Happy 64th birthday, United States Air Force

September 18, 2011

[EveningStar]

The United States Air Force was established September 18, 1947.

The U.S. Air Force song "Wild Blue Yonder"

[Bringbackthedraft]

The Air Force was originally part of the Army Signal Corp. So they go way back to WW I. During 1967-69 the Army had more pilots that the other 3 branches combined. I guess for a while there we had the USAAF again albeit they were little air craft, nothing like the Mighty 8th..

[JoeFromSidney]

Thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten this was the anniversary day.

I went on active duty in 1953, and retired in 1975. Spent my whole career in Research & Development. Worked on Thor missile guidance. Did Operations Analysis in SEA 1962 - 1963. Tours at Armament Lab, Office of Scientific Research, Avionics Lab, Defense Electronics Supply Center.

It was a good career, but I saw the handwriting on the wall, and got out rather than hang on to the bitter end. I knew I was never going to get promoted past Colonel, so why hang around.

Still have a soft spot in my heart for the AF, though.

[101voodoo]

Better chow also. Will never forget the time some Army TDY troops passed through our base (UK). Some of the officers were dumbstruck when they saw the tables with table cloths and were actually given a menu to choose from in the Officers mess along with waiters to take their orders.

The EM were similarly dumb stuck when they passed through the EM chow line and the cooks asked them how they wanted their eggs and they saw the variety of food the men had to choose from. They also couldn’t believe the EM didn’t pull KP since we had civilian workers for that.

The EM used to carry their class A passes at all times rather then get them from Base Ops whenever they had time off and wanted to leave base. The USAF is as close to a civilian job as there is in the military for the enlisted man.

[CARTOUCHE]

Good question. I wasn’t the original poster.