On September 18, 1947, with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman, the United States Air Force was established as a separate and independent branch of the Armed Forces. It was the culmination of decades of innovation and sacrifice, from the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 to the extraordinary achievements of Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces airmen in World War II.

The roots of the Air Force reach back to the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ Aeronautical Division in 1907, the first military aviation organization in America. Over the next forty years, air power proved decisive: the daylight precision bombing campaigns in Europe, the island-hopping battles of the Pacific, and the strategic lessons learned in global warfare all made clear that air dominance was essential to victory.

With independence came a new mission — global vigilance, reach, and power. From the early Cold War years of the Berlin Airlift in 1948, to the development of long-range nuclear deterrence, to air superiority over Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Air Force has continuously adapted to meet new threats. Airmen have flown everything from the rugged F-86 Sabre to the B-52 Stratofortress, from the SR-71 Blackbird to the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, and today they operate on the cutting edge of space and cyber domains.

As we mark the Air Force’s 78th birthday, we honor the more than 685,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen serving today, and the millions who have served before them. Their dedication and innovation have secured freedom in the air and space, ensuring that the United States remains strong, secure, and always ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Happy 78th Birthday, U.S. Air Force — Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win.