse, failed altogether.

The USAF with its superior airpower has been an integral part of virtually every major war and the vast majority of conflicts world-wide since World War II. The precursor to the Air Force, the Army Air Corps, helped to instill in military and civilian leadership throughout the government, the need for a separate air force. They saw the need for an air force that could dominate the skies both at home and abroad ensuring the safety of citizens throughout the world.

Whether you currently serve, are a veteran, family member, or otherwise associated with the Air Force or other branch of the military, you should always feel a sense of pride, a sense of pride in knowing you are part of the best and most powerful military in the world.