The History and Roles of the Air Force

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F-15E Strike Eagle Seymour Johnson AFB
Maj. Wade Maulsby, 334th Fighter Squadron pilot, and 1st Lt. Mathew Clutts, 334th FS weapons systems operator, taxi before flight in an F-15E Strike Eagle, Feb. 5, 2018, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. (Airman First Class Kenneth Boyton/U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force is the youngest of all five services. It became a separate service on Sept. 18, 1947, after President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947.

The Air Force has become the world's premier aerospace force. Its mission, simply put, is to defend the nation through the control and exploitation of air and space. Although obviously tasked with flying missions, most personnel work on the ground in various construction, support and technical capacities.

The Air Force Focuses on These Areas

Aerospace superiority: The ability to control what moves through air and space ensures freedom of action.

Information superiority: The ability to control and exploit information to our nation's advantage ensures decision dominance.

Global attack: The ability to engage adversary targets anywhere and anytime holds any adversary at risk.

Precision engagement: The ability to deliver desired effects, with minimal risk and collateral damage, denies the enemy sanctuary.

Rapid global mobility: The ability to position forces rapidly anywhere in the world ensures unprecedented responsiveness.

Agile combat support: The ability to sustain flexible and efficient combat operations is the foundation of success.

The bottom line: The Air Force is focused on flying. There are also plenty of other opportunities on land, though. If you like flying and/or working with flight systems and technology, the Air Force may be for you.

If you want to push yourself to the limits, then you need to talk with a recruiter.

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