Jack Thomas, age 13, of Harrisburg, Pa., for his question:
WHEN WAS THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ORGANIZED?
The United States Air Force, usually abbreviated as the USAF, is a military force that today is part of the U.S. Department of Defense. The organization was conceived on Aug. 1, 1907, when the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Army Signal Corps was organized with three persons to study possible military use of airplanes.
By the end of World War I the U.S. had 740 airplnes in 45 squadrons and more than 1,200 aviators in France. The U.S. Army was in charge.
In 1918 Congress authorized the Air Service, still under the U.S. Army. In 1926 the Air Service was renamed the Air Corps.
In 1935 General Headquarters, Air Force, was organized into a combat force composed of fighting units of the air arm. This organization became the Air Force Combat Command in 1941 and, subsequently, the Army Air Force of World War II.
With enactment of the National Security Act of 1947, the Air Force became an autonomous military force with a strength of approximately 300,000 personnel and 25,000 aircraft.
By 1956 the Air Force was assigned sole responsibility for ail land based intermediate and intercontinental ballistic missile systems and three years later for launch and development of all military boosters. By 1965 the Air Force was made responsible for research and development of satellites, boosters, space probes and associated systems used by NASA.
The secretary of the U.S. Air Force, a civilian appointed by the President, controls and directs the Air Force except for combat operations. These operations, which require joint planning with the other military services, are controlled by the Department of Defense.
For internal Air Force matters the Headquarters, Department of the Air Force maintains control and supervision through 11 major commands and 14 separate operating agencies.
Officers for the USAF are trained at the USAF Academy near Colorado Springs, Colo.
One of the important commands of the USAF is the Strategic Air Command with headquarters in Nebraska. This unit oversees aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of directing nuclear explosives to any part of the earth.
Another important unit is the Tactical Air Command, centered in Virginia, which trains and maintains combat ready forces for tactical air operations.
The United States Air Forces in Europe assist the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the defense of Western Europe. Similarly, Pacific Air Forces controls the air over parts of the Pacific Ocean and in the Far East in conjunction with other allies, and the Alaskan Air Command maintains air surveillance over that area.
In addition, the Air Force Logistics Command in Ohio provides worldwide logistics support to the Air Force and the Air Training Command in Texas supervises recruiting and provides training for all personnel. A global airlift system for the armed forces is operated by the Military Airlift Command centered in Illinois.