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[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 783 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>

117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 783

    Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the 
Department of the Air Force and celebrating the United States Air Force 
        for 75 years of serving and defending the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 20, 2022

   Mr. Boozman (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
 Warnock, and Ms. Rosen) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the 
Department of the Air Force and celebrating the United States Air Force 
        for 75 years of serving and defending the United States.

Whereas, on August 1, 1907, the Aeronautical Division of the Army Signal Corps, 
        consisting of 1 officer and 2 enlisted men, began operation under the 
        command of Captain Charles deForest Chandler with the responsibility for 
        ``all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all 
        kindred subjects'';
Whereas, in 1908, the Department of War contracted with the Wright brothers to 
        build 1 heavier-than-air flying machine for the Army and, in 1909, the 
        Department of War accepted the Wright Military Flyer, the first military 
        airplane in the world;
Whereas pilots of the United States, flying with both Allied air forces and with 
        the Army Air Service, performed admirably during the course of World War 
        I, the first air war in history, by participating in pursuit, 
        observation, and day and night bombing missions;
Whereas pioneering aviators of the United States, including Mason M. Patrick, 
        William ``Billy'' Mitchell, Benjamin D. Foulois, Frank M. Andrews, Henry 
        H. ``Hap'' Arnold, James H. ``Jimmy'' Doolittle, and Edward ``Eddie'' 
        Rickenbacker, were among the first individuals to recognize the military 
        potential of airpower and, in the decades following World War I, 
        courageously laid the foundation for the creation of an independent arm 
        for the air forces of the United States;
Whereas General Henry H. ``Hap'' Arnold drew upon the industrial prowess and 
        human resources of the United States to transform the Army Air Corps 
        from a force of 22,000 men and 3,900 aircraft in 1939, into an entity 
        with a peak wartime strength of nearly 2,500,000 personnel and 75,000 
        aircraft;
Whereas, on June 20, 1941, the Department of War established the Army Air Forces 
        as the aviation element of that Department and, shortly thereafter, the 
        Department made the Army Air Forces co-equal to the Army Ground Forces;
Whereas the standard for courage, flexibility, and intrepidity in combat was 
        established for all airmen during the first aerial raid in the Pacific 
        Theater on April 18, 1942, when Lieutenant Colonel James ``Jimmy'' H. 
        Doolittle led 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers in a joint 
        operation from the deck of the USS Hornet to strike the Japanese 
        mainland in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor;
Whereas the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.), signed into 
        law by President Harry S. Truman, realigned and reorganized the Armed 
        Forces to establish the Department of the Air Force and the United 
        States Air Force (referred to in this preamble as the ``USAF'') as 
        separate from other military services;
Whereas, on September 18, 1947, W. Stuart Symington became the first Secretary 
        of the newly formed and independent Air Force, marking the date on which 
        the USAF was established;
Whereas the Air National Guard was also created by the National Security Act of 
        1947 (50 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.) and has played a vital role in guarding 
        the United States and defending freedom in nearly every major conflict 
        and contingency since its creation;
 Whereas, on October 14, 1947, the USAF demonstrated the historic and ongoing 
        commitment of the USAF to technological innovation when Captain Charles 
        ``Chuck'' Yeager piloted the X-1 developmental rocket plane to a speed 
        of Mach 1.06, becoming the first flyer to break the sound barrier in a 
        powered aircraft in level flight;
Whereas the Air Force Reserve, created on April 14, 1948, is comprised of 
        citizen airmen who serve as unrivaled wingmen of the active duty USAF 
        during every deployment and on every mission and battlefield around the 
        world in which the USAF is engaged;
Whereas the USAF carried out the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949 to provide 
        humanitarian relief to post-war Germany and has established a tradition 
        of offering humanitarian assistance when responding to natural disasters 
        and needs across the world;
Whereas the Tuskegee Airmen served the United States with tremendous dignity and 
        honor, overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most 
        highly respected fighter groups of World War II, and helped to establish 
        a policy of racial integration within the ranks of the USAF, as, on 
        April 26, 1948, the USAF became the first military branch to announce a 
        policy of racial integration, a full 3 months before an executive order 
        integrated all military services;
Whereas, in the early years of the Cold War, the arsenal of bombers of the USAF, 
        such as the long-range Convair B-58 Hustler and B-36 Peacemaker, and the 
        Boeing B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress, served as the preeminent 
        deterrent of the United States against the forces of the Soviet Union 
        and were later augmented by the development and deployment of medium 
        range and intercontinental ballistic missiles, such as the Titan and 
        Minuteman, developed by General Bernard A. Schriever;
Whereas, on April 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation 
        establishing the United States Air Force Academy, the mission of which 
        is to educate, develop, and inspire men and women to become aerospace 
        officers and leaders of impeccable character and knowledge, and which, 
        as of 2022, has graduated 64 classes and commissioned 53,491 officers 
        into the USAF and United States Space Force (referred to in this 
        preamble as the ``USSF'');
Whereas, during the Korean War, the USAF employed the first large-scale combat 
        use of jet aircraft, helped to establish air superiority over the Korean 
        Peninsula, protected ground forces of the United Nations with close air 
        support, and interdicted enemy reinforcements and supplies;
Whereas, during the Vietnam War, the USAF engaged in a limited campaign of 
        airpower to assist the South Vietnamese government in countering the 
        communist Viet Cong guerillas and fought to disrupt supply lines, halt 
        enemy ground offensives, and protect United States and Allied forces;
Whereas, on April 3, 1967, former prisoner of war Paul W. Airey, a career radio 
        operator, aerial gunner, and First Sergeant, became the first Chief 
        Master Sergeant of the USAF;
Whereas, in recent decades, the USAF and coalition partners of the United States 
        have supported successful actions in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Kuwait, 
        Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haiti, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, 
        and many other locations around the world;
Whereas USAF Special Operations Command has served with honor and distinction 
        around the world since its activation in 1990, providing the United 
        States with specialized airpower across the broad spectrum of conflicts 
        in any place and at any time;
Whereas, for over 3 decades beginning in 1990, airmen engaged in continuous 
        combat operations from Operation Desert Shield to Operation Inherent 
        Resolve, demonstrating an air and space expeditionary force of 
        outstanding capability that is ready to fight and win wars and deter 
        aggression whenever and wherever called upon;
Whereas, when terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, 
        fighter and air refueling aircraft of the USAF took to the skies to fly 
        combat air patrols over major cities of the United States and protect 
        the people of the United States from further attack;
Whereas, on December 20, 2019, in recognition that space had become a 
        warfighting domain, former President Donald Trump signed legislation 
        establishing the USSF as an independent service to ensure that the space 
        domain remained open to all countries;
Whereas, on May 30, 2020, in collaboration and engagement with interagency and 
        commercial partners, the USSF provided unparalleled space launch 
        capabilities in support of the first manned spaceflight from American 
        soil in 9 years;
Whereas, in 2021, in a step toward organizing the forces of the USSF to meet the 
        needs of an independent military service devoted to space, the USSF 
        activated Space Operations Command, Space Systems Command, and Space 
        Training and Readiness Command;
Whereas, to establish a unique and enduring culture for the USSF, the Department 
        of the Air Force redesignated certain Air Force Bases and Air Force 
        Stations supporting the USSF mission as Space Force Bases and Space 
        Force Stations and graduated its first-ever basic military training 
        course taught completely by USSF training instructors;
Whereas space capabilities provide the foundation for everything the United 
        States Armed Forces do, from humanitarian efforts to combat operations;
Whereas, in 2022, following a `wings of hope and compassion' tradition dating 
        back more than a century, when airmen provided food and supplies to 
        Texas flood victims in 1919, the USAF and coalition partners airlifted 
        124,334 people out of Afghanistan in the largest non-combatant 
        evacuation airlift in United States history, spanning 17 days, 9 
        countries, 8 time zones, and more than 10 temporary safe havens;
Whereas, since February 24, 2022, airmen and guardians have responded to Russian 
        aggression against Ukraine by guarding the skies of members of the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization (commonly referred to as ``NATO''), 
        transporting essential equipment to the Ukrainian military, and 
        providing critical support from space;
Whereas women have played a prominent role in the evolution of the Department of 
        the Air Force, courageously fighting alongside their male counterparts 
        and dedicating their lives to protecting peace, liberty, and freedom 
        around the world as they provide air and space power whenever and 
        wherever needed;
Whereas the Department of the Air Force has made tremendous strides in the 
        global warfighting domain of cyberspace by revolutionizing offensive and 
        defensive capabilities and effects with speed, agility, and surgical 
        precision, thereby ensuring the continuous command, control, and 
        execution of operations in contested, degraded, and limited 
        environments;
Whereas the Civil Air Patrol, as a Total Force partner and auxiliary of the 
        USAF, has maintained a steadfast commitment to the United States and the 
        communities of the United States through a proud legacy of service, from 
        the earliest days of World War II, when the Civil Air Patrol protected 
        the shorelines of the United States, through 2022, as the Civil Air 
        Patrol executes emergency service missions and aerospace education 
        programs;
Whereas the Department of the Air Force is steadfast in the commitment to 
        fielding a world-class air and space expeditionary force by recruiting, 
        training, and educating its officer, enlisted, and civilian corps 
        comprising the active duty, Guard, and Reserve components of the Total 
        Force;
Whereas airmen were imprisoned and tortured during several major conflicts, 
        including World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, 
        and the Persian Gulf War, and, in the valiant tradition of airmen held 
        captive, continued serving the United States with honor and dignity 
        under the most inhumane circumstances;
Whereas airmen have earned the Medal of Honor 19 times, the Air Force Cross 203 
        times, the Distinguished Service Cross 42 times, and, since September 
        11, 2001, the Silver Star 92 times;
Whereas the USAF and the USSF are tremendous stewards of resources in developing 
        and applying groundbreaking technology to manage complex acquisition 
        programs for all air and space weapon systems throughout their life 
        cycles;
Whereas talented and dedicated airmen and guardians will continue to make the 
        investments necessary to accelerate transformation and modernization to 
        counter the adversaries of the United States and meet the future 
        challenges of an ever-changing world with limitless strength, resolve, 
        and patriotism;
Whereas the USAF and the USSF are committed to accelerating change and preparing 
        for the future, because failure is not an option;
Whereas, on every continent around the world, airmen and guardians have bravely 
        fought for freedom, liberty, and peace, preserved democracy, and 
        protected the people and interests of the United States;
Whereas the future success of the United States Armed Forces depends upon the 
        ability to control the air and space domains;
Whereas airmen and guardians will continue to be a tremendous resource for the 
        United States in fights across every domain and at every location, 
        thereby ensuring the safety and security of the United States; and
Whereas, for 75 years, the airmen and guardians of the Department of the Air 
        Force, through their exemplary service and sacrifice, have repeatedly 
        proven their value to the United States, the people of the United 
        States, the allies of the United States, and all free people of the 
        world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the establishment 
        of the Department of the Air Force; and
            (2) remembers, honors, and commends the achievements of the 
        United States Air Force and the United States Space Force in 
        serving and defending the United States.
                                 <all>
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