USO Canteen Freeper Style USAF Happy Birthday .... September 18,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and AntiJen

[Snow Bunny]

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Happy 55th Birthday to the U.S. Air Force

The first heavier-than-air flight took place in 1903 when man went aloft in hot air balloons which were used for aerial observation in the American Civil War, Franco-Prussian War, and American campaigns in Cuba. Air balloons over the battlefield provided rapid, accurate reconnaissance of enemy forces. Steerable airships, or dirigibles, were the logical replacements for balloons, but air power developed from the epic, controlled-power flight of Wilbur and Orville Wright which occurred at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Dec. 17, 1903.

Almost from the beginning of military aviation in the U.S., some men such as Billy Mitchell had urged the creation of a separate air force. During World War II, the Army Air Force was almost independent from the Army, but this was only a temporary wartime situation. However, experience gained during the war had shown that an air arm independent and co-equal with the Army and Navy could perform satisfactorily.

After months of inter-service and congressional negotiations and compromise, on July 26, 1947 President Harry S. Truman on board the presidental aircraft "Sacred Cow" signed the National Security Act of 1947. The measure established an independent Air Force for "offensive and defensive air operations" and placed the Army, Navy, and Air Force on an equal level under a civilian Secretary of Defense. The Department of the Air Force began operating as a separate entity on Sep. 18, 1947 at which time W. Stuart Symington was sworn in as the first Secretary of the Air Force. General Carl Spaatz, WW II commander of U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe and in the Pacific, was named the first USAF Chief of Staff.

The U.S. Air Force thus entered a new era in which airpower became firmly established as a major element of the nation’s defense and one of its chief hopes for deterring war.

Under the National Security Act, the functions assigned to the Army Air Force’s commanding general transferred to the Department of the Air Force. The act provided for an orderly two-year transfer of these functions as well as property, personnel and records.

Later, under the Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1958, the departments of Army, Navy and Air Force were eliminated from the chain of operational command. Commanders of unified and specified commands became responsible to the president and the secretary of defense through the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The act redefined the functions of the military departments to those of essentially organizing, training, equipping and supporting combat forces for the unified and specified commands. Each military department retained resource management of its service.

Aviation Firsts

Air Force Medal of Honor Recipients

US Air Force Academy

Famous Air Force Aircraft

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Famous Aerial Operations

US Air Force Museum

Air Force Vision

- Global vigilance, reach and power.

Air Force Mission

- The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to defend the United States and protect its interests through aerospace power

Air Force Management

The Department of the Air Force incorporates all elements of the U.S. Air Force. It is administered by a civilian secretary appointed by the president and is supervised by a military chief of staff. The Secretariat and Air Staff help the secretary and the chief of staff direct the Air Force mission.

To assure unit preparedness and overall effectiveness of the Air Force, the secretary of the Air Force is responsible for and has the authority to conduct all affairs of the Department of the Air Force. This includes training, operations, administration, logistical support and maintenance, and welfare of personnel. The secretary's responsibilities include research and development, and any other activity prescribed by the president or the secretary of defense.

The secretary of the Air Force exercises authority through civilian assistants and the chief of staff, but retains immediate supervision of activities that involve vital relationships with Congress, the secretary of defense, other governmental officials and the public.

Field Organizations

The nine major commands, 35 field operating agencies, four direct reporting units and their subordinate elements constitute the field organization that carries out the Air Force mission. In addition, there are two Reserve components, the Air Force Reserve, which is also a major command, and the Air National Guard.

Major commands are organized on a functional basis in the United States and a geographic basis overseas. They accomplish designated phases of Air Force worldwide activities. Also, they organize, administer, equip and train their subordinate elements for the accomplishment of assigned missions. Major commands generally are assigned specific responsibilities based on functions. In descending order of command, elements of major commands include numbered air forces, wings, groups, squadrons and flights.

The basic unit for generating and employing combat capability is the wing, which has always been the Air Forces prime war-fighting instrument. Composite wings operate more than one kind of aircraft, and may be configured as self-contained units designated for quick air intervention anywhere in the world.

Other wings continue to operate a single aircraft type ready to join air campaigns anywhere they are needed. Air base and specialized mission wings such as training, intelligence and test also support the Air Force mission. Within the wing, operations, logistics and support groups are the cornerstones of the organization.

Field operating agencies and direct reporting units are other Air Force subdivisions and report directly to Headquarters U.S. Air Force. They are assigned a specialized mission that is restricted in scope when compared to the mission of a major command. Field operating agencies carry out field activities under the operational control of a Headquarters U.S. Air Force functional manager. Direct reporting units are not under the operational control of a Headquarters U.S. Air Force functional manager because of a unique mission, legal requirements or other factors.

Major Commands Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga. Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany

Historic Air Force Songs

Itazuke Tower

(Tune of "Wabash Cannonball")

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm turning on the downwind leg, my prop has overrun;
My coolant's overheated, the gauge says 1-2-1,
You'd better get the crash crew out and get them on the run."

"Listen, Air Force 801, this is Itazuke Tower,
I cannot call the crash crew out, this is their coffee hour;
You're not cleared in the pattern, now that is plain to see,
So take it once around again, you're not a VIP."

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm turning on my final, I'm running on one lung,
I'm gonna land this Mustang no matter what you say,
I'm gonna get my charts squared up before that Judgment Day."

"Now listen Air Force 801, this is Itazuke Tower,
We'd like to let you in right now, but we haven't got the power,
We'll send a note through channels and wait for the reply,
Until we get permission back, just chase around the sky."

"Itazuke Tower, this is Air Force 801,
I'm up in Pilot's Heaven and my flying days are done;
I'm sorry that I blew up, I couldn't make the grade,
I guess I should have waited till the landing was okayed."

Let's Have a Party

Parties make the world go round
World go round, world go round
Parties make the world go round
Let's have a party.


Now, we're gonna tear down the bar in the Officers' Club (Boo)
We're gona build us a new bar (Yay)
It's only gonna be one foot wide (Boo)
But it's gonna be a mile long (Yay)
There's gonna be no bartenders at our bar (Boo)
There's only gonna be barmaids (Yay)
Our barmaids will wear long dresses (Boo)
Made out of cellophane (Yay)
You can't take our barmaids to your bunks (Boo)
They take you to their bunks (Yay)
You can't sleep with our barmaids (Boo)
They don't let you sleep (Yay)
Soda's gonna be ten bucks a glass (Boo)
Whiskey free (Yay)
Only one to each pilot (Boo)
Served in buckets (Yay)
We're gonna throw all the beer in the river (Boo)
And then we'll all go swimming (Yay)
Now no girls are allowed in the USO hall (Boo)
With their clothes on (Yay)
There'll be no lovin' on the dance floor (Boo)
And no dancing on the lovin' floor (Yay)

Glory Flying Regulations

(Tune of "Glory, Glory Hallejulia")

Hap Arnold built a fighting team that sang a fighting song,
About the wild blue yonder and the days when men were strong.
But now we're regulated 'cause we don't know right from wrong,
The Force is shot to hell...

CHORUS:
Glory flying regulations
Have them read at all the stations
Burn the ass of those that break them
The Force is shot to hell.

Once they flew B-26s through a hell of flak,
and bloody dying pilots gave their lives to bring 'em back,
Now they're playing ping-pong in the operations shack,
The Force is shot to hell...

I've seen them in their T-Bolts when their eyes were dancing flame,
I've seen their screaming power drive that blasted Goering's name;
But now they fly like sissies and they hang their heads in shame;
The Force is shot to hell...

Now one day I buzzed an airfield with another happy chap,
We flew a hot formation with my wingtip on his lap,
So they passed a new directive and we'll have no more of that,
The Force is shot to hell...

So now mine eyes are dim with tears for happy days of old,
We loved to take our chances for our hearts were young and bold,
From now on we have no choice but live to be quite old,
The Force is shot to hell...

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you so much, wow these are beautiful flowers Tonkin.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Argh,, giggle.....I am glad, Thank you so much. Happy Birthday for you having been born 3 years after the USAF established. LUV ya Argh.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Seven good to see you. Thank you for this information. I wish they would wipe out......oh I better not post that , but lets just say I would like every enemy gone. grrrrrr

[Snow Bunny]

God bless you my friend.

I am so sorry about your Father and brother.

They are heroes just like you and your wife.

Thank you RightOnline for serving our country.

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you so much Kathy that mean soooo much to me that you are here and help. I am honored to know you.

[Snow Bunny]

Sweet dreams Radu, I really appreciate your help at the Canteen.

[Snow Bunny]

I find it interesting that some of the evil ones that THINK they are making a difference are NOT. They are blowing in the wind and have NO substance at all. They are such evil fools they cannot even see it themselves........or perhaps which is even more evil, they know what evil they are and do not care.

Thank you for this Sam it is excellent. Prayers for the troops.

Ah, the evil that men do... 
Here we can see evil,
and the words of the evil. 
Sometimes, the evil do not know they are evil, 
which brings us to question evil itself... 
Not so cute, but it is the truth.

[Snow Bunny]

Good one Sam. hahahahahahhahah Very good. LOL

Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated. - George Bernard Shaw

[Snow Bunny]

This is so true Souris! Thank you so much.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste death but once." - Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you Diver Dave for posting this. Fairchild AFB float in Spokane, WA Lilac Parade Armed Forces Day.

[leadpenny]

Thank you for allowing me to share my my thoughts, Kathy. That means a lot. I always get re-juiced when I get to spend quality time with my sons.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi my wonderful friend!!!!

I LOVE this one!

......"If I have to lay an egg for my country, I`ll do it."
-Bob Hope

((((((((((((((((( hug ))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Argh]

Thank you, Miss Bunny, Miss Kathy!

[RightOnline]

Thank you, Snow Bunny.......but little brother is still VERY much alive; was just pointing out that he, too, is an AF veteran. God bless you for all you do.

[Snow Bunny]

These are fabulous quotes they speak volumes. Thank you sooooo much!!!!!

[Snow Bunny]

Fantastic Redhead, please thank your husband for serving our country in the Air Force.

[Snow Bunny]

ROTFLMHO......I love it Tomkow.
((( hug )))

[Snow Bunny]

Hi Beowulf, good to see you. Thank you so much.

[Snow Bunny]

WOWS Poet, this poem is so perfect, thank you soooo much.

I am posting it again in this post too. Thank you!!!!

Saddam, Saddam 

You better prepare for an attack, 
you can’t take it back, 
you had your chance, 
maintain you normal stance, 
raise your hands, 
your girly-boys will soil their pants 
again, they will drop their guns 
you’ve had your day in the sun 

Saddam, Saddam, see what you’ve done 
put yourself on the run 
see what happens when you invade my nest 
do you regret your foolish quest? 

There is one guy you tried to push 
I speak, of course, of G.W. Bush 
you discovered he is not weak 
in fact, you helped him reach his peak 

Did you believe we’re all like Daschile, 
Clinton, Terry M. , Al Gore? 
they are not bashful, 
each a political whore 

There are others leftists you see 
do you remember Mrs. C? 
oh, all right, I mean Hillary 
she would have set you free 

Saddam, Saddam, you foolish man, 
we are one in this blessed land 
we were split down the middle 
with inspections you had to fiddle 
now, you brought about a consensus, 
time to prepare for our presence 

Oh, let’s not forget the United Nations 
one of the leftist’s creations 
Kofi tried to get you off the hook 
now they’re taking a second look 

I, for one, know you’re not alone 
I don’t believe you’re “the man”, 
someone else is on the throne, 
you are just one of the band 
whomever, I suggest you leave us alone 

Once you’ve been dispatched 
there’ll be another itch to scratch 
only the future will tell, 
who is next to be sent to Hell 

Saddam, Saddam, you’re such a jerk 
your recent ploy will not work 
my words to you are at an end, 
there are now bombs to send 
oh yes, we’ll also send real men 
we’ll buckle, but we will not bend 
decent people do not kill their own 
reap the whirlwind you have sown

Copyright © 2002 By John J. Lindsay.
All Rights Reserved
September 17, 2002

[Snow Bunny]

Hi GooberDoll, thank you so much . Please tell Flag Man hello and he is very loved. He is a Hero and is respected by so many here at FR and the Canteen.