Air Force Birthday is a holiday celebrated on September 18th annually to commemorate the day when the Air Force was officially separated from the United States Army in 1947. Prior to that year, the Air Force was a part of the Army and was known as the Army Air Force. However, lawmakers believed that it needed to be made into its own separate entity. And now, it’s a holiday that’s been commemorated by Air Force personnel, veterans and their families for the past 70+ years.
History of the United States Air Force
The United States Army created the predecessor to the Air Force in 1907 when they created the Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps on August 1, 1907. Eventually, this department would turn into the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps from 1914 through 1918. Over the years, this department continued to take shape becoming the U.S Army Air Service from 1918 through 1926 and the U.S Army Air Forces from 1941 through 1947. However, the value of airpower was heavily illustrated to the leadership of the Armed Forces during World War II and they decided that the United States Military Forces needed a major organizational change in order to remain a successful fighting force. Therefore,
This resulted in the creation of the Department of Defense and the creation of the United States Air Force on September 18, 1947. The National Security Act of 1947 reorganized the national security of the U.S. Not only was the Air Force separated from the Army, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff were created, the CIA and the National Security Council.
Facts About the U.S Air Force
- The Air Force has tracked Santa since December 24, 1955
- In 2010, the Air Force created a supercomputer by linking 1,760 Playstation 3’s together.
- Two U.S Presidents served in the Air Force: Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush
Celebrating Air Force Birthday
Air Force Birthday is usually celebrated with official parties and ceremonies for members of the Air Force. People can also celebrate this holiday by thanking an airman for his service or by using the hashtag #AirForceBirthday on social media.
When is Air Force Birthday? |
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| This year (2023) | September 18 (Monday) |
| Next year (2024) | September 18 (Wednesday) |
| Last year (2022) | September 18 (Sunday) |