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
2017 marks 70 years since the United States Air Force was established as an independent military service, but many of USAF’s entities trace their history back much further. In fact, 65 of today’s Active Duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve units have lineages dating back to World War I.
Most began their time as WW I-era Army aero squadrons, and many were stationed in France during the Great War. Over time, units have changed names, locations, equipment, and missions—sometimes repeatedly. They may have been inactivated and reactivated several times. The stories of these units and their airmen can fill volumes, and many official and unofficial histories are available online.
Today, a diverse collection of more than five dozen Air Force groups and squadrons trace their histories back a century or more, as in the case of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron and 2nd Air Refueling Squadron. On the following pages are their patches—check them out.
Research by Mike Tsukamoto, photo editor, and Daniel L. Haulman, Air Force Historical Research Agency
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
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Four satellite missions will launch in the coming year to demonstrate on-orbit refueling, servicing, and repair capabilities to extend the lives of military satellites. Funded by different Department of Defense entities, each will also entail commercial efforts.
As 2025 draws to a close, Air & Space Forces Magazine selected several dozen of the best photos capturing exploration, activities, achievements, challenges, salutes, history, and milestones for Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Check them out below, and Happy Holidays!
Three weeks after being sworn in as the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach climbed into the cockpit of an F-22 fighter on Nov. 24 and prepared to take off from Langley Air Force Base, Va. Now he wants the rest of the Air Force’s top leaders to likewise…
The Space Force’s work to establish a pool of at-the-ready commercial satellite capacity during a crisis is moving out of the pilot phase as the service prepares to award its next batch of contracts in 2026.
A new White House new executive order, “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” emphasizes space security as a high priority for President Donald Trump and underlines the Space Force’s role in not only defending U.S. assets, but also in the attack mission.
