Air Force Special Operations Command presented MSgt. David Halvorson a Bronze Star for his work in Southwest Asia as maintenance production superintendent for MH-53 Pave Low helicopters. Halvorson led 56 airmen from 11 career fields to maintain the four MH-53s, at one point operating from the back of a truck during threat of mortar and rocket attack to get the Pave Lows ready to pursue high-value targets. Halovorson’s efforts led to a 100 percent launch rate for 15 high-priority missions, culminating in capture of 15 Iraqi insurgents and terrorists.
Happy Birthday US Air Force: 78 Today
Sept. 18, 2025
Seventy-eight years ago today, on Sept. 18, 1947, Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington as the first ever Secretary of the Air Force, and the Air Force officially became the first new military service since the Revolutionary War.