US Air Force: History and Facts about the US Air Force

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Defending the United States of America since the beginning of flight, the United States Air Force was formed on August 1st, 1907. It wasn’t long after the first powered plane was flown by the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Aeronautical Division, what is now considered the Air Force, was delivered its first plane by the Wright Brothers in 1909. Under command of Captain Benjamin D. Foulois, the 1st Aero Squadron was born after many experiments with different aircraft was done. Not long after that, Europe was struggling with its military might, which resulted in the creation of World War 1. The United States entered the war in April 1917 only to find out that other countries had developed more advanced styles of aircraft, far from what the kind we used during the war. And catching up with the other European countries to match their superior aviation technology seemed impossible at the time as the the Aeronautical Division failed to do so.

With much long taken criticism and rumors of the United States aircraft attempts made, President Woodrow Wilson formed the Army Air Service on May 24, 1918. Placed directly under the War Department, the Army Air Service grew instantly with nearly 12,000 aircraft and as many as 180,000 listed men to serve and fight in the war. The Royal Air Force, created by the United Kingdom after much realization of the power of air combat, was formed in April 1918 and included the Royal Navy and the British Army. The superior lead of the British was not to be followed by the United States. Instead the U.S. formed the Air Corps on July 2, 1920 after enforcing the Army Reorganization Act. Even after other countries such as Japan and Italy began massing its armed forces, the small and organized United States Air Corps remained at bay with little funds for growth and building better aircraft.

In World War II, launched by Adolf Hitler in 1939, the Air Corps resumed a steady growth with nearly 28,000 personnel and 2,000 ready to fly aircraft and was increasing by enlisting more men and building more superior aircraft for the Air Corps to use. In 1941, the Department of War created the Army Air Forces (AAF) and became part of the Army Air Forces, equal to the Army as one of the Army’s combat arms. The surpride attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in December of 1941 prompted a huge growth in the expansion of the Army Air Force during the second world war. The Army Air Force was equipped with many high quality types of technology including the P-51 Mustang, the C-47 Skytrain, the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress, all of which were known as transport, attack and bomber aircraft. The AAF grew to about 2.4 million personnel and nearly 80,000 aircraft with air divisions, squadrons and different groups. For the first time in Air Force history, superior strength was reaching its point for the Army Air Force of the United States of America.

Near the end of the second world war, the United States had taken over the skies over Japan as well as over Germany when two of the AAF’s B-29′s dropped atomic bombs on Japan. On October 14, 1947, test pilot Chuck Yeager took to the controls of the Bell XS-1 and succeeded at flying faster than the speed of light creating a supersonic era within the Army Air Force. The times have changed since the beginning of flight for the Airforce and they began to see a stronger, more advanced way of flying for the first time in their history. And with the new threat from the Soviet Union, the United States began its focus on creating more advanced air power and even better technology. The Cold War would bring many changes to the Air Force during these years, making the United States of America a global power among all countries in the world.

Today, the Air Force is the worlds only global air and space force who take much pride in their history from the beginning of its creation to the brave souls who fought and died for our great country. Looking back to their successes and failures, the United States Air Force has grown to be a known superpower in defending the freedoms of all when called into action. Those who have served and are now serving have experienced the changes brought on by an ever changing world and have got to serve with the respect of what the Air Force is all about. They held their ground in the face of criticism and skepticism, only to emerge as the world’s only known superpower air defense military. The United States Air Force presently values excellence in the brave men and women who serve with a high level of integrity first and foremost. From the beginning of its creation to the present day, the Air Force has seen its struggles and is now the leader in the sky.

Resource by k.Pearson

My name is Kim, I am a volunteer at a local Zoo in Chicago, IL. I have been a volunteer for about 5 years now and love it. My full time job is at a vet just outside of the city. I am intrigued by the nature of animals and how they interact with one another.

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