For 75 years, American Airmen have excelled as they execute the Air Force mission to fly, fight, and win — delivering airpower anytime, anywhere in defense of our nation.

Airmen are called to “Innovate, Accelerate and Thrive” as the U.S. Air Force and Department of the Air Force approach their 75th anniversaries on Sept. 18, 2022. Airmen will always be there to provide America with the airpower it needs to defend the nation, deter or defeat our adversaries, reassure our partners and allies, and help diplomacy proceed from a position of strength.

Commentary: Lessons from our past – Claire Chennault on Agile Combat Employment

As the Air Force leans into Agile Combat Employment, lessons can be learned from Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers and how they operated in China during WWII.

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AF 75th Birthday INNOVATE

Innovation, fueled by Airmen, is our heritage. Airmen continue to push technological and cultural boundaries which make America the leader in airpower and spacepower. Innovation is an integral part of how we train and employ our squadrons, develop our capabilities, and continue to move toward an even more effective Air Force.

AF 75th Birthday Accelerate

From their inception 75 years ago, the U.S. Air Force and Department of the Air Force have excelled at keeping pace with rapid changes in technology and in the demands placed on the Air Force’s five core missions: air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and command and control.

AF 75th Birthday Thrive

We are the world’s greatest Air Force because of those who have gone before us – particularly those who weren’t afraid to break barriers. Empowered Airmen are the competitive edge we have over our adversaries and the reason we are the world’s greatest Air Force.

Air Force 75th Anniversary Commemorative Poster: Air Force Firsts

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: The Doolittle Raid - 1940s Era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. - 1950s Era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Flight of the Blackbird - 1960s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Apollo 15 - 1970s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: B-52 Stratofortress - 1980s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Stealth War - 1990s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Dominate the Skies – 2000s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: First Unmanned Flight - 2010s era

Air Force 75th Anniversary Poster: Force of the Future - 2020s Era

Air Force Posters Frontiers of Blue — Air Force Posters Archive

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Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Johans Chavarro

Plight of the Shearwater

Navy Public Affairs Support Element Detachment Hawaii

Nov. 5, 2015 | 5:43

Currently the Newell Shearwater is one of four endangered seabirds on Kauai. Nesting in the most remote mountains and ridges of Kauai, Newell’s Shearwaters are pelagic sea birds, spending most of their lives at sea, flying over land only during total darkness. Similarly, armed with only their inborn navigational skills, young fledglings will fly out to sea for the first time ever in total darkness, using the stars and moon to find their way to the sea. Unfortunately, human development, with all of its artificial lighting, has caused these young fledgling birds to be confused as they fly out to sea for their first time. As a result, Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF), has become increasingly involved in conservation efforts to assist in preserving the Newell Shearwater population. These efforts include a “Dark Skies Program,” in which all non-mission critical lights are turned off, or shielded, during the time of the year young fledglings take to the sea. PMRF has also implemented another new strategy this year to complement the dark skies program — radar ornithology. PMRF uses the radar at night to determine the flight passage of Newell’s Shearwaters overhead through radar. By using these specialized radars, researchers are able to determine not only the number of birds flying overhead, but also the direction they are going. Scientists conclude without intervention, their populations are sure to continue to decrease.