Air Force Heritage
In 1999, Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic unleashed a ruthless offensive to crush the Kosovo Liberation Army and drive ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo, creating a humanitarian crisis
A revamped Air Force mission - defend the US through control and exploitation of air and space - led to unprecedented integration between air and space capabilities by the time the air war over Serbia commenced in 1999
On 16 April 1945, General Spaatz declared the end of the strategic air war against Germany as all significant targets were considered destroyed
According to the US Strategic Bombing Survey, from 1942 to 1945, the Allies flew 1.69 million combat sorties, dropped 1.5 million tons of bombs, killed and wounded more than a million Germans and destroyed 3.6 million buildings (20 percent of the nation's total), making it the longest, bloodiest air campaign in history
WWII proved that air superiority was a required component for the success of land, sea, and air operations
Adolf Hitler started the greatest war in history when he launched a massive assault on Poland on 1 September 1939
General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr, Commander of the famed WWII Tuskegee Airmen, was the senior African American officer in the armed forces at time of his retirement in 1970. Davis: - Became one of the first African Americans admitted to pilot training - Organized the 19th Fighter Squadron, an all-black unit, in 1942 after the US entered WWII - Organized the 332d Fighter Group in 1943 - Was named Chief, Fighter Development Branch, HQ USAF in 1950 - Took command the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing in Korea in 1953 - Was named Director of Operations, Headquarters, Far East Air Forces, Tokyo in 1954 - Became Chief of Staff, Twelfth Air Force in 1957 - Became the first African American officer in any service to hold the rank of Major General - Became Deputy Chief for Operations, USAFE in 1959 - Became Director of Manpower and Organization at HQ USAF in 1961 - Was promoted to four-star general in 1998
After Davis' retirement in 1970, he organized a special force of sky marshals to help combat aircraft hijacking and a year was appointed Assistant Secretary of Transportation
Germany's Air Force, the Luftwaffe, emphasized speed and concentration of forces to crush their enemies, which spawned the term Blitzkrieg or "lightning war"
After defeating France in June 1940, the Luftwaffe faced Britain's Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, the first all-air campaign in history
In the five months prior to D-Day, the Luftwaffe lost 2,262 experienced pilots to the Allied Air Forces. By 6 June 1944, Allied Air Forces dominated the skies of Europe with new aircraft, tactics, and superior numbers
After the Normandy invasion, the Combined Bomber Offensive devastated Germany; approximately 75 percent of the 1.5 million tons of bombs dropped were after June 1944
The Korean War-era leaders struggled under political, technological and resource limitations; despite this, UN forces successfully repelled two Communist invasions of South Korea, and American airpower secured the skies against enemy attack
Air force missile and space capabilities developed rapidly after the Korean conflict, as the US pursued space-based technology concurrent with efforts to develop long-range missiles
From March to August 1945, American firebomb raids destroyed 66 Japanese cities, burned 178 square miles of urban landscape and claimed severe civilian casualties. An estimated 80,000 people perished in one Tokyo raid
Airpower and atomic weapons proved decisive in the Pacific Theater: - 18 July 1945 - atomic test proves successful - 26 July 1945 - Allies issue an ultimatum for Japan to surrender or suffer "prompt and utter destruction" - 6 August 1945 - the Enola Gay, piloted by Col Paul Tibbets, dropped a uranium bomb (known as "Little Boy") over Hiroshima, destroying nearly five square miles of the city and killing 80,000 people - 9 August 1945 - Japan had yet to surrender; the B-29 Bockscar, commanded by Maj Charles W. Sweeney, dropped a plutonium bomb (known as "Fat Man") on Nagasaki, devastating 1.5 square miles, killing 35,000 and injuring 60,000 - 14 August 1945 - Japan surrenders
In December 1972, North Vietnamese intransigence over the final peace agreement prompted President Nixon to initiate Linebacker II to pressure enemy compliance: - American aircraft pounded military and industrial targets in North Vietnam for 11 days - The White House authorized B-52 strikes near Hanoi for the first time - Fighter-bombers dropped another 5,000 tons of bombs - Peace talks resumed 8 January 1973 - A comprehensive ceasefire was signed 23 January
Although the Air Force flew more than five million sorties and dropped six million tons of bombs, the US did not win decisively and North Vietnamese forces eventually conquered South Vietnam in April 1975
In 1939, the US Army Air Corps numbered roughly 1,800 aircraft and 18,000 men. However, after France fell to Germany, President Franklin Roosevelt called for American industry to build 50,000 military aircraft
American industrial production emerged as a key to Allied victory. By 1942, American factories produced 47,800 aircraft and by 1944, an astronomical 96,300 planes
In 1961, the CIA attempted to invade Cuba using Cuban exiles. The exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs and suffered a crushing defeat
As a result, the Soviet Union increased its economic and military aid to Cuba and began building intermediate-and medium-range ballistic missile complexes with Cuba in 1962. Air Force reconnaissance flights confirmed this
The enlisted rank system change as Corporal was removed from NCO status in 1950. In 1952, the lower four ranks changed from Pvt, PFC, Cpl, and Sgt to AB, A3C, A2C, and A1C, respectively
As promotion and specialization went hand-in-hand with training in the new Air Force, the Airman Career Program was established to encourage long-term careers for enlisted specialists
The Desert Storm air campaign demonstrated airpower's impact on a conventional battlefield, and the Gulf War highlighted the: - Force-enhancement capabilities of space-based communications, intelligence, navigation, missile warning and weather satellites - Impact of precision-guided munitions on modern warfare
As stated by the Gulf War Air Power Survey, the air campaign was effective in breaking apart the organizational structure and cohesion of enemy military forces and in reaching the mind of the Iraqi soldier
While Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command geared up for a possible invasion and war, President Kennedy imposed a naval blockade and negotiated with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to remove the missiles
As tensions increased, Cuban air defenses shot down a U-2 piloted by Maj Rudolf Anderson. The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended an immediate air strike against Cuba, but President Kennedy decided to wait. Military preparations continued until negotiations prevailed and the Soviets removed the missiles from the island
US carrier-based aviation proved the value of airpower at sea, with Naval aviation playing a vital role in the Pacific War
At the Battle of Midway, 4 June 1942, US Navy pilots sank four Japanese carriers and turned the tide of the war in the Pacific
In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt directed the Army Air Corps to accept black Americans into aviation cadet training. The Air Corps segregated black aviators into all-black squadrons; these aviators were forever known as the Tuskegee Airmen
By the end of WWII, nearly 1,000 black Americans had earned their wings as Army flyers
During the Korean War, the F-86 pilots established a remarkable 10-to-1 kill ratio. These pilots devised new tactics based on flights of only four F-86s, unlike the mass squadron formations often flown in WWII
Capt James Jabara tallied 15 kills during the Korean War, gaining recognition as the world's first jet ace
Captain Lillian K. Keil successfully combined two careers as an airline flight attendant and Air Force flight nurse. Keil: - Made 250 evacuation flights during WWII, 23 of which were transatlantic - Flew 175 air evacuations, logging 1,4000 hours of flight time during the Korean War - Attended to more than 10,000 wounded soldiers, sailors and marines in the air
Captain Keil was the most decorated woman in US military history and was awarded 19 medals, including: - A European Theater medal with four battle stars - A Korean service medal with seven battle stars - Four air medals - A Presidential Citation from the Republic of Korea
Air Force leaders rushed the North American F-86 Sabre into action; the F-86 matched the MiG's speed and proved a more stable gun platform
Cpl Harry LaVene, a gunner, scored the first B-29 victory over a jet by downing a MiG-15 on 9 November 1950, Sgt Billie Beach shot down two MiGs on 12 April 1951, a feat unmatched by any other gunner
On 18 April 1942, Lt Col James "Jimmy" Doolittle led 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, launched from the carrier USS Hornet, in a bombing raid on various targets n Japan. The Doolittle Raid inflicted little damage, but shocked Japanese military leaders and bolstered American morale
Cpl John D. Foley "Johnny Zero" became a popular hero as a gunner in both the Pacific and Europe. This Army Air force legend was decorated eight times for heroism, including personal recognition by Generals MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Doolittle
President Barack Obama's exit strategy for Afghanistan called for an end to combat operations in 2013 and the withdrawal of US-led international military forces by the end of 2014
For most US and NATO forces, the war in Afghanistan was over by the end of 2014. A NATO presence remained, including the US portion of NATO's Resolute Support, Operation Freedom's Sentinal
The doctrine of mutually assured destruction was based on the theory that superpower strategic nuclear forces could be sized and protected to survive a nuclear attack and retaliate with sufficient force to destroy the enemy. This provided deterrent insurance, as no rational leader would start a nuclear war with such results
For two decades, the Air Force developed more capable satellite systems, such as the Missile Defense Alarm System, the first attempt at a space-based, long-range missile attack detection and warning system
Congress appointed Arnold the first and only five-star General of the Air Force in 1949. (He was a five-star General of the Army in 1944)
General Carl A. "Tooey" Spaatz was the first Chief of Staff of the USAF and was appointed by President Harry S. Truman in 1947. He also: - Served in France during WWI - Was a pioneering aviator during the interwar years - Commanded the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe and was tasked with softening up Hitler's Fortress Europe during WWII - Oversaw the final strategic bombing campaign against Japan (including the 1945 atomic attacks against Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
Lieutenant General William H. Tunner is known as the Air Force's outstanding practitioner of air logistics and air mobility. Tunner: - Helped create the US Army Air Forces Ferrying Command during WWII, which later became Air Transport Command and delivered 10,000 aircraft monthly from stateside factories to worldwide theaters of operation - Assumed command of the "Hump" airlift operation in 1944, supplying China from India over some of the world's highest mountain ranges - Assumed command of its Atlantic Division of the Military Air Transport Service in 1948, when Air Transport Command and the Naval Air Transport Service merged - Coordinated delivery of 2.3 million tons of cargo to Berlin during the Soviet Union blockade (demonstrating the peaceful use of airpower as a political instrument) - Took command of Combat Cargo Command (Provisional) when the Korean War broke out in 1950, overseeing the fleet responsible for airborne assaults, airdropping supplies and moving cargo and personnel through a combat theater (demonstrating the sufficient flexibility of cargo aircraft fleets)
General Charles P. Cabell was a pioneer in the field of air intelligence and also served as: - Director of Intelligence in 1948 - Director of the Joint Staff in 1951 - Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1953
In 1949, Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland was named in his honor
General Ira C. Eaker was a daring and innovative aviator. Eaker: - Participated in the Pan-American goodwill tour of 1926 and 1927 - Flew in the office of the Chief of the Air Corps during the 1930s - Accepted command of the 20th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field, CA in 1940 - Took command of the VIII Bomber Command and was promoted to brigadier general in 1942 - Served as commander of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces after promotion to lieutenant general in 1943 - Was Deputy Commander, US Army Air Forces and Chief of the Air Staff after WWII until his retirement in 1947 - Was promoted to a four-star general by President Reagan in 1985
General George C. Kenney was considered a technical and tactical innovator, and a great operational air commander in WWII, for his ability to overcame severe organizational, logistical, personnel, technical and strategic difficulties
General James "Jimmy" Doolittle's legendary aviation accomplishments include: - Flying a DH-4 coast-to-cost in 22 hours, 35 minutes with only one refueling stop - Winning the Schneider Trophy Races, setting a seaplane speed record of 245.713 mph - Helping develop fog-flying equipment in 1928 - Winning the Harmon Trophy after making the first "blind" flight, completely dependent on instruments
In 1934, Foulois' reputation was damaged when he agreed that the ill-equipped Air Corps could fly the US mail
General of the Air Force Henry H. "Hap" Arnold commanded the US Army Air Forces during WWII and is generally recognized as the father of the modern USAF. Under his direction, the US Army Air Forces expanded from 22,000 members and 3,900 aircraft to nearly 2.5 million members and 75,000 aircraft
The Luftwaffe appeared to have a clear advantage over Britain's Fighter Command, led by Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. However, they suffered from major weaknesses that included: - Diminished strength due to substantial losses in the war - Ill-suited training, equipment and experience for a long-range strategic air campaign - Poor intelligence and miscalculated attacks
Germany's short-range Me-109 fighter was limited in both combat time and tactical flexibility against Britain, while their long-range Me-110 was hopelessly outclassed by the Royal Air Force's Spitfires and Hurricanes
Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews was considered a founding father of the modern Air Force and commander of the first combat Air Force. He also: - Assumed command of the newly created General Headquarters Air Force in 1935 - Was named the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training in 1939 - Was named Commanding General, Caribbean Defense Command in 1941 - Assumed command of US Forces in the Middle East when American entered WWII and was promoted to lieutenant general - Accepted command of US Forces in the European Theater in 1943
He was one of the most promising Army Air Forces generals. His career ended prematurely when he died in an aircraft accident near Iceland in 1943
In 1911, Arnold, an infantryman, became a flyer under the teaching of the Wright brothers
His career would then go on to parallel the early development of the US military aviation, spending most of WWI as the highest-ranking flying officer in Washington, D.C. and winning two Mackay Trophies for making the most meritorious military flights in 1912 and 1934
During the Cold War, the Air Force concentrated on unmanned missions to fulfill national security needs by providing: - Space-based reconnaissance (e.g., invaluable knowledge of the Soviets' nuclear inventory) - Early warning of any missile attack on North America - Worldwide communications platforms for strategic command and control
In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the dictator of Cuba and instituted a socialist dictatorhsip
In 1958, the Air Force developed plans for a manned military presence in space, but President Eisenhower reserved manned mission for NASA. However, the Air Force's plan formed the basis of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Programs
In 1960, the National Reconnaissance Office was formed to take charge of highly classified reconnaissance satellites and help prevent a surprise attack against the US
After North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the USS Maddox in August 1964 at the Gulf of Tonkin, President B. Johnson lifted the shroud of secrecy and ordered Operation Barrel Roll; an orchestrated air attack against Communist forces in Laos
In 1965, President Johnson ordered Operation Rolling Thunder; a program of measured and limited air action against selected military targets in North Vietnam remaining south of the 19th Parallel. Unfortunately, US losses mounted without any visible effect from the air campaign
By the fall of 1968: - Air Force tactical aircraft had flown 166,000 sorties over North Vietnam - Navy attack aircraft had flown 144,500 sorties - The enemy had downed 526 Air Force aircraft using surface-to-air missiles, MiGs and antiaircraft artillery - 745 Air Force crew members were shot down over North Vietnam - 145 were rescued, 255 were confirmed killed, 222 were captured, and 123 were classified missing in action
In 1968, President Richard M. Nixon initiated a phased withdrawal from Vietnam, going from 536,000 US troops to fewer than 100,000 by 1972
CMSgt Wayne Fisk was the last US serviceman to engage Communist forces in ground combat in Southeast Asia. He helped rescue the crew of the USS Mayaguez (captured in May 1975)
In 1973, President Nixon ended the draft in favor of an all-volunteer military
General Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr. distinguished himself as a leader in WWII, Korea and Vietnam
In 1975, James took command of the North American Air Defense Command and US Air Defense Command, and was promoted to four-star general
Major General Clair L. Chennault, nicknamed "Old Leatherface", was leader of the Flying Tigers unit, which gained fame for its victorious exploits during the first six months of WWII. Chennault: - Was forced to retire in 1937 for health reasons and went to China shortly after to begin training pilots for the Chinese Air Force - Recruited American military pilots and organized the American Volunteer Group in 1941 - Trained three squadrons of "Flying Tigers" in tactics he developed that took advantage of the strengths of his Curtiss P-40s and exploited enemy weaknesses
In April 1942, Chennault was recalled to active duty by the US Army Air Forces, in the grade of major general, to command the Fourteenth Air Force in China. In that capacity, he fought two wars: - One war was against the Japanese - The other war was against supply and equipment problems in isolated China
The Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world dangerously close to nuclear war, but the strategic and tactical power of the USAF helped deter it
In April 1961, President Kennedy ordered Operation Farmgate; the covert deployment of the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (Jungle Jim) to train the South Vietnamese Air Force while secretly launching attack missions against Communist efforts in Laos and South Vietnam
The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq was a contentious issue from the beginning of the Iraq War. As the war phased into a multi-year occupation, US public opinion favored troop withdrawal
In April 2007, Congress passed a supplementary spending bill that set a withdrawal deadline, but President Bush vetoed it
To manage growing American airpower, a major reorganization created the US Army Air Forces and appointed General Henry "Hap" Arnold as its Commanding General
In August 1941, the Air War Planning Document 1 was created; it provided a doctrinal blueprint for the strategic air campaign against the Axis. The document called for: - 239 combat groups - 26,416 combat aircraft - 7,500 heavy bombers - 37,051 training planes - 150,000 trained aircrews - 2.2 million personnel
Duane Hackney was one of the most honored heroes of the Vietnam War, the recipient of 28 decorations for valor in combat (more than 70 awards and decorations in all) and winner of the 1967 Cheney Award, an honor presented for valor of self-sacrifice in a humanitarian effort. Altogether, he served in the USAF from 1965 to 1991, retiring as a CMSgt
In December 1972, SSgt Samuel Turner, a B-52 tail gunner, shot down an enemy MiG - the first of only two confirmed shootdowns by enlisted Airmen during the war. The fifth overall MiG-21 kill during Linebacker II went to A1C Albert E. Moore
In a 23 March 1983 address, President Ronald Reagan proposed replacing the doctrine of mutually assured destruction with one of assured survival by implementing the Strategic Defense Initiative to intercept ICBMs
In March 1985, Soviet Communist Party General-Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev initiated major changes in Soviet-American relations
The Royal Air Force lost 915 planes in the Battle of Britain, while the German Air Force lost 1,733 aircraft
In September 1940, Hitler abandoned his invasion of Britain
In 1930, Doolittle resigned his regular commission to manage Shell Oil's aviation department but was brought back to active duty in 1940 to troubleshoot engine and aircraft development
In a career defined by variety, Doolittle is best remembered for leading the 18 April 1942 B-25 raid on Tokyo, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet which restored American morale and damaged Japanese confidence
The Tuskegee Airmen struck a significant blow against racism in American by showing their skills, courage and determination. These actions rewrote history and prepared the USAF to be the armed service to integrate racially
In early 1941, former Air Corps Tactical School instructor Claire Lee Chennault organized the American volunteer group, known as the "Flying Tigers", to aid Nationalist China against Japanese invaders. They amassed an impressive 286 confirmed victories, losing only 12 pilots, before being disbanded in July 1942
General Curtis E. LeMay made Strategic Air Command the world's premier and most powerful nuclear force
In the days before deployable guided missiles, LeMay developed Strategic Air Command's policy of constant alert, keeping some bombers aloft at all times and ready to respond to a Soviet attack
On 14 October 1947, Charles "Chuck" Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier when his Bell X-1 "Glamorous Glennis" reached Mach 1.06 at 43,000 feet
Jet aircraft technology changed the face of aviation; Strategic Air Command upgraded to an all-jet bomber force in the early 1950s, activating the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and the Boeing B-53 Stratofortress
Despite having 40 shrapnel wounds, Levitow rescued a fellow crewmember perilously close to the open cargo door and threw out a burning 27-pound magnesium flare rolling amid ammunition can. Unable to grasp the flare due to his injuries, he hurled himself onto the burning flare, hugged it to his body and dragged it to the open cargo door
Levitow would survive his wounds and return to Vietnam for another tour. He: - Received the Medal of Honor in 1970 - Was honorably discharged in 1974 - Was buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery 17 November 2000
Soviet-made MiG-15 fighters, flown by North Korean, Chinese and Soviet pilots, outperformed American F-51, F-80, and F-84 aircraft
Lt Russell Brown, flying an F-80C, shot down a MiG-15 in the world's first all-jet air battle on 8 November 1950
The US Army Air Forces ordered 1,664 before the prototype had even flown, and by April 1044, B-29s were operating out of bases in India and China to carry out strategic bombing of Japanese forces
Maj Gen Curtis E. LeMay took over the XX Bomber Command crews and drastically altered B-29 failing tactics. He ordered low-altitude night attacks with bombers stripped of defensive machine guns, reduced fuel loads and increased bomb loads
His outspoken advocacy of a separate air force, critical remarks about the poor quality of the Air Force, and criticism of superiors led to him not being reappointed as Assistant Chief and to his eventual court-martial ordered by President Coolidge
Major General Benjamin D. "Benny" Foulois was a pioneer aviator and the first commander of an American air unit in the fields. Foulois: - Entered the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in 1907 - Participated in the acceptance tests of the Army's first semirigid dirigible and its first airplane, a Wright flyer designated Signal Corps No. 1, from 1908-1909 - Completed the organization of the Army's first operational unit, the 1st Aero Squadron, in 1915 - Commanded the 1st Aero Squadron during the Mexican Punitive Expedition from 1916-1917 (the first deployment of a US Army air unit to the field) - Played a major role in planning and implementing the $640 million aviation program started after the US entered WWI - Was promoted to brigadier general and named Chief of the Air Service for the American Expeditionary Force in 1917, but was replace by General Patrick six months later - Became Assistant Chief of the Air Service in 1927 - Was promoted to major general and named Chief of the Air Corps in 1931
After convincing Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Eaker directed the daylight strategic bombardment campaigns against the German military and industrial base of Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany
Major General Oliver P. Echols was a pioneer logistician who coordinated the rapid expansion of America's air arsenal during WWII. As Chief, Army Air Forces Material Division, he lead the most massive aircraft procurement in history
Next, the air campaign prepared the battlefield by isolating Iraqi ground units, interdicting supplies and reducing enemy combat power
Next, the air campaign prepared the battlefield by isolating Iraqi ground units, interdicting supplies and reducing enemy combat power
A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthogs" and F-15Es introduced the term "tank-plinking" as they destroyed enemy armored forces
Not all aspects of the air campaign were successful. The Great Scud Hunt, which targeted modified Soviet Scud missiles being launched by Iraq, did not destroy a significant number of the missiles
Afghanistan's rugged terrain, complex political relationships and distance from operating basses challenged coalition forces. Even after the defeat of the Taliban, operations remained hazardous due to extended counterinsurgency operations
On 17 March 2003, President George W. Bush announced a 48-hour ultimatum for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq or face conflict. Hussein rejected the ultimatum and, on 19 March 2003, a coalition of American and allied forces entered Iraq to begin Operation Iraqi Freedom
General Bernard A. Schriever is recognized as the architect of Air Force ballistic missile and military space programs. General Schriever: - Was promoted to brigadier general in 1953 - Was appointed head of the Western Development Division to organize and form the ballistic missile and space divisions, which produced the Atlas, Titan, Thor, and Minuteman - Produced launchers and space systems that supported NAS and other government agencies - Was named head of Air Research and Development Command in 1959 - Was promoted to four-star general, and named head of the new Air Force Systems Command in 1961 - Established 437L, an antisatellite system, as part of his efforts to extend the Air Force mission to include space - Headed the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Project
On 18 May 1953, Colonel Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran, became the first female pilot to break the sound barrier. She also: - Set a new altitude and international speed record and became the first woman to make a blind landing in 1939 - Broke the 2,000-kilometer international speed record in 1940 - Organized 25 women to fly for Great Britain, became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic and received the Distinguished Service Medal during WWII - Was appointed to the staff of the US Army Air Forces and director of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots in 1943 - Set nine international speed, distance and altitude jet records - Was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1971 - Was the first woman to be honored with a permanent display of her memorabilia at the USAFA in 1975
In response to these changes, US nuclear strategy changed significantly, including the: - Signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I - Signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty II - Removal of heavy bombers from alert status - Inactivation of Strategic Air Command
On 2 August 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered troops to invade oil-rich Kuwait, leading to international condemnation, a UN economic embargo and Operation Desert Shield
US troops completed withdrawal from Iraq on 18 December 2011
On 20 March 2011, a coalition of aircraft launched to support Operation Odyssey Dawn, enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 and protect Libyan citizens from harm by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime
A1C John Lee Levitow is the lowest-ranking Airman ever to receive the Medal of Honor for exceptional heroism during wartime
On 24 February 1969, Levitow and his crew aboard the AC-47 "Spooky 71" were hit by a mortar shell that landed on top of the right wing and exploded inside the wing frame. Everyone in the back of Spooky 71 was wounded and by the time the aircraft returned to base, it had more than 3,500 holes in the wings and fuselage
US and Soviet spending for weapons and related systems escalated into what appeared to be an unlimited strategic arms race
On 26 May 1972, the US and USSR signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, limiting each country to two anti-ballistic missile sites
In September of that year, Operation Impressive Lift airlifted hundreds of Pakistani soldiers into Somalia under the UN banner in an attempt to alleviate the problem and provide additional security
On 4 December 1992, President George H. W. Bush authorized Operation Restore Hope to restore order to the country, rushing in relief supplies and US troops. The operation ended on 4 May 1993, after which the relief effort unraveled again
Operation Enduring Freedom focused on forming and acting with an international coalition to remove Afghanistan's Taliban government, which had sponsored Al-Qaeda terrorism and provided a safe haven for its leader, Osama bin Laden
On 7 October 2001, the first wave of Operation Enduring Freedom military operations were launched. On 13 November 2001, the Afghanistan capital Kabul fell to coalition forces
The battle plan was based on a concept called "Shock and Awe", which focused on the psychological destruction of the enemy's will to fight rather than the physical destruction of the enemy's military force
On 8 April 2003, SSgt Scrott Sather, a combat controller, became the first Airman killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned seven medals, including the Bronze Star, during his career
A 2008 bilateral agreement, signed by President Bush, eventually set a withdrawal deadline of 31 December 2011
Operation Iraqi Freedom transitioned to Operation New Dawn, with three primary missions for US forces: - Advise, assist and train Iraqi security forces - Conduct partnered counterterrorism operations - Provide support to provincial reconstruction teams and civilian partners as they rebuilt Iraq's civil capacity
When the North Vietnamese launched the Easter Offensive in Spring 1972, Nixon responded with Operation Linebacker, which allowed military leaders to use appropriate strategy and tactics due to significantly reduced restrictions
Operation Linebacker used precision-guided munitions, such as television and laser-guided smart bombs to dramatically increase strike accuracy, and let to North Vietnamese negotiators accepting specific peace conditions
On 11 September 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airliners and flew them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a remote field in Pennsylvania, killing approximately 3,000 people. In response, president George W. Bush declared a global war on terrorism
Operation Noble Eagle immediately focused on protecting the US homeland from internal and external air attacks of the nature used on September 11
On 3 October 1993, a US UH-60 helicopter was downed in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. TSgt Timothy A. Wilkinson earned the Air Force Cross for treating and evacuating casualties
Operation Restore Hope II airlifted US troops and cargo into Mogadishu between 5 and 13 October 1993 in order to stabilize the situation after the losses sustained on 3 and 4 October
Their 1903 flyer design was built with a relatively lightweight gasoline engine and revolutionary, highly efficient propellers. The aircraft successfully flew four manned missions 17 December 1903 at Kitty Hawc, NC
Orville Wright is considered the "father" of flying
Post-Vietnam technology improvements included: - Highly maneuverable dogfighting aircraft armed with missiles and cannon (F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon) - Detection avoidance (F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter)
Precision technologies changed Air Force doctrine from its focus on strategic bombing to pinpoint bombing with no collateral damage
In late 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, an extremist Sunni jihadist organization, took control of territory in Syria and northern Iraq and received widespread condemnation for the brutality of their actions
President Obama authorized US forces to carry out air strikes over Syria and Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, in order to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant
One of the most notable changes to the new service was more realistic and dangerous combat training, which evolved into Red Flag by 1975
Red Flag: - Revolutionized Air Force training - Included both individual sorties and formations in realistic situations - Involved Air Force flying as aggressors and employing enemy tactics - Was founded by Col Richard "Moody" Suter, a highly accomplished, innovative genius
In his honor, the Air Force: - Named a C-17 Globemaster II "The Spirit of John Levitow" - Dedicated the Headquarters building, 737th Training Group, Lackland AFB, TX - Presents the top Air Force Airman Leadership School graduate from each class with the "Levitow Honor Graduate"
SSgt William H. Pitsenbarger, a pararescueman was kill on 11 April 1966 while defending wounded comrades. He would become the first enlisted Airman to receive both the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross posthumously
The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty limited the number of nuclear weapons, with the objective of freezing numerical growth and destabilizing characteristics of each side's strategic nuclear forces
Satellite advances, such as the development of a dedicated military weather satellite system known initially as the Defense Satellite Applications Program, significantly enhanced weather and communication support
President Harry S. Truman signed into law the National Security Act of 1947, which provided for a separate Department of the Air Force
Stuart Symington became the first Secretary of the Air Force and officially established the USAF as an independent, coequal service on 18 September 1947
Operation Anaconda, otherwise known as the battle at Shah-I-Kot Mountain or the battle of Robert's Ridge - Was one of the most intense small-unit firefights of the war on terror - Culminated in the death of all Al-Qaeda terrorists on the mountaintop and seven US servicemen - Was distinguished due to the conspicuous bravery and heroism displayed by US Special Operations Forces
TSgt John A. Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross posthumously for his actions during a 17-hour ordeal on top of Takur Ghar mountain. He is credited with saving the lives of his entire rescue team by engaging and destroying the first enemy position and advancing to the second
Sgt Sandy Sanchez was one of the enlisted force's most decorated Airmen of WWII and the only enlisted Airman to have a B-17 named after him. After 44 missions as a gunner for the 95th Bomb Group, he was assigned to the 353d Bombardment Squadron and killed during a raid against the last operational Nazi oil refinery on 15 March 1945
TSgt Paul Airey was liberated by the British army as a POW in Germany in 1945. He later became the first CMSAF in 1967 and received the first Air Force POW medal in 1988
President Kennedy's flexible-response nuclear war doctrine of the early 1960s lacked the technology to match its vision of adapting to meet Cold War crises
Technological improvements led to the DoD developing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles in the early 1970s. This allowed three or more warheads to be mounted on each ICBM and submarine-launched ballistic missile
In 1948, Maj Gen William H. Tunner assumed command of Operation Vittles, an expanded cargo support effort against the Soviet blockade, which: - Tallied 277,804 flights - Delivered 2.3 million tons of supplies - Defused a potentially disastrous confrontation with nonviolent airpower - Laid the foundation for NATO
The 1948 Berlin Crisis and 1949 Soviet detonation of an atomic device motivated the Air Force to improve war readiness. General LeMay, the new Stratetic Air Command commander, emphasized: - Rigorous training - Exacting performance standards - Immediate readiness
By June 1999, NATO airpower accomplished its objectives despite hampered progress
The 1999 air campaign against Serbia reinforced historical lessons on employing air and space power. Assessments of Operation Allied Force concluded that micromanaging the targeting process limits military effectiveness and that air and ground commanders must agree on the enemy's center of gravity
The first Tuskegee Airmen to fight were members of the 99th Fighter Squadron, a unit commanded by future Air Force general officer, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr
The 332d Fighter Group amassed a distinguished combat record, flying 200 escort missions into Germany
On 4 October 1947, the Soviets successfully launched the Sputnik I satellite into Earth's orbit, marking the beginning of the Space Age and sparking the space race between Soviet Union and the US
The Air Force played a major role in the developing national space programs, assuming the mantle of America's air and space force
To overcome numerically superior Warsaw Pact forces, the Air Force and Army updated the air-land battle tactical doctrine published in Field Manual 100-5
The Air Force procured the A-10 Thunderbolt II to make deep air attacks on enemy armies to isolate them on the battlefield, conduct battlefield air interdiction to prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front, disrupt the movement of secondary forces to the front and provide close air support to Army ground forces
Operation Rice Bowl, the April 1980 attempt to rescue American hostages from the US embassy in Iran, ended in disaster at the Desert One refueling site. Inquiries led to a reorganization and revitalization of US Special Operations Forces
The Air Force tested new ideas and technologies in crisis support missions in the 1980s, including: - Operation Urgent Fury - October 1983 - Operation Eldorado Canyon - April 1986 - Operation Just Cause - 1989
Superior training and experience prevailed over "MiG Alley" as F-86 pilots destroyed 792 MiGs and 18 other enemy aircraft at a cost of 76 Sabres lost to MiGs, and 142 to other causes
The Air Rescue Service medically evacuated more than 9,600 wounded soldiers and rescued nearly 1,000 personnel shot down over enemy territory
In the following years, the Soviet Union: - Agreed to the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty - Withdrew from the war in Afghanistan - Held relatively free and open Russian national elections - Underwent a coal miner's strike - Opened the Berlin Wall, which led to Germany's reunification
The August 1991 coup against Gorbachev led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union
The 1st Air Commando Group also conducted the first helicopter combat rescue
The Boeing XB-29 bomber unprecedented size and capability, and included a pressurized crew compartment, remotely controlled guns and new radial engines
Operation Desert Shield, the deployment of US air and ground units to defend Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, - Was announced by President George H. W. Bush - Eclipsed the Berlin Airlift as the greatest air deployment in history - Delivered defensive forces and counteroffensive material in 1990 and 1991 - Validated the C-5A Galaxy and C-141 Starlifter large capacity heavy lifters
The Gulf War represented the first extensive, broad-based employment of space support capabilities
In 1943, the US Army Air Forces suffered three disastrous missions with horrific losses at Schweinfurt, Regensburg, and Ploesti. This illustrated US Army Air Forces theory flaws. The losses of Schweinfurt, in particular , effectively ended their unescorted bombing campiagn
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang combined with the Spitfire's Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine revolutionized the air war over Europe and seized air superiority from the Luftwaffe in the spring of 1944. The P-51 was a technological marvel: a plane with a bomber's range and a fighter's performance
In July 1992, the UN led relief efforts in Somalia, where civil unrest in the wake of the two-year civil war contributed to famine
The US initiated Operation Provide Relief in August 1992, but civil war and clan fighting prevented many relief supplies from reaching those who needed them
Airpower has evolved from an ineffective oddity to the world's dominant form of military might, its applications and effectiveness increasing with each succeeding conflict
The Wright brothers achieved the first powered, sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air airplane flight in 1903
On 17 January 1991, three Air Force Special Operations MH-53J Pave Low helicopters led nine Army Apaches on the first strike mission of Operations Desert Storm
The first week of Desert Storm focused on achieving air supremacy and destroying the enemy's command and control system
Increased defense spending in the 1980s resulted in more mature space and missile programs, most of which are still in service, to replace the systems of the 1960s and 1970s. The Air Force also developed ground-based infrastructure and launch support bases
The formation of Air Space Command was announced on 21 June 1982 and signified a substantial reorganization of the Air Force's space systems
Colonel William "Billy" Mitchell was an airpower visionary who called for an air force independent of the US Army. Mitchell also: - Became the youngest captain ever selected to join the General Staff in 1912 - Joined the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps in 1915 - Commanded most US air combat units during much of 1918 - Became Assistant to the Chief of the Air Service and led battleship bombing trials in 1921
The high point of his military career was likely the sinking of the former German battleship Ostfriesland by the 1st Provisional Air Brigade under his leadership
President Clinton promised to remove US troops from Somalia by March 1994, and Operation Restore Hope Ii officially ended 25 March 1994
The post-Cold War breakup of Yugoslavia was NATO's greatest challenge in the 1990s
Britain's Fighter Command proved ready for the Luftwaffe by: - Preparing for a German onslaught since 1937 - Creating an effective, integrated air defense system using Sir Robert Watson-Watt's radar innovation Exploiting a breakthrough in code breaking with the use of the Enigma machine
The top-secret Enigma machine, provided information known as ULTRA that forewarned British intelligence of major attacks and provided invaluable insight into German maintenance and logistics
On 25 June 1950, Communist North Korea invaded US-backed South Korea
UN forces took control of the skies and destroyed North Korea's industrial base. General MacArthur's amphibious assault and successive operations shattered the North Korean Army. However, when the UN forces advanced into North Korean, Communist China and the Soviets intervened and drastically changed the war
The Fifth Air Force: - Made the primary US Army Air Forces contribution on the Pacific counterattack - Struggled to overcome poor resources due to the "Europe First" strategy and a 10,000-mile supply chain - Served under Gen Douglas MacArthur's command until July 1942 when Maj Gen George C. Kenney assumed command
Under Kenney's command, the Fifth Air Force: - Maximized their combat despite poor resources - Used the Lockheed P-38 Lightning with locally 150-gallon drop tanks - Mounted quad .50-caliber machine guns in the nose of the aircraft - Innovated parachutes attached to fragmentation bombs and low-level "skip" bombing techniques
On 24 March 1999, President Bill Clinton commenced Operation Allied Force, with three objectives: - Demonstrate NATO's opposition to aggression - Deter Milosevic from escalating attacks on civilians - Damage Serbia's ability to wage war against Kosovo
Walking a political tightrope, 13 of the 19 NATO nations attempted to pressure Milosevic, destroy Serbian fielded forces engaged in Kosovo and maintain popular support for intervention
Enterprise architect William H. Tunner's ingenuity helped Air Transport Command crews cross the perilous Himalayas, considered one of the most hazardous military air operations of WWII, to deliver 650,000 tons of supplies to Chinese and American forces
While helping British "Chindit" forces conduct long-range missions against the Japanese, the 1st Air Commando Group demonstrated that airpower could support unconventional warfare any time, any place
On 8 December 1941, one day after the Pearl Harbor attack, the US declared war on Japan; three days later, Germany and Italy were at war with the US as allies of Japan
While the Royal Air Force embraced night bombing operations, US Army Air Forces leaders believed it was ineffective, inefficient and indiscriminate with regard to civilian casualties. However, after tough negotiations, the Casablanca Directive of January 1943 inaugurated the Combined Bomber Offensive (American precision daylight bombing and British night area bombing), codenamed Operation PointBlank
