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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Rev. Ann Ritona, bishop suffragan elect for armed forces and federal ministries, speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)Rev. Ann Ritona, bishop suffragan elect for armed forces and federal ministries, speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
                
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DAF commemorates Air Force’s 76th anniversary, Space Force’s 4th anniversary with worship servicePublished Sept. 15, 2023
                    
                    
                    Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
            **WASHINGTON (AFNS) --**The Department of the Air Force commemorated the 76th anniversary of the Air Force and the fourth anniversary of the **Space Force** with a non-denomination worship service that included the participation of members of several faiths at the Washington National Cathedral Sept. 10.
Secretary of the Air Force **Frank Kendall**, Air Force Chief of Staff **Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.**, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force **JoAnne S. Bass** and Acting Vice Chief of Space Operations **Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant** participated in the service, which recognized the contributions of women to service in addition to marking the upcoming Air Force and Space Force anniversary dates.Maj. Gen. Randall Kitchens, Air Force chief of chaplains, speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)Maj. Gen. Randall Kitchens, Air Force chief of chaplains, speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
            
            
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“Women’s impact is not a secondary narrative in our history; it’s essential,” said **Maj. Gen. Randall E. Kitchens**, Department of the Air Force chief of chaplains. “From the early days of women aviators who broke both sound and societal barriers, to today’s leading generals and leaders crafting the future doctrines and policies, women have been the bedrock of innovation, resilience and strength in our forces.”
Members of the congregation reflected on the incessant courage of women who forged a path where none existed, serving with distinction in times of peace and conflict and elevating the mission to heights previously unimagined.
The service also recognized the 75th anniversary of the **Women’s Armed Services Integration Act**, which enabled women to serve as permanent regular members of the military.Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
            
            
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Kendall specifically acknowledged the accomplishments of Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, women who served as federal civil service employee pilots prior to women being allowed to serve as regular military pilots.
“Despite their sacrifices during times of war, women have also had to fight for their own equality,” Kendall said. “Our history is full of inspiring women leaders who fought through barriers and against headwinds with sheer resolve and determination to put women on equal footing with men.”
Kendall also recognized a modern-day trailblazer, retired **Maj. Gen. Lorraine K. Potter**, the first female chaplain in the Air Force. She was also the first female chaplain of any U.S. military service to be promoted to the pay grade of O-6, the first female Air Force chief of chaplains, and the first woman ordained by the American Baptist churches in the state of Rhode Island.
Potter reflected on the opportunities afforded to her.Retired chaplain Maj. Gen. Lorraine Potter speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)Retired chaplain Maj. Gen. Lorraine Potter speaks during a Department of the Air Force worship service at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
            
            
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“I knew God called me to be a fellow traveler with people struggling with the challenges and uncertainties of life,” Potter said. “There were not many places in the late 1960s and ‘70s for a woman in ministry to serve. But the timing was right; things were changing, and the Air Force Chaplain Service gave me a unique and wonderful place to do ministry.”
A video recording of the Department of the Air Force 76th Anniversary Service by the Washington National Cathedral is available for viewing here: **9.10.23 Department of the Air Force Anniversary Service**.FS 



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