Air Force: Difference between revisions

{{Distinguish|United States Department of the Air Force|}}

{{Short description|Air service branch of the U.S. military}}

== History ==

{{main|History of the United States Air Force}}

The [[United States Department of War|U.S. War Department]] created the first antecedent of the U.S. Air Force, as a part of the U.S. Army, on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual independence 40 years later. In [[World War II]], almost 68,000 U.S. airmen died helping to win the war, with only the infantry suffering more casualties.<ref>Robert Pitta, Gordon Rottman, Jeff Fannell (1993). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ydRaKBTQ0AgC&pg=PA3 US Army Air Force (1)] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160428174544/https://books.google.com/books?id=ydRaKBTQ0AgC&pg=PA3&dq=&hl=en |date=28 April 2016}}''. Osprey Publishing. p. 3. {{ISBN|1-85532-295-1}}</ref> In practice, the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] ([[USAAF]]) was virtually independent of the [[United States Army|Army]] during World War II, and in virtually every way functioned as an independent service branch, but airmen still pressed for formal independence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume VI: Men and Planes: Chapter 2 |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VI/AAF-VI-2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028090810/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VI/AAF-VI-2.html |archive-date=28 October 2017 |access-date=8 November 2017 |website= ibiblio.org}}</ref> The [[National Security Act of 1947]] was signed on 26 July 1947, which established the [[Department of the Air Force]], but it was not until 18 September 1947, when the first secretary of the Air Force, [[W. Stuart Symington]], was sworn into office that the Air Force was officially formed as an independent service branch.<ref>[http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104613/the-us-air-force.aspx "The Air Force Fact Sheet"] {{webarchive |url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141208042018/http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104613/the-us-air-force.aspx |date=8 December 2014}}. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 30 December 2014.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512165955/http://www.intelligence.gov/0-natsecact_1947.shtml ''National Security Act of 1947'']. U.S. Intelligence Community, October 2004. Retrieved 14 April 2006.</ref>

On 22 October 2023, the USAF conducted its first-ever trilateral exercise with the [[South Korean Air Force|South Korean]] and [[JASDF|Japanese]] air forces near the Korean Peninsula.<ref>{{cite news |title=US, ROK, Japan hold first joint aerial drill despite North Korean warnings |url=https://www.nknews.org/2023/10/us-rok-japan-hold-first-joint-aerial-drill-despite-north-korean-warnings |publisher=NK News |date=October 23, 2023}}</ref> On 29 November 2023, a USAF [[Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey]] crashed in the Japan island of Yakushima killing 1 airman.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-military-plane-crashes-sea-japan-osprey-yakushima-rcna127129|title=At least 1 dead after U.S. military aircraft crashes into the sea near Japan|last=Yamamoto|first=Arata|date=November 29, 2023|website=[[NBC News]]|access-date=December 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/osprey-crash-japan-us-crew-missing-search-rescue-japanese-ask-ground-ospreys/|title=U.S. military confirms Osprey crash in Japan left at least 1 dead, says search for 7 continues|last=Palmer|first=Elizabeth|date=December 1, 2023|website=[[CBS News]]|access-date=December 1, 2023}}</ref>

=== Conflicts ===

The United States Air Force has been involved in many wars, conflicts and operations using military air operations. The USAF possesses the lineage and heritage of its predecessor organizations, which played a pivotal role in U.S. military operations since 1907:

* [[Pancho Villa Expedition|Mexican Expedition]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force |url=https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329754/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-029.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005050710/https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/06/2001329754/-1/-1/0/AFD-101006-029.pdf |archive-date=5 October 2017 |access-date=4 October 2017}}</ref> as [[Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps]]

* [[World War II]]<ref name="autogenerated1" /> as [[United States Army Air Forces]]

* [[Cold War]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/705059/the-us-air-force-during-the-cold-war/|title=The US Air Force During the Cold War|website=afhistory.af.mil|access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.defense.gov/News/Inside-DOD/Blog/article/2062719/the-berlin-airlift-what-it-was-its-importance-in-the-cold-war/|title=The Berlin Airlift: What It Was, Its Importance in the Cold War|last=Lange|first=Katie|date=June 25, 2018|website=[[United States Department of Defense]]|access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0712coldwar/|title=End of the Cold War Air Force|last=Grant|first=Rebecca|date=July 1, 2012|website=Air & Space Forces Magazine|access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref>

  [[Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operations]] (CHECO)

* [[Operation Eagle Claw]] (1980 Iranian hostage rescue)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/08/19/desert-one-documentary-chronicles-challenges-lessons-of-operation-eagle-claw/|title=Desert One documentary chronicles challenges, lessons of Operation Eagle Claw|last=Correll|first=Diane|date=August 19, 2020|website=MilitaryTimes.com|access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/04/24/this-is-what-special-ops-learned-40-years-ago-from-operation-eagle-claw/|title=This is what special ops learned 40 years ago from Operation Eagle Claw|last=Lamb|first=Richard|date=April 24, 2020|website=MilitaryTimes.com|access-date=July 19, 2023}}</ref>

  [[Iraq War#2003: Invasion|Operation Iraqi Freedom]] (2003–2010)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0313iraqi/|title=Iraqi Freedom and the Air Force|last=Grant|first=Rebecca|date=March 1, 2013|website=Air & Space Forces Magazine|access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>

  [[Iraq War#2010: US drawdown and Operation New Dawn|Operation New Dawn]] (2010–2011)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/220080/us-air-force-role-transitions-to-operation-new-dawn/|title=U.S. Air Force role transitions to Operation New Dawn|date=September 1, 2010|website=afcent.af.mil|publisher=Air Force Central|access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/operation-iraqi-freedom-and-operation-new-dawn-fast-facts/index.html|title=Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn Fast Facts|date=April 1, 2022|website=CNN|access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>

* [[Operation Inherent Resolve]] (2014–present: intervention against the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://warontherocks.com/2021/08/from-forever-wars-to-great-power-wars-lessons-learned-from-operation-inherent-resolve/|title=From Forever Wars to Great Power Wars: Lessons Learned From Operation Inherent Resolve|last=Pettyjohn|first=Stacie|date=August 20, 2021|website=War on the Rocks|access-date=January 15, 2024}}</ref>

* [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52H Stratofortress]]<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/01/09/how-to-re-engine-a-b-52-and-make-a-new-bomber-fleet/|title=How to re-engine a B-52 and make a new bomber fleet|last=Losey|first=Stephen|date=January 9, 2023|website=Defense News|access-date=August 1, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/02/12/the-new-b-52-how-the-air-force-is-prepping-to-fly-century-old-bombers/|title=The new B-52: How the Air Force is prepping to fly century old bombers|last=Losey|first=Stephen|date=February 12, 2024|website=[[Defense News]]|access-date=February 12, 2024}}</ref>

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* [[Lockheed MC-130|MC-130J Commando II]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/09/22/air-force-plans-more-tests-of-amphibious-armed-mc-130j-airlifter/|title=Air Force plans more tests of amphibious armed MC-130J airlifter|last=Cohen|first=Rachel|date=September 22, 2022|website=[[Air Force Times]]|access-date=November 25, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:MQ-9 Reaper UAV (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper|MQ-9]] [[unmanned aerial vehicle]]]]

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