Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
In 1907, the chief of the Army Signal Corps created the progenitor to the US Air Force when he issued Memorandum No. 6, officially placing three men in a separate division—the Aeronautical Division—to oversee work on military balloons, air machines, and related subjects.
The air arm gained more permanence and resources—60 officers and 260 enlisted men—when Congress in 1914 created an Aviation Section within the Signal Corps. Four years later, the Army Air Service was established, followed by the Army Air Corps in 1926 and the Army Air Forces in 1941. (The Army Air Corps existed under the AAF until 1947.)
In 1947, Congress established the US Air Force as a separate service—climaxing a 40-year effort.
OFFICE MEMORANDUM NO. 6
An Aeronautical Division of this office is hereby established, to take effect this date.
This division will have charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects. All data on hand will be carefully classified and plans perfected for future tests and experiments. The operations of this division are strictly confidential, and no information will be given out by any party except through the Chief Signal Officer of the Army or his authorized representative.
Captain Charles DeF. Chandler, Signal Corps, is detailed in charge of this division and Corporal Edward Ward and First-class Private Joseph E. Barrett will report to Captain Chandler for duty in this division under his immediate direction.
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
The Space Force has accepted its first Meadowlands satellite communications jammer from prime contractor L3Harris and is poised to start using the system in operations next year.
Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, told lawmakers that NORTHCOM has no plans to use U.S. cities as “training grounds” as President Donald Trump recently suggested to a room full of his top military leaders.
Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew with Japanese fighters over the Sea of Japan after a string of Chinese provocations toward Japan—including a joint bomber patrol with Russia—in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.
More than a quarter-century after handing over the mission to the Navy, the Air Force is taking the first steps towards taking back over a critical nuclear command, control, and communications function.
Weeks after senior Air Force leaders revealed the service would shed a number of the re-optimization initiatives pursued by their predecessors, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman confirmed the Space Force is retaining all of the space-specific elements of the strategy.
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