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 Capt. Jennifer French

173rd Airborne Brigade trains Somali troops to support the fight against al-Shabaab

173rd Airborne Brigade

Feb. 20, 2025 | 0:52

On the front lines of Somalia’s battle against al-Shabaab, soldiers like Somali infantry Sgt. Mubarak and Sgt. Hussein Dahir Muhammad refuse to back down. They are fighting for their country’s future—and they are not alone.

Alongside them stand the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, paratroopers committed to strengthening Somali forces through Justified Accord 2025, U.S. Africa Command’s premier multinational training exercise in East Africa.

Stationed in Vicenza, Italy, the 173rd Airborne Brigade is in Kenya to train, mentor, and support Somali troops in their fight against the terrorist group that has plagued their homeland for over a decade. Through intensive battlefield drills, leadership development, and joint operations training, the brigade is helping to forge a stronger, more capable Somali military.

For Somali Sgt. Mubarak, who has served in the military for six years, the mission is deeply personal.

“I came to work for my country and to help my people,” he said. “I feel bad for al-Shabaab. They are a terrorist group. I’m ready to make [Somalia] secure again.”

Sgt. Hussein Dahir Muhammad has witnessed firsthand the devastation al-Shabaab has inflicted on Somali communities.

“Al-Shabaab is terrorism,” he said. “They don’t know neighborly brotherhood, and they’re always killing civilians. Terrorism has destroyed our country. That’s why I’m here—to divide the enemy of my country.”

Somalia is not fighting alone. With the support of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, British army soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 11th Infantry Brigade, 1st (United Kingdom) Division, Kenya Defense Forces and the Tanzania People's Defense Force, troops to keep Eastern Africa secure are growing stronger.

“They always give us their precious time,” Hussein Dahir said. “It is nice.”

Running from Feb. 10–21, Justified Accord 2025 unites troops from across the world to sharpen crisis response capabilities and bolster regional security. The 173rd Airborne Brigade’s role underscores the United States’ enduring commitment to helping Somali forces secure their nation’s future—one battle, one mission, and one soldier at a time.

(U.S. Army Video by Capt. Jennifer French)