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 September, the Air Force celebrates its 70th year as an independent armed service, having previously been a branch of the Army. After a history arguably dating back to the American Civil War, the Air Force in 1947 began a new story of development and achievement under its own banner.
In the story available through link at the top right button on this page, we have selected 70 photographs representing the Air Force’s history and evolution, one for each year. They comprise leaders, acts of heroism, aircraft, missiles, tragedies, victories, and successes of many kinds.
It would be impossible to select the most important Air Force mission, person, or feat in any given year, nor is it feasible to represent in 70 pictures the more than 300 USAF career specialties or the hundreds of types of aircraft and other weapon systems it has operated. Rather, these images, taken collectively, are meant to illustrate and illuminate 70 years of progress, struggle, and accomplishment.
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
As the U.S. war with Iran intensifies, the Pentagon is rushing more warplanes to the region, deploying Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
From missile warning to satellite communications for drones, the Space Force has played a key, if often unseen, role in the U.S. conflict with Iran, the head of the service’s Combat Forces Command said July 17. And one area in particular has seen Guardians be especially active: the electromagnetic spectrum.
The most recent Space Force enlisted promotion selection was the last to use the old board format for sergeants, as the service transitions to a “fully qualified” method of selecting its junior NCOs.
Future Guardians willing to serve eight years for their first Active-Duty enlistment are now eligible for a $25,000 bonus—but the deal won’t last long, according to a recent Space Force announcement.
For former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, building Airmen’s trust in Collaborative Combat Aircraft is a crucial step in the fast-moving development and deployment of the semi-autonomous drones.
The Senate confirmed a half-dozen Air Force generals to three-star jobs July 16, including a new commander of Air Forces Central and a new superintendent for the Air Force Academy.
China’s rapidly advancing capabilities in space are a major concern for the presumed next chief of U.S. Space Force, who will likely oversee rapid growth in manpower and equipment to counter the growing threat.
The Space Development Agency resumed its Tranche 1 launch effort July 16, sending 21 data transport satellites to continue building out a mesh network in low-Earth orbit.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said July 16 that the airpower contribution of allied nations is vital for deterring adversaries and endorsed deeper interoperability between the U.S. and its partners.
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