September 18, 1947

September 18, 1947

Sept. 18, 1947

The US Air Force begins operations as a separate service, with W. Stuart Symington as its first Secretary. Gen. Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz, Commanding General of the AAF, becomes the first Chief of Staff on Sept. 26.

Largest Distinguished Flying Cross Ceremony ‘in Decades’ Honors More Than 50 Airmen

Nov. 23, 2022

Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Mike Minihan awarded 51 Distinguished Flying Cross awards at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 21—one of the largest DFC ceremonies in recent history. All of the awards were given to Airmen who participated in Operation Allies Refuge, the noncombatant evacuation out of Kabul, Afghanistan,…

CNAS Report: Defense Budget Must Better Match Strategy, Increase Precision Munitions Purchases

Nov. 22, 2022

The Department of Defense must do more to make sure its budget matches up with the needs of its overall strategy, according to a new report from the Center for a New American Security. The report places particular focus on the fiscal 2023 budget request, which was submitted to Congress…

First F-16 Block 70 Emerges From Lockheed Martin’s New Factory—128 More on Order

Nov. 22, 2022

Lockheed Martin's first new-build F-16 Block 70 has emerged from the company's Greenville, S.C., factory, launching a new phase in production of the Falcon, which first became operational with the Air Force 44 years ago.

PHOTOS: Kadena Lines Up Six Kinds of Aircraft for Elephant Walk

Nov. 22, 2022

Three dozen aircraft assembled on the flight line for an “elephant walk” at Kadena Air Base, Japan, in a show of air power. The capabilities demonstration included six different kinds of aircraft, all stationed at Kadena at the moment. The display came on the same day U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin…

Space Force Stands Up Its First Geographic Component Command, Prioritizing the Pacific

Nov. 22, 2022

The Space Force and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command formalized a new chain of command for Guardians in the Pacific, activating a new service component command of the unified combatant command. Establishing U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific gives the Space Force a seat “at the table” to plan for activities in the INDOPACOM…

Air Force C-37 Carrying National Guard Chief Forced to Land After Bird Strike

Nov. 22, 2022

An Air Force C-37 carrying Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson was forced to land after striking birds as it departed from Chicago Midway International Airport, the Air Force and National Guard Bureau said. A video from a streaming website showed the plane taxiing to the…

New, Miniaturized Data Pod Will Accelerate Fighter Refinements, Fleet Maintenance

Nov. 21, 2022

The Air Force is experimenting with a new pod expected to sharply improve fleet predictive maintenance and mission data and to accelerate software fixes across the entire Combat Air Forces. The pod miniaturizes and encapsulates a test rig previously too large and expensive for use in anything other than test…

KC-46 Crews Set AMC Endurance Record in 36-Hour Flight as Air Force Looks to Expand Use

Nov. 21, 2022

A KC-46A Pegasus flew a 36-hour nonstop mission that covered more than 16,000 miles. Crews traveled from Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., over North America, Hawaii, and Guam, before retracing their path and landing back at their home base. The flight was the longest Air Mobility Command mission to…

T-38 Makes Belly Landing at Columbus AFB—Second Incident in Two Weeks

Nov. 21, 2022

Less than two weeks after a T-38 trainer aircraft crashed near Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., another experienced an in-flight emergency that ended with the pilot executing a gear-up landing. The pilot landed the aircraft, a T-38C, successfully and was OK, a base spokesperson said in a press release.

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