Air Force anniversary: where it's been, where it's going

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nicholasa Reed
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Often times when an anniversary is met, those involved reflect on the past, the road traveled, hurdles managed and triumphs celebrated.

As the Air Force and her more than 340,000 Airmen begin to mark the 60th anniversary of the day the service was born, let's review how this great service matured to where it is today and reiterate where we are going tomorrow.

Before it became the service many know today, Airmen served in the Army Air Corps. During the 1940's found Airmen fighting in World War II. During this time they ushered in major changes in society with the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American pilots and Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASP. The beginning of this era also found Gen. Doolittle and his raiders conducting the legendary Doolittle raids. Nearing the end of this decade on Sep 18, 1947, the Army Air Corps became its own service known today as the U.S. Air Force.

The 50's and 60's brought more maturity to the young service. The first F-104 Starfighter touched down at Edwards AFB, Calif. The B-52 Stratofortress was welcomed into the Air Force inventory as the main long-range heavy bomber. The bomber is still used today. In 1966 Staff Sgt. William Pitsenbarger, a pararescueman, sacrificed his life defending nine wounded soldiers and saving more than 300 others throughout his career. Sergeant Pitsenbarger was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The 1970's found the Air Force flying high in outer space as the U.S. space program got off the ground. Retired general and test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, flying the experimental X-1 at Mach 1.

The C-5, Galaxy, F-16 Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle were all ushered into the Air Force during the 1980's. Airmen where also kept busy this decade with humanitarian missions around the globe.

The 90's brought technology like never before -- the predator, an unmanned vehicle and C-17 Globemaster III.

For a service which juniors its peers by no less than 172 years, the Air Force has made great strides in the last 60 years.

Many expect it to continue making progress as the new millennium gains momentum.

Training and fighting with joint and coalition partners, in the past 60 years, has often been the key to success. In the future, integrating air, space and cyber power with the joint and coalition team brings tremendous synergy to U.S. global capabilities.

The services prospects are literally as boundless as the regions of outer space, for many Airmen that is an exciting possiblity.