IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 510 
Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Air Force 
as an independent military service and celebrating the Air Force for 
70 years of serving and defending the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas (for himself, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. TSONGAS, and 
Mr. TURNER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment 
of the Air Force as an independent military service and 
celebrating the Air Force for 70 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 ma-
chines, and all kindred subjects’’; 
Whereas, in 1908, the Department of War contracted with 
the Wright brothers to build 1 heavier-than-air flying ma-
chine for the Army and, in 1909, the Department accept-
ed the Wright Military Flyer, the first military airplane; 
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Whereas pilots of the United States, flying with both Allied 
air forces and with the Army Air Service, performed ad-
mirably 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’’ Rick-
enbacker, were among the first individuals to recognize 
the military potential of airpower and, in the decades fol-
lowing World War I, courageously laid the foundation for 
the creation of an independent arm for the air forces of 
the United States; 
Whereas, on June 20, 1941, the Department of War created 
the Army Air Forces as the aviation element of that De-
partment and, shortly thereafter, the Department made 
the Army Air Forces co-equal to the Army Ground 
Forces; 
Whereas General Henry H. ‘‘Hap’’ Arnold drew upon the in-
dustrial prowess and human resources of the United 
States to transform the Army Air Corps from a force of 
22,400 men and 2,402 aircraft in 1939 into an entity 
with a peak wartime strength of 2,400,000 personnel and 
79,908 aircraft; 
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 
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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 (referred to in this pre-
amble as the ‘‘USAF’’) as separate from other military 
services; 
Whereas, on September 18, 1947, W. Stuart Symington be-
came the first Secretary of the newly formed and inde-
pendent USAF, marking the date on which the USAF 
was established; 
Whereas, on September 26, 1947, General Carl A. Spaatz, a 
pioneering aviator and former Commanding General of 
the Army Air Forces, became the first Chief of Staff of 
the USAF; 
Whereas the Air National Guard was also created by the Na-
tional Security Act of 1947 and has played a vital role 
in guarding the United States and defending freedom in 
nearly every major conflict and contingency since its cre-
ation; 
Whereas, on October 14, 1947, the USAF demonstrated the 
historic and ongoing commitment of the USAF to techno-
logical innovation when Captain Charles ‘‘Chuck’’ Yeager 
piloted the X–1 developmental rocket plane to a speed of 
Mach 1.07, 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 deploy-
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ment 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 integrate, 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, under the com-
mand of General Curtis LeMay, served as the preeminent 
deterrent of the United States against the forces of the 
Soviet Union and were later augmented by the develop-
ment and deployment of medium range and interconti-
nental ballistic missiles, such as the Titan and Minute-
man, 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, de-
velop, and inspire men and women to become aerospace 
officers and leaders of impeccable character and knowl-
edge, and that, as of 2017, has graduated 59 classes and 
49,700 cadets; 
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Whereas, during the Korean War, the USAF employed the 
first large-scale combat use of jet aircraft, helped to es-
tablish air superiority over the Korean Peninsula, pro-
tected ground forces of the United Nations with close air 
support, and interdicted enemy reinforcements and sup-
plies; 
Whereas, after the development of launch vehicles and orbital 
satellites, the mission of the USAF expanded into space 
and, as of 2017, provides exceptional support with re-
spect to real-time global communications, environmental 
monitoring, navigation, precision timing, missile warning, 
nuclear deterrence, and space surveillance; 
Whereas, during the Vietnam War, the USAF engaged in a 
limited campaign of airpower to assist the South Viet-
namese 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 Forces have served with 
honor and distinction around the world since their activa-
tion in 1990, providing the United States with specialized 
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airpower across the broad spectrum of conflict in any 
place and at any time; 
Whereas, for 27 consecutive years beginning in 1990, Airmen 
have— 
(1) been engaged in continuous combat operations 
ranging from Operation Desert Shield to the Global War 
on Terrorism to Operation Inherent Resolve; and 
(2) shown that the Airmen constitute an air and 
space expeditionary force of outstanding capability and 
are ready to fight and win wars for the United States 
when and where they are called upon; 
Whereas, when terrorists attacked the United States on Sep-
tember 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 protected the fami-
lies, friends, and neighbors of the people of the United 
States from further attack; 
Whereas, on December 7, 2005, the USAF modified its mis-
sion statement to include flying and fighting in air, 
space, and cyberspace and prioritized the innovation, 
operationalization, and sustainment of warfighting capa-
bilities to deliver unrestricted access to cyberspace to de-
fend the United States and its worldwide interests; 
Whereas women have played a prominent role in the evolution 
of the USAF, courageously fighting alongside their male 
counterparts and dedicating their lives to protecting 
peace, liberty, and freedom around the world as they pro-
vide ‘‘ready to fight tonight’’ airpower whenever and 
wherever needed; 
Whereas, as of 2017, the USAF has made tremendous strides 
in the global warfighting domain of cyberspace by revolu-
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tionizing offensive and defensive capabilities and effects 
with speed, agility, and surgical precision, thereby ensur-
ing the continuous command, control, and execution of 
joint and service operations in contested, degraded, and 
limited environments; 
Whereas the untapped potential of enlisted aviators is recog-
nized by the USAF as these highly trained, intelligent, 
and professional Airmen fly remotely piloted aircraft to 
distant skies in support of combatant commanders and 
meet the insatiable demand for persistent intelligence, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities; 
Whereas the Civil Air Patrol, as a total force partner and 
auxiliary of the USAF, has maintained a steadfast com-
mitment 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 
2017, as the Civil Air Patrol executes emergency service 
missions; 
Whereas the USAF is steadfast in the commitment to field-
ing a world-class air expeditionary force by recruiting, 
training, and educating its officer, enlisted, and civilian 
corps comprising the active duty, Air National Guard, 
and Air Force Reserve components of the USAF; 
Whereas more than 100,000 Airmen stand watch around the 
world at 175 global locations, committed to winning the 
constant fight against violent extremist organizations by 
expending more than 56,000 munitions and striking more 
than 32,000 enemy targets over the course of 18,200 air-
strikes; 
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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 dig-
nity under the most inhumane circumstances; 
Whereas Airmen have earned the Medal of Honor 18 times, 
the Air Force Cross 183 times, the Distinguished Service 
Cross 42 times, and the Silver Star 74 times; 
Whereas the USAF is a tremendous steward of resources, de-
velops and applies groundbreaking technology, manages 
complex acquisition programs, and maintains test, eval-
uation, and sustainment criteria for all USAF weapon 
systems throughout the life cycles of those weapon sys-
tems; 
Whereas talented and dedicated Airmen will continue to meet 
the future challenges of an ever-changing world with lim-
itless strength, resolve, and patriotism; 
Whereas, on every continent around the world, the USAF has 
bravely fought for freedom, liberty, and peace, preserved 
democracy, and protected the people and interests of the 
United States; 
Whereas Airmen of the USAF, together with their joint force 
partners, will continue to be a tremendous resource for 
the United States in fights across every domain and at 
every location, delivering continuous air and space superi-
ority, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid 
global mobility, global strike, and command and control 
capabilities, thereby ensuring the safety and security of 
the United States; and 
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Whereas, for 70 years, the USAF and the Airmen of the 
USAF, 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 House of Representatives— 
(1) commemorates the 70th anniversary of the 
establishment of the Air Force as an independent 
military service; and 
(2) remembers, honors, and commends the 
achievements of the Air Force in serving and defend-
ing the United States through global vigilance, glob-
al reach, and global power. 
Æ 
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