63 years (and counting) of Air Superiority

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  Team Little Rock will commemorate the Air Force's birthday Saturday at Hangar 1080 with stories, cake and camaraderie.

But there's more to the Air Force's history than 63 years of airplanes and Airmen.

The Air Force started out as the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aug. 1, 1907. Although the creation of the division occurred less than four years after the historic flight by the Wright brothers, the aircraft of choice then were balloons and dirigibles. By 1909, the division accepted delivery of their first airplane from the Wright brothers. This event paved the way for Army Airmen to experiment with different aircraft and the formation of the 1st Aero Squadron in December 1913, according to www.airforce.com.

In an effort to improve the Signal Corps' flying capabilities, the Army created the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps July 18, 1914. Weeks later, the first World War erupted. By the time the United States entered the war in April 1917, the other major combatants had already developed aircraft industries that exceeded the Americans. Because of this, President Woodrow Wilson established the War Department's Army Air Service May 24, 1918. Six months later, when the armistice was signed, more than 19,000 officers and 178,000 enlisted men filled the ranks of the Air Service, according to www.airforce.com.

One of the lessons learned from the Great War was how difficult it was to coordinate air activities under the current organization. So the Army Reorganization Act of 1920 made the Air Service the official air combat arm of the Army.

Most air activities through the mid-1920s were focused on hosting air shows for various occasions, establishing records, testing new equipment and making headlines.

In July 1926, the Air Corps Act changed the name of the Air Service to the Air Corps after acceptance of the Morrow Board proposal. The board recommended the name change to allow the corps more prestige, but rejected the idea of a separate department of air. The creation of a department of defense was previously suggested but rejected as well. The Air Corps Act also created an air section for each division of the General Staff.

The Air Corps continued to grow even after World War II broke out in September 1939. The Department of War established the Army Air Forces June 20, 1941, making it the new aviation element for the Army equal to the Army Ground Forces, according to www.airforce.com.

The AAF quickly expanded after the attacks on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, gaining a variety of training, transport, reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. Toward the end of the war, AAF aircraft and Airmen dominated German and Japanese airspace.

In light of the AAF's superior track record during the war, the United States Air Force finally won its independence when the National Security Act of 1947 was signed on Sept. 18 and became full partners with the Army and Navy.