Air Force
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Luftwaffe (Germany)
The German Luftwaffe (air weapon) traces its roots to the Luftstrietkrafte founded in 1910 prior to World War I. The Luftstrietkrafte was disbanded by the Treaty of Versailles following Germany's defeat in 1918. In 1935, Adolph Hitler directed Herman Goerring to resurrect Germany's Air Force as the Luftwaffe, an act without sanction, but not contested by, the League of Nations. The Luftwaffe was disbanded in 1946 at the end of World War II. When West Germany joined NATO in 1955, the new Luftwaffe was formed flying aircraft of U.S. design and manufactured in Germany under license.
In 1990, when West Germany was reunited with the German Democratic Republic, the Soviet-built aircraft of GDR's Luftstrietkrafte der NVA were assimilated into the Luftwaffe, creating the unique situation of a NATO country flying Soviet aircraft. These aircraft were all later decommissioned.
Today's Luftwaffe flies a mix of North-American and European-built aircraft, most notably the Panavia Tornado, a super-sonic (mach 2.34), multi-role aircraft with a range of 870 miles and a service ceiling of 50,000 feet.
External Links
- Official Luftwaffe Website (German)
Royal Air Force (UK)
Royal Army Air Force (Australia)
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is a division of the United States Department of Defense. Created by the National Security Act of 1947, it is currently led by the Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force T. Micheal Moseley.
USAF Vision
Global vigilance, reach, and power
USAF Mission
The mission of the United States Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests -- to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace.
Organization
The USAF is divided into 9 major commands and a number of direct reporting units. Major commands are further divided into numbered air forces, wings, groups, and squadrons. As of September 2006, the USAF was manned by 352,000 active-duty airmen, 106,000 Air National Guard airmen, 76,000 reservists, and 165,000 civilians.
Major Commands
- Air Combat Command
- Air Education and Training Command
- Air Force Materiel Command
- Air Mobility Command
- Air Force Space Command
- Air Force Reserve Command
- Air Force Special Operations Command
- U.S. Air Forces in Europe
- Pacific Air Forces
Major Direct Reporting Units
- United States Air Force Academy
- Air National Guard
- 11th Air Wing - Bolling AFB
Aircraft
Spacecraft
Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW)
Since 1916, the USAF has participated in 338 disaster-relief missions in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States following floods, hurricanes, typhoons, droughts, earthquakes, snowstorms, volcano eruptions, and insect infestations. The average disaster-relief operation involves 10 aircraft flying 80 sorties. Typical disaster-relief loads include food, water, blankets, construction materials, tents, generators, batteries, and medical supplies.
Other MOOTW missions include humanitarian aid, noncombatant evacuation, medevac, hostage rescue, counter-narcotic, and peace operations such as routine patrols of foreign and domestic airspace. The most famous MOOTW operation conducted by the USAF is the 16-month-long Berlin Airlift, transporting over 2.5 million tons of cargo.
Early History
- August 1, 1907 - US Army Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Division to take "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects."
- August 20, 1908 - The Signal Corps began testing its first airplane at Fort Myer, Virginia, *September 9, 1908 - Lt Thomas E. Selfridge, flying with Orville Wright, was killed when their plane crashed.
- August 2, 1909 - The US Army formally accepted a second, improved Wright Flyer, identified as "Airplane No.1.
- 1911 - Congress, for the first time, appropriates funds for Army aeronautics: $125,000 for FY1912
- August 1914 - 1st Aero Squadron, the entire tactical air strength of the US Army numbers 12 officers, 54 enlisted men, and 23 airplanes
- March 31, 1916 - Urgent "deficiency act" appropriates $500,000 for the Aviation Section
- August 29, 1916 - Congress appropriates $13,281,666 for military aeronautics and $600,000 for airfields
- May 20, 1918 - President Woodrow Wilson issues an executive order transferring aviation from the Signal Corps to two agencies under the Secretary of War: the Bureau of Aircraft Production, headed by Mr. John D. Ryan, and the Division of Military Aeronautics, directed by Maj. Gen. William L. Kenly.
- August 27, 1918 - Wilson appoints Mr. Ryan Director of the Air Service and Second Assistant Secretary of War
- November 11, 1918 - Armistice Day - In 9 months of combat operations, the 740 aircraft assigned to squadrons at the front comprised 10% of Allied air power, had conducted 150 bombing attacks, dropping 138 tons of bombs as far as 160 miles behind German lines. The Air Service had downed 756 enemy aircraft and 76 enemy balloons with losses of 289 aircraft and 48 balloons.
- 1920 - The Army Reorganization Act of 1920 made the Air Service a combatant arm of the US Army.
- 1926 - Air Service is renamed the Air Corps.
- March 1, 1935 - General Headquarters Air Force (GHQAF) becomes operational.
- March 9, 1942 - A War Department reorganization created the Army Air Forces.
- July 26, 1947 - The National Security Act of 1947 creates the Department of the Air Force and the United States Air Force.
- September 18, 1947 - W. Stuart Symington became the first Secretary of the Air Force.
- September 26, 1947 - General Carl A. Spaatz became the USAF's first Chief of Staff.
