Air Force Day
Technical innovations in the 20th century resulted in the invention of the airplane and contributed to the rise of air forces internationally.
America’s successful use of air power in World War II led President Truman to establish Air Force Day on August 1, 1947. The date was chosen to commemorate the establishment of the United States Air Force 40 years earlier as the Aeronautical Division in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army.
The Air Force became a separate military service on September 18, 1947 and the birthday for the branch is now celebrated on September 18th.[i]
As of June 31, 2021, 326,855 individuals are serving on active duty in the United States Air Force. The average age of officers is 35 and the average age of enlisted personnel is 28.[ii]
To learn more about the United States Air Force, read:
Berger, Carl, Carl Berger, Jack S Ballard, United States. Air Force. Office of Air Force History, Jack S Ballard, and United States. Air Force. Office of Air Force History. The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973. Washington: Office of Air Force History, 1977. Learn more
Boyne, Walter J. Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the United States Air Force, 1947-2007. 2nd ed. New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, 2007. Learn more
March, Peter R. Sabre to Stealth: 50 Years of the United States Air Force, 1947-1997. RAF Fairford, Glos, England: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises, 1997. Learn more
Trest, Warren A, Air Force History and Museums Program (U.S.), and Air Force History and Museums Program (U.S.). Air Force Roles and Missions: A History. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program, 1998. Learn more
PMML Programs on the Air Force:
Donald L. Miller: Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. Learn more
General Norton Schwartz, RET. Journey: Memoirs of an Air Force Chief of Staff Learn more
The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II Learn more
Oral histories of Air Force personnel:
John L. Borling, Major General Learn more
John McNalis, Chaplain Learn more
Everett H. Pratt Jr., Lt Gen Learn more
Stetson M. Siler, Colonel Learn more
[i] Military Benefits.com: Air Force Day Learn more
[ii] Air Force’s Personnel Center Learn more
