Sept. 18 marks the 65th anniversary of the Air Force’s founding. “As we celebrate the United States Air Force’s 65th birthday, we salute all of the dedicated airmen who serve or have served in our nation’s youngest and most innovative service,” write Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, and CMSAF James Roy in a message to airmen. They continue, “Throughout our proud history, the Air Force has embraced the technology that continues to revolutionize our capabilities in air, space, and cyberspace. We owe an enormous debt to the ground-breaking visionaries and engineering pioneers who brought the technology of flight to life, and to the professional strategists and tacticians who imagined the military possibilities of these new technologies and propelled the science, theory, and application forward.” Today, as in the past, however, airmen remain “the living engine” of the Air Force, they state, adding, “Happy birthday, Air Force! Aim High! . . . . Fly! Fight! Win!”
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.