Today is Labor Day, a day when we recognize the work, skill and dedication of America’s workforce.

It is also the anniversary of a remarkable example of what that workforce can accomplish.

On September 7, 1997, the first F-22 Raptor took to the skies over Marietta, Georgia. F-22 Chief Test Pilot Paul Metz lifted off from Dobbins Air Reserve Base for a 58-minute first flight that began a new chapter in American airpower.

The F-22 was developed to succeed the F-15 in the air superiority role, bringing together stealth, maneuverability, advanced sensors and the ability to sustain supersonic flight without afterburner. The aircraft that flew that morning was the result of years of work by thousands of engineers, designers, technicians, mechanics, production workers, test personnel and members of the United States Air Force.

Twenty-nine years later, the Raptor remains an important part of the nation’s air dominance capability. The Air Force continues to modernize the aircraft as it looks toward the next generation of air combat.

That makes its first-flight anniversary especially appropriate for Labor Day.

Behind an aircraft as extraordinary as the F-22 are extraordinary people. From the people who conceived and designed it to those who built, tested, maintained and flew it, the Raptor represents American innovation, skill and teamwork on an enormous scale.

At AFA Palm Springs Chapter 134, our mission to Educate. Advocate. Support. includes recognizing both the people who serve and the people whose work makes their mission possible.

On this Labor Day, we recognize them all.

Thank You!