United States Air Force

United States Air Force
United States Air Force
	; Emblem of the United States Air Force ; ; United States Air Force Symbol;
Founded	18 September 1947; (78 years, 6 months);
Country	United States
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	321,848 active duty personnel ; 105,104 Air National Guard personnel ; 68,927 Air Force Reserve personnel ; 495,879 total uniformed personnel ; 147,879 civilians ; approx 65,000 Civil Air Patrol auxiliaries; approx. 5,500 combat aircraft; approx. 400 ICBMs;
Part of	United States Armed Forces ; Department of the Air Force
Headquarters	The Pentagon ; Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Mottos	"Aim High ... Fly-Fight-Win" ; "Integrity first, Service before self, Excellence in all we do"
Colors	Ultramarine blue, Golden yellow ;
March	"The U.S. Air Force" Playⓘ
Anniversaries	18 September
Equipment	List of equipment of the United States Air Force
Engagements	See list ; Mexican Expedition (As Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps); ; World War I (As Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and Army Air Service); ; ; ; World War II (As USAAF); ; Korean War; ; Lebanon Crisis; ; Second Taiwan Strait Crisis; ; Quemoy and Matsu Islands; ; Vietnam Assistance; ; Congo Crisis; ; Berlin Crisis; ; Vietnam War; ; Laotian Civil War; ; Cuban Missile Crisis; ; Congo – Operation Dragon Rouge; ; Dominican Civil War – Operation Power Pack; ; Korean DMZ Conflict; ; Cambodian Campaign; ; Communist insurgency in Thailand; Cambodia – Operation Eagle Pull; ; Vietnam – Operation Frequent Wind; ; Mayaguez Operation; ; Grenada – Operation Urgent Fury; ; Lebanese Civil War; ; Persian Gulf – Operation Earnest Will; ; Libya – Operation El Dorado Canyon; ; Panama – Operation Just Cause; ; Southwest Asia Conflict; ; Somali Civil War; ; Haiti – Operation Uphold Democracy; Kosovo Campaign; ; Afghanistan Campaign; ; Global War on Terrorism; ; Iraq Campaign; Operation Inherent Resolve; Iran-Israel War; ;
Website	af.mil; airforce.com;
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Donald Trump
Secretary of Defense	Pete Hegseth
Secretary of the Air Force	Troy Meink
Chief of Staff	Gen Kenneth S. Wilsbach
Vice Chief of Staff	Gen John D. Lamontagne
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	CMSAF David R. Wolfe
Insignia
Flag
Roundel
Hap Arnold Wings
Aircraft flown
Attack	A-10, A-29, AC-130J, MQ-9A, OA-1K
Bomber	B-1B, B-2A, B-52H
Electronic; warfare	E-3B/C/G, E-4B, E-9A, E-11A, EA-37B, EC-130H, EC-130J
Fighter	F-15C/D, F-15E, F-15EX, F-16C/D/CG/DG/CJ/DJ, F-22A, F-35A
Helicopter	HH-60G/U/W, MH-139, UH-1N
Reconnaissance	RC-135S/U/V/W, RQ-4B, RQ-11, RQ-170, RQ-180, RQ-20, U-2S, U-28, WC-130J, WC-135C/W
Trainer	T-1A, T-6A, T-38A/B/C, T-41D, T-51A, T-53A, TC-135W, TG-15A, TG-15B, TG-16, TH-1H, TU-2S
Transport	C-5M, C-12C/D/F/J, C-17A, CN-235, C-21A, C-32A/B, C-37A, C-37B, C-40B/C, C-130H, C-130J, HC-130J/N/P, LC-130H, MC-130H/J, C-146A, VC-25A, CV-22B
Tanker	KC-46A, KC-135R/T, HC-130, MC-130
	QF-16 (target drone)

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is a part of the United States Department of Defense and is one of the six armed forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the Air Force was established by transfer of personnel from the Army Air Forces with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

The Department of the Air Force, which serves as the USAF's headquarters and executive department, is one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the secretary of defense and is appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. The highest-ranking military officer in the Air Force is the chief of staff of the Air Force, who exercises supervision over Air Force units and serves as one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As directed by the secretary of defense and secretary of the Air Force, certain Air Force components are assigned to unified combatant commands. Combatant commanders are delegated operational authority of the forces assigned to them, while the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force retain administrative authority over their members.

Along with conducting independent air operations, the United States Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2020, the service operates approximately 5,500 military aircraft and approximately 400 ICBMs. The world's largest air force, it has a $179.7 billion budget and is the second largest service branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, with 321,848 active duty airmen, 147,879 civilian personnel, 68,927 reserve airmen, 105,104 Air National Guard airmen, and approximately 65,000 Civil Air Patrol auxiliaries.