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 Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot

75th Anniversary Bat tail flash painted on Iowa ANG KC-135

185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard

Dec. 22, 2020 | 3:33

B-roll video shows an Iowa Air National Guard KC-135 with special 75th anniversary markings.

An Iowa Air National Guard KC-135 painted with special 75th anniversary markings was revealed this week at the Sioux City, Iowa based unit. The 185th Air Refueling Wing commemorative paint scheme includes a giant “bat” tail flash. The paint scheme also included nose art showing a 75th anniversary diamond surrounded by silhouettes depicting each aircraft flown by the unit since its beginnings in 1946.

A thunderbolt painted along with the diamond on the front of the aircraft is representative of some of the first jet aircraft flown like the F-84 “Thunderjet.”

The retro gothic bat on the tail of the aircraft is a throwback to when the unit used to fly F-16 Fighter aircraft during the 1990s. The bat moniker was first adopted following the unit’s yearlong deployment to Vietnam in the late 1960s when the unit often flew missions during nighttime hours.

The unit flew single seat fighter aircraft for most of it history before converting to the KC-135 in 2003.

Various bat graphics didn’t appear on unit aircraft until the 1980s and 90s which included the iconic bat tail flash from the unit’s F-16 that has now been recreated on the tail of the KC-135.

Lower thirds: Chief Master Sgt. Eric Kelley 185th Air Refueling Wing