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TheUnited States Air Force became a separate military service on 18 September 1947 with the implementation of theNational Security Act of 1947.^[1][2] The Act created the National Military Establishment, later renamed theUnited States Department of Defense, which was composed of four of the five branches, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and a newly created Air Force.^[3] Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was divided between the Army for land-based operations and the Navy and Marine Corps for sea-based operations fromaircraft carrier andamphibious aircraft. The Army created the first antecedent of the Air Force on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual separation 40 years later. The predecessor organizations leading up to today's U.S. Air Force are:

• Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps (1 August 1907 – 18 July 1914)
• Aviation Section, Signal Corps (18 July 1914 – 20 May 1918)
• Division of Military Aeronautics (20 May 1918 – 24 May 1918)
• Air Service, U.S. Army (24 May 1918 – 2 July 1926)
• U.S. Army Air Corps (2 July 1926 – 20 June 1941)^[a]
• U.S. Army Air Forces (20 June 1941 – 17 September 1947)^[b]

In 1917, upon theAmerican entry into World War I, the first major U.S. aviation combat force was created when an Air Service was formed as part of theAmerican Expeditionary Force (AEF). Major GeneralMason Patrick commanded theAir Service of the AEF; his deputy was Brigadier GeneralBilly Mitchell. These aviation units, some of which were trained inFrance, provided tactical support for the U.S. Army, especially during theBattle of Saint-Mihiel and theMeuse-Argonne offensives. Among theaces of the AEF Air Service were CaptainEddie Rickenbacker and 2nd LieutenantFrank Luke.Concurrent with the creation of this combat force, the U.S. Army's aviation establishment in the United States was removed from control of the Signal Corps and placed directly under theUnited States Secretary of War. An assistant secretary was created to direct theArmy Air Service, which had dual responsibilities for development and procurement of aircraft, and raising and training of air units. With the end of the First World War, the AEF's Air Service was dissolved and the Army Air Service in the United States largely demobilized.

In 1920, the Air Service became a branch of the Army and in 1926 was renamed theArmy Air Corps. During this period, the Air Corps began experimenting with new techniques, includingair-to-air refueling and the development of theB-9 and theMartin B-10, the first all-metal monoplane bombers, and new fighters.

Americans were fascinated with aviation in the 1920s and 1930s and refused to allowWar Department conservatism to block innovation. GeneralBilly Mitchell, the deputy director of theAir Service sought to wrest control of coastal defense away from the Navy. He went public insisting that his planes could sink battleships any day, a claim proven with a series of tests that culminated in the sinking of theSMS Ostfriesland. Mitchell lost his self-control in 1925 when he accused the Navy in a press release of "incompetency, criminal negligence and almost treasonable administration of the national defense."^[5] He received the highly publicized court martial he wanted, and was allowed to expound his theory that air power alone would suffice to win the next big war. He was convicted, and resigned. He became a popular hero and public opinion forced the War Department to strengthen the Air Corps. Mitchell's main argument was air power had to be autonomous—had to be controlled by fliers who understood the new technology, new tactics, new strategies, and who would not waste precious air assets in trying to assist old-fashioned armies and navies. Until his death in 1936 Mitchell, as a civilian, was a tireless prophet of airpower before numerous civilian audiences, but he lost touch with aviation developments and ceased to be influential inside the services.^[6] Indeed, his almost hysterical attacks made many generals hostile. The Air Corps managed a few publicity stunts, but always seemed to be overshadowed by glamorous civilians likeCharles Lindbergh,Howard Hughes, orAmelia Earhart. In 1934 President Franklin Roosevelt, feuding with the airline industry, suddenly turned the delivery of air mail over to the Air Corps. Multiple crashes by inexperienced Air Corps pilots in mediocre planes with poor navigation gear emphasized the fragility of the new service, and undercut its claims that in wartime it could perform miracles. Roosevelt, however, had become a firm believer in air power and had behind him both public opinion and Congress. When mobilization began in spring 1940 Roosevelt was as energetic as anyone in expanding the Air Corps role, calling for 50,000 planes a year, and sending the best new models to Britain for its war against the Luftwaffe.^[7]

In 1935, as a result of recommendations from two civilian review boards, the next advancement toward independence for the Air Force occurred when all flying units, which heretofore had been distributed to various ground commands, were grouped together as an aerial task force under one air commander as theGeneral Headquarters Air Force. The Air Corps, headed by the Chief of the Air Corps, continued as before but now held responsibility only for supply, airfields, and training, in effect splitting the Air Force into two parts. Both were commanded by major generals (Frank Andrews andOscar Westover, followed byHenry H. ("Hap") Arnold).

In 1937, theB-17 Flying Fortress made its first appearance. In a feat of navigation impressive for the time, three B-17sintercepted the Italian passenger linerRex at sea. Though intended to demonstrate the ability of the Air Corps to defend the nation's coasts, the mission also indicated the emerging doctrine within the Air Corps of the supremacy ofstrategic bombing.

During World War I, aviation technology developed rapidly; however, the Army's reluctance to use the new technology began to make airmen think that as long as the Army controlled aviation, development would be stunted and a potentially valuable force neglected. Air Service senior officer Billy Mitchell began to campaign for an independent Air Force, co-equal to the Army and Navy. But his campaign offended many and resulted in a court martial in 1925 that effectively ended his career. His followers, including future aviation leaders "Hap" Arnold andCarl Spaatz, saw the lack of public, congressional, and military support that Mitchell received and decided that America was not ready for an independent air force. Under the leadership of its chief of staffMason Patrick and, later, Arnold, the Air Corps waited until the time to fight for independence arose again.

The Air Force came of age inWorld War II. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt took the lead after theMunich Agreement, calling for a vastly enlarged air force based on long-range strategic bombing. President Roosevelt instituted a plan to construct 15,000 military aircraft per year, which grew to 50,000 per year after theAxis victory in theBattle of France.^[8] Organizationally it became largely independent from the Army in 1941, when the Army Air Corps became a part of the newU.S. Army Air Forces (AAF), and the GHQ Air Force was re-designated the subordinate Combat Command. In the major reorganization of the Army by War Department Circular 59, effective March 9, 1942, the newly created Army Air Forces gained equal voice with the Army and Navy on theJoint Chiefs of Staff and complete autonomy from the Army Ground Forces and the Services of Supply, serving as a separate service in all but name. The reorganization also eliminated both Combat Command and the Air Corps as organizations (the latter remained a combat branch of the Army until 1947) in favor of a streamlined system of commands and numbered air forces for decentralized management of the burgeoning Army Air Forces.

The reorganization merged all aviation elements of the former Air Corps into the Army Air Forces. Although the Air Corps still legally existed as an Army branch, the position and Office of the Chief of the Air Corps was dissolved.

Major GeneralCarl A. Spaatz took command of theEighth Air Force in London in 1942; with Brigadier GeneralIra Eaker as second in command, he supervised the strategic bombing campaign. In late 1943, Spaatz was made commander of the new U.S. Strategic Air Forces, reporting directly to theCombined Chiefs of Staff. Spaatz began daylight bombing operations using the prewar doctrine of flying bombers in close formations, relying on their combined defensive firepower for protection from attacking enemy aircraft rather than supporting fighter escorts. The doctrine proved flawed when deep-penetration missions beyond the range of escort fighters were attempted, because GermanLuftwaffe fighter planes overwhelmed U.S. formations, shooting down bombers in excess of "acceptable" loss rates, especially in combination with the vast number offlak anti-aircraft batteries defendingNazi Germany's major targets. American fliers took heavy casualties during theOperation Tidal Wave raids on the oil refineries ofPloiești,Romania, and the ball-bearing factories atSchweinfurt and Regensburg, Germany, and it was the loss rate in crews and not materiel that brought about a pullback from the strategic offensive in the autumn of 1943.

The Eighth Air Force had attempted to use both theRepublic P-47 Thunderbolt and theLockheed P-38 Lightning as escorts, but while theThunderbolt was a capable dog-fighter it lacked the range, even with the addition of drop tanks to extend its range, and theLightning proved mechanically unreliable in the frigid altitudes at which the missions were fought. Bomber protection was greatly improved after the introduction ofNorth American P-51 Mustang fighters in Europe. With its built-in extended range and competitive or superior performance characteristics in comparison to all existingGerman piston-engine fighters, the Mustang was an immediately available solution to the crisis. In January 1944 the Eighth Air Force obtained priority in equipping its groups, so that ultimately 14 of its 15 groups fielded Mustangs. P-51 escorts began operations in February 1944 and increased their numbers rapidly, so that the Luftwaffe suffered increasing fighter losses in aerial engagements beginning withBig Week in early 1944. Allied fighters were also granted free rein in attacking German fighter airfields, both in pre-planned missions and while returning to base from escort duties, and the major Luftwaffe threat against Allied bombers was severely diminished byD-Day.

In thePacific Theater of Operations, the AAF provided major tactical support under GeneralGeorge Kenney toDouglas MacArthur in theSouth West Pacific theater. Kenney's pilots invented theskip-bombing technique against Japanese ships. Kenney's forces claimed destruction of 11,900 Japanese planes and 1.7 million tons of shipping. The first development and sustained implementation ofairlift by American air forces occurred between May 1942 and November 1945 as hundreds oftransports flew more than half a million tons of supplies from India to China overthe Hump.

The AAF created theTwentieth Air Force to employ long-rangeB-29 Superfortress bombers instrategic attacks on Japanese cities. The use of forward bases inFree China (needed to be able to reach Japan by the heavily laden B-29's) was ineffective because of the difficulty in logistically supporting the bases entirely by air from its main bases inBritish India, and because of a persistent threat against the Chinese airfields by theImperial Japanese Army. After theMariana Islands were captured in theMariana and Palau Islands campaign of mid-1944, providing locations for air bases that could be supplied by sea, Arnold moved all B-29 operations there by April 1945 and made GeneralCurtis LeMay his bomber commander (reporting directly to Arnold, who personally commanded Twentieth Air Force until July). LeMay reasoned that theImperial Japanese economy, much of which wascottage industry in dense urban areas where manufacturing and assembly plants were also located, was particularly vulnerable toarea attack and abandoned inefficient high-altitudeprecision bombing in favor of low-levelincendiary bombings aimed at destroying large urban areas. On the night of March 9–10, 1945, thebombing of Tokyo and the resultingconflagration resulted in the death of over 100,000 persons. 350,000 people died in 66 other Japanese cities as a result of this shift to incendiary bombing. At the same time, the B-29 was also employed inwidespread mining of Japanese harbors and sea lanes. In early August 1945, the Twentieth Air Force conductedatomic bomb attacks onHiroshima andNagasaki in response to Japan's rejection of thePotsdam Declaration which outlined the terms ofsurrender for Japan.^[9][10] Both cities were destroyed with enormous loss of life and psychological shock. On August 15,Emperor Hirohito announced thesurrender of Japan,stating:

Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should We continue to fight, it would not only result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects; or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers.

Early American military space activities began immediately after the conclusion of theSecond World War. On 20 June 1944,MW 18014, a GermanHeerA-4ballistic missile launched from thePeenemünde Army Research Center became the first artificial object to cross theKármán line, the boundary between air and space. The A-4 ballistic missile, more commonly known as the V-2, was used by the GermanWehrmacht to launch long ranged attacks onAllied Forces cities on theWestern Front, however its designer,Wernher von Braun, had aspirations to use it as a space launch vehicle, defecting to the United States at the end of the war. A number of former German scientists, along with significant amounts of research material, were covertly moved to the United States as part ofOperation Paperclip, jumpstarting the space program.^[11]

In practice, the Army Air Forces became virtually independent of the Army during World War II, but its leaders wanted formal independence. In November 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower became Army Chief of Staff, while GeneralCarl Spaatz began to assume the duties of Commanding General, Army Air Forces,^[12][13] in anticipation of General Arnold's announced retirement. One of General Eisenhower's first actions was to appoint a board of officers, headed by Lieutenant GeneralWilliam H. Simpson, to prepare a definitive plan for the reorganization of the Army and the Air Force that could be effected without enabling legislation and would provide for the separation of the Air Force from the Army. On 29 January 1946 "Generals Eisenhower and Spaatz agreed on an Air Force organization composed ofStrategic Air Command,Air Defense Command,Tactical Air Command,Air Transport Command,Air Technical Service Command,Air Training Command, theAir University, and the Air Force Center."^[14]

On 12 November 1945,General of the ArmyHenry H. Arnold, the commanding general of theUnited States Army Air Forces, sent a report toSecretary of WarRobert P. Patterson emphasizing that the futureUnited States Air Force would need to invest heavily in space and ballistic missile capabilities, rather than just focus on current aircraft. General Arnold received strong backing fromTheodore von Kármán, the head of the Army Air ForcesScientific Advisory Group, and laterUnited States Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. A 1946 study byProject RAND, directed by General Arnold and conducted byLouis Ridenour to determine the feasibility of astrategic reconnaissance satellite, identified nearly all future space mission areas, including intelligence,weather forecasting,satellite communications, andsatellite navigation.^[15][16]

The first instance ofinterservice rivalry in military space development occurred in 1946, when theUnited States NavyBureau of Aeronautics Electronics Division proposed testing the feasibility of an artificial satellite, however it was unable to get Navy funding to attempt a launch, instead requesting a joint program with theWar Department Aeronautical Board. GeneralCarl Spaatz, commanding general of the Army Air Forces and later the firstchief of staff of the Air Force and Major GeneralCurtis LeMay, then Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development, denied the Navy's request, as their position was that military space was an extension ofstrategic air power and thus an Air Force mission. By 1948, the Navy had suspended its satellite program, focusing instead on rocketry.

Over the continuing objections of the Navy, which feared losing its air arm and strategic role to the new service, the United States Department of the Air Force was created by theNational Security Act of 1947. It became effective 18 September 1947 when the first Secretary of the Air Force,Stuart Symington, took office.^[17] In 1948, the service chiefs agreed on usage of air assets under theKey West Agreement.

On 18 September 1947, theArmy Air Forces became theUnited States Air Force as a separate and equal element of the United States Armed Forces. The fledgling Air Force quickly established its own identity.^[18][19] Army Air Fields were renamedAir Force Bases and personnel were soon being issued new uniforms with new rank insignia. Once the new Air Force was free of army domination, its first job was to discard the old and inadequate ground army organizational structure. This was the "Base Plan" where the combat group commander reported to the base commander, who was often regular army, with no flying experience.

GeneralCarl A. Spaatz established a new policy, "No tactical commander should be subordinate to the station commander". This resulted in a search for a better arrangement. The commander of the 15th Air Force, Major GeneralCharles Born,^[20] proposed the Provisional Wing Plan, which basically reversed the situation and put the wing commander over the base commander. The USAF basic organizational unit became the Base-Wing.

Under this plan, the base support functions – supply, base operations, transportation, security, and medical were assigned to squadrons, usually commanded by a Major orLieutenant Colonel. All of these squadrons were assigned to a Combat Support Group, commanded by a Base Commander, usually aColonel. Combat fighter or bomber squadrons were assigned to the Combat Group, a retention of the USAAF Group. All of these groups, both combat and combat support, were in turn assigned to the Wing, commanded by a Wing Commander. This way the Wing Commander commanded both the combat operational elements on the base as well as the non-operational elements. The Wing Commander was an experienced air combat leader, usually aColonel orBrigadier General. All of the hierarchical organizations carried the same numerical designation. In this manner, for example, the 28th became the designation for the Wing and all the subordinate groups and squadrons beneath it. As a result, the base and the wing became one and the same unit. On 16 June 1952, the legacy combat groups were inactivated and the operational Combat Squadrons were assigned directly to the Wing. The World War II history, lineage and honors of the combat group were bestowed on the Wing upon its inactivation.

The USAAF Wing then was redesignated as anAir Division, which was commanded Brigadier General or higher, who commanded two or more wings usually, but not always, on a single base.Numbered Air Forces (NAF) commanded both Air Divisions or Wings directly, and the NAF was under theMajor Command (SAC, TAC, ADC, etc.).

After World War II,relations between the United States and the Soviet Union began to deteriorate, and the period in history known as theCold War began. The United States entered an arms race with theSoviet Union and competition aimed at increasing each nation's influence throughout the world. In response, the United States expanded its military presence throughout the world. The USAF opened air bases throughoutEurope, and later inJapan andSouth Korea. The United States also built air bases on theBritish overseas territories ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory andAscension Island in theSouth Atlantic.

The first test for the USAF during the Cold War came in 1948, whenCommunist authorities in theSoviet occupation zone of Germany cut off road and air transportation toWest Berlin. The USAF, along with theRoyal Air Force (RAF) andCommonwealth air forces, supplied the city during theBerlin airlift underOperation Vittles, usingC-54 Skymasters. The efforts of these air forces saved the city from starvation and forced the Soviets to back down in their blockade.

Conflict over post-war military administration, especially with regard to the roles and missions to be assigned to the Air Force and the U.S. Navy, led to an episode called the "Revolt of the Admirals" in the late 1940s, in which high-ranking Navy officers argued unsuccessfully for the case for carrier-based aircraft rather than strategic bombers.

In 1947, the USAF beganProject Sign, a study ofunidentified flying objects what would be twice revived (first asProject Grudge and finally asProject Blue Book) and which would last until 1969.^[21]

In 1948 theWomen's Armed Services Integration Act gave women permanent status in the Regular and Reserve forces of the Air Force.^[22] On 8 July 1948,Esther McGowin Blake became the first woman in the Air Force, enlisting the first minute of the first hour of the first day regular Air Force duty was authorized for women.^[22][23][24]

During theKorean War, which began in June 1950, theFar East Air Forces (FEAF) were among the first units to respond to theinvasion by North Korea, but quickly lost itsmain airbase atKimpo,South Korea. Designated to provideclose air support to the defenders of thePusan pocket from bases in Japan, the FEAF also conducted astrategic bombing campaign against North Korea simultaneously. GeneralDouglas MacArthur'slanding at Inchon in September 1950 enabled the FEAF to return to Korea and develop bases from which they supported MacArthur'sUN offensive into North Korea.

When the ChinesePeople's Volunteer Army attacked in December 1950, the USAF provided tactical air support. The introduction of Soviet-madeMiG-15 jet fighters caused problems for the B-29s used to bombNorth Korea, but the USAF countered the MiGs with its newF-86 Sabre jet fighters. Although bothair superiority andclose air support missions were successful, a lengthy attempt tointerdict communist supply lines by air attack was not as successful and was replaced by a systematic campaign to inflict as much economic cost to North Korea and the Chinese forces as long as war persisted, includingattacks on the capital city of Pyongyang and against theNorth Korean hydroelectric system.

The USAF was heavily deployed during theVietnam War. The first bombing raids againstNorth Vietnam occurred in 1964, following theGulf of Tonkin Incident. In March 1965, a sustained bombing campaign began, code-namedOperation Rolling Thunder. This campaign's purpose was to destroy the will of the North Vietnamese to fight, destroy industrial bases and air defenses, and to stop the flow of men and supplies down theHo Chi Minh Trail, while forcing North Vietnam into peace negotiations. The USAF dropped more bombs in all combat operations in Vietnam during the period 1965–68 than it did during World War II,^[25] and the Rolling Thunder campaign lasted until theU.S. presidential election of 1968. Except for heavily damaging theNorth Vietnamese economy and infrastructure, Rolling Thunder failed in its political and strategic goals.

The USAF also played a critical role in defeating theNorth Vietnam People's Army'sEaster Offensive of 1972. The rapid redeployment of fighters, bombers, and attack aircraft helped theArmy of the Republic of Vietnam repel the invasion.Operation Linebacker demonstrated to both the North and South Vietnamese that even without significant U.S. Army ground forces, the United States could still influence the war. The air war for the United States ended withOperation Linebacker II, also known as the "Christmas Bombings." These helped to finalize theParis peace negotiations.

The insurgent nature of combat operations early in the war, and the necessity of interdicting the North Vietnamese regular army and its supply lines in third-party countries of Southeast Asia led to the development of a significantspecial operations capability within the USAF. Provisional and experimental concepts such asair commandos andaerial gunships, tactical missions such asOperation Ivory Coast deep inside enemy territory, and a dedicatedCombat Search and Rescue mission resulted in development of operational doctrines, units, and equipment.

The USAF modernized its tactical air forces in the late 1970s with the introduction of theF-15,A-10, andF-16 fighters, and the implementation of realistic training scenarios under the aegis ofRed Flag. In turn, it also upgraded the equipment and capabilities of its Air Reserve Components (ARC) by the equipping of both theAir National Guard andAir Force Reserve with first-line aircraft.

Expanding its force structure in the 1980s to 40 fighter wings and drawing further on the lessons of the Vietnam War, the USAF also dedicated units and aircraft toElectronic Warfare (EW) and theSuppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). The humiliating failure in April 1980 of theOperation Eagle Claw rescue mission in Iran resulted directly in an increased USAF emphasis on participation in the doctrine, equipment, personnel, and planning ofJoint Special Operations.

The USAF provided attack, airlift, and combat support capability for theinvasion of Grenada in 1983, thebombing of Libya in 1986, andinvasion of Panama in 1989. Lessons learned in these operations were applied to its force structure and doctrine, and became the basis for successful air operations in the 1990s and after September 11, 2001.

The development ofsatellite reconnaissance during the Cold War, the extensive use of both tactical and strategic aerial reconnaissance during numerous combat operations, and the nuclear war deterrent role of the USAF resulted in the recognition of space as a possible combat arena. An emphasis on "aerospace" operations and doctrine grew in the 1980s. Missile warning and space operations were combined to formAir Force Space Command in 1982. In 1991,Operation Desert Storm provided emphasis for the command's new focus on supporting combat operations.

The creation of theinternet and the universality of computer technology as a basic warfighting tool resulted in the priority development ofcyber warfare techniques and defenses by the USAF.

The USAF provided the bulk of theCoalition air power during theGulf War in 1991, flying alongside aircraft of the U.S. Navy. TheF-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter's capabilities were shown on the first night of theair war when it was able to bomb centralBaghdad and avoid the sophisticated Iraqi anti-aircraft defenses. The USAF, along with the U.S. Navy, laterpatrolled the skies of northern and southern Iraq after the war to ensure thatBa'athist Iraq's air defense capability could not be rebuilt:Operation Provide Comfort 1991–96 andOperation Northern Watch 1997–2003 – no-fly zones north of the36th parallel north andOperation Southern Watch – no-fly zone south of the33rd parallel north.

In 1996,Operation Desert Strike and 1998Operation Desert Fox, the USAF bombed military and chemical targets in Iraq.

The USAF led theNATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina with no-fly zones (Operation Deny Flight) 1993–96 and in 1995 with air strikes against theRepublika Srpska (Operation Deliberate Force). This was the first time that USAF aircraft took part in military action as part of aNATO mission. The USAF led the strike forces as theNATO Air Force (otherwise mainly composed of RAF andLuftwaffe aircraft) with the greatest capability to launch air strikes over a long period of time. In 1999, the USAF led NATO air strikes againstSerbia and Montenegro during theKosovo War (Operation Allied Force).

At the beginning of thewar on terror in 2001, the USAF was deployed against theFirst Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Operating fromDiego Garcia,B-52 Stratofortress andB-1 Lancer bombers attackedTaliban positions. The USAF deployeddaisy cutter bombs, dropped fromC-130 Hercules cargo planes, for the first time since the Vietnam War. During this conflict, the USAF opened up bases in Central Asia for the first time.

The USAF was deployed in the2003 invasion of Iraq. Following the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime, the USAF took overBaghdad International Airport as a base. USAF aircraft were used to provide support to theMulti-National Force – Iraq and theIraqi security forces in major operations to eliminate insurgent centers of activity and supply in north and west Iraq. Operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrated the effective utility ofunmanned air vehicles, the most prominent of which was theMQ-1 Predator. Fifty-four USAF personnel died in the Iraq War.^[26]

The USAF maintains a Combined Air & Space Operations Center in Qatar to direct air combat operations and Predator actions.^[27][28][29]

In March 2011, USAF jets bombedJamahiriya Armed Forces targets inLibya as part of theNATO-led international military intervention to enforce a United Nations resolution that imposed no-fly zone over the country and protected its people from theFirst Libyan Civil War that occurred when its dictator,Muammar Gaddafi suppressed the protests calling for the end of his regime. Protests were inspired by theArab Spring revolutions inTunisia andEgypt.

In the summer of 2014, PresidentBarack Obama announcedthe return of US Forces to Iraq. The US Air Force is undertaking a significant humanitarian effort in order to assist Iraq's imperiled minority groups.^[30] When permission was later granted for USAF airstrikes, it was on condition that the types of aircraft not be announced so as to obscure which countries they were based in.^[31]

Today, the United States Air Force is the largestair force in the world, with about 5,778 manned aircraft in service, approximately 156Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, 2,130 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles, and 450intercontinental ballistic missiles. The USAF has 328,439 personnel on active duty, 74,000 in the Selected and Individual Ready Reserves, and 106,000 in the Air National Guard. In addition, the Air Force employs 168,900 civilian personnel including indirect hire of foreign nationals. However, after two decades of failure to recapitalize its aircraft under Clinton and the two Bushes, the USAF has its oldest and most outdated fleet ever. Tactical aircraft purchases were put off whileFifth-generation jet fighters were facing delays, cost overruns and cutbacks and the programs to replace the 1950s bomber and tanker fleets have just been started over again after many aborted attempts.^[32]

An Air Force fighter pilot died February 20, 2008, after twoF-15C jets collided during a training exercise over theGulf of Mexico.^[33]

On February 29, 2008, the USAF announced the service had chosenNorthrop Grumman overBoeing to replace its agingair refueling tanker fleet. This would become one of the largest military acquisition programs in U.S. history.^[34]

The pilot of an F-16C fighterGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon#F-16C/D jet that crashed in a remote area about 80 miles northwest ofPhoenix, Arizona, was killed when his plane went down. The plane was spotted late March 13, 2008. Rescuers could reach the site only by helicopter and arrived at daybreak March 15, 2008. There had been 17 other crashes ofLuke Air Force Base F-16s since 1998, and only one of those resulted in a fatality. That crash happened in May 2004, when a pilot with theRepublic of Singapore Air Force died after his jet went down during a training mission at an Air Force bombing range in southwestArizona. The most recent crashes came in 2006. A pilot ejected safely from an F-16 in April 2006 after the lone engine on the jet exploded just after takeoff from the base. The aircraft came down in a cornfield.^[35]

On June 5, 2008, Robert Gates announced the results of an investigation into the mistaken shipment of four MK-12 forward-section reentry vehicle assemblies to Taiwan. The investigation, conducted by AdmiralKirkland H. Donald, director of theUS Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, found that the Taiwan missile incident was, in Gates' words, "A degradation of the authority, standards of excellence, and technical competence within the nation's ICBM force. Similar to the bomber-specific August2007 Minot-Barksdale nuclear weapons transfer incident, this incident took place within the larger environment of declining Air Force nuclear mission focus and performance" and that "the investigation identified commonalities between the August 2007 Minot incident and this [the Taiwan] event."

In his investigation report, Donald stated that the issues identified by his investigation were, "Indicative of an overall decline in Air Force nuclear weapons stewardship, a problem that has been identified but not effectively addressed for over a decade. Both the Minot-Barksdale nuclear weapons transfer incident and the Taiwan shipment, while different in specifics, have a common origin: the gradual erosion of nuclear standards and a lack of effective oversight by Air Force leadership"^[36]

As a result of the investigation, Gates announced that, "A substantial number of Air Force general officers and colonels have been identified as potentially subject to disciplinary measures, ranging from removal from command to letters of reprimand," and that he had accepted the resignations of USAF Secretary Michael Wynne and USAF Chief of Staff Michael Moseley. Gates added that he had askedJames R. Schlesinger to lead a senior-level task force to recommend improvements in the stewardship and operation of nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles and sensitive components by the US DoD. Members of the task force came from the Defense Policy Board and the Defense Science Board.^[37]

In 2012, the USAF discovered that their billion dollar investment in theExpeditionary Combat Support System "has not yielded any significant military capability" and that it would take another billion dollar investment to gain even one quarter of the planned capability.^[38]

Also in 2012, the USAF received push back from the Congress over a plan to retire multiple reserve squadrons, leading to the formation of the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force to resolve the proper balance between active and reserve air forces.^[39] This was followed in 2013 by the Total Force Task Force in an attempt to handle budget disagreements between the active and reserve forces.^[40]

In 2014, the USAF's 30 year strategy document cited a need for both low end and high end capabilities, and so called for cuts in high demand UAVs in favor of retaining "outdated fighter aircraft that would not be survivable in a high end conflict".^[41]

• National Museum of the United States Air Force

• Anderton, David A.History of the U.S. Air Force (The Military Press. 1981); Heavily illustrated popular history focused on aircraft.online
• Boyne, Walter J.Beyond The Wild Blue A History Of The United States Air Force 1947-1997 (St. Martin's Press, 1997)online
• Coffey, Thomas M.HAP: The Story of the U.S. Air Force and the Man Who Built IT,, General Henry H ‘HAP’ Arnold (1982).
• Conners, Paul. "The AEF Concept has been successful," May 5, 2004,[1]

• Correll, John T.The Air Force and the Cold War (2002), short official history of USAF
• Correll, John T. "The EAF in Peace and War."Air Force Magazine 85:24–31 July 2002 on World War I
• Craven, Wesley and James Cate, eds.The Army Air Forces In World War II official history. (1948–55; also reprinted)online
  • Volume One:Plans and Early Operations January 1939 to August 1942
  • Volume Two: Europe: Torch to Pointblank August 1942 to December 1943
  • Volume Three:Europe: Argument to V-E Day January 1944 to May 1945
  • Volume Four:The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan August 1942 to July 1944
  • Volume Five:The Pacific: Matterhorn to Nagasaki June 1944 to August 1945
  • Volume Six:Men and Planes
  • Volume Seven:Services Around the World
• Futrell, Robert F.The United States Air Force in Korea; 1950–1953 (1983).
• Futrell, Robert F.Ideas, Concepts, Doctrine: A History of Basic Thinking in the United States Air Force, 1907–1984 (2 vols., Air University)vol 1,vol 2 comprehensive history of doctrine
• Goldberg, Alfred, ed.A History of the United States Air Force, 1907–1957 (ISBN 0-405-03763-5) (1972)online
• Greer, Thomas H.The Development of the Air Doctrine in the Army Air Arm 1917-1941 (Air Force Historical Studies Office, 1985)online
• Johnson, Stephen B.The United States Air Force and the culture of innovation, 1945-1965 (Air Force History and Museums Program, 2002)online.
• Kropf, Maj Roger F. "The US Air Force in Korea: Problems That Hindered the Effectiveness of Air Power,"Airpower Journal (spr 1990)Archived 14 February 2006 at theWayback Machine
• Lambeth, Benjamin S.The Transformation Of American Air Power (Cornell University Press 2000); covers 1980 - 2000.
• McFarland, Stephen Lee.A Concise History of the US Air Force (1997)online.
• Mets, David R.Master Of Air Power: General Carl A. Spaatz (Presidio,1988)
• Nalty, Bernard C.Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force (Air Force History and Museums Program, 1997).online
• Schaffer, Ronald.Wings Of Judgment: American Bombing In World War II (Oxford University Press, 1985)online
• Sherry, Michael S.The Rise of American Air Power: The Creation of Armageddon (Yale University Press, 1987);online
• Trest, Warren A.Air Force Roles and Missions: A History (Department of the Air Force, 1998)online.
• Underwood, Jeffrey S.The Wings Of Democracy: The Influence of Air Power on the Roosevelt Administration 1933–1941’ (Texas A&M University Press, 1991)

• LeMay, Curtis E.Mission with LeMay (1965), autobiographyonline.
• Wolf, Richard Irving, ed.The United States Air Force: Basic Documents on Roles and Missions (ffice of Air Force History, US Air Force, 1988).online

EnglishWikisource has original text related to this article:

A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force

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• "United States Air Force And Its Antecedents: Published And Printed Unit Histories, A Bibliography"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 25 June 2008. Retrieved18 March 2008.

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