United States Air Force

The **United States Air Force** (**USAF**) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces.

## Background

The youngest branch of the military dates back to 1907 and the foundation of the Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps. Although it had a turbulent organizational history, it became one of the most important assets of the American war machine, particularly during World War II, when military aviation was a crucial asset in defeating the Empire of Japan and the Third Reich. Officially founded in 1947, the Air Force was instrumental in pioneering manned spaceflight and the militarization of space, with the pioneering flight of *Defiance 7* on May 5, 1961, when Captain Carl Bell became the first human in space. However, the claim was widely disputed by the Soviet Union and China. Subsequent manned spaceflight tests perfected the technology, despite setbacks such as the loss of *Clarabella 7* and Colonel Hartigan to high-altitude weather balloons (the body was never recovered, as the capsule was actually intercepted by Zetan aliens researching the human population).

By the end of the 1960s, the United States had achieved victory in the space race, as the *Virgo II* lunar lander touched down on the surface of Earth's moon on July 16, 1969. *Valiant 11* mission members Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris, and Captain Michael Hagen became the first humans to walk on the surface of another celestial body. As time went on, the gradual exhaustion of resources became more of a pressing issue, and space exploration programs would fold. The last moon mission took place in 2052 and former spacecraft such as the *Delta IX rocket* were subsequently fitted with military ordnance.

### 21st century

The history of the Air Force is closely intertwined with the general history of the Armed Forces. Together with the Army and the Navy, the Air Force was responsible for maintaining the nuclear arsenal of the United States through the Strategic Air Command, as well as aerial warfare in the numerous resource conflicts the United States was involved in. This included including the United States invasion of Mexico in 2052, the Sino-American War (2066–2077), and the United States annexation of Canada.

## Technology

Personal equipment for Air Force members usually consisted of rugged, reliable equipment like the standard flight suits and combat armor. Additionally, remnants of Air Force uniforms can be seen worn over Vault 34 jumpsuits by the Boomers at Nellis Air Force Base.

Some standard fighter planes of the Air Force at the time of the Great War were the fighter jet and the Stingray Deluxe. It is known that the Air Force operated nuclear-armed bomber planes, but no surviving models have been found in the wasteland.

To support its operations, the Air Force operated air force bases throughout the nation. One of the most important was Adams Air Force Base, linked directly to the White House and the Capitol Building by metro. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was also a major staging area for Air Force operations, including their nuclear bombers outfitted with Mark 28 nuclear bombs, and satellite surveillance, as was the case with USAF Satellite Station Olivia.