Happy Birthday U.S. Air Force!

[82Rigger]

This post is dedicated to all Air Force personnel and veterans on the 58th anniversary of the birth of the United States Air Force.





We take the blue from the skies
And some pretty blue eyes
And a touch of Old Glory's hue
And fervently declare we're proud to wear
The U. S. Air Force Blue.

To put the drive and the dream
In America's team
We're a rugged and ready crew,
And you can bet your boots
The world looks up
To U. S. Air Force Blue.

We know where we're going,
We've set our course
The sky's no limit in the Air Force!

And when the blue from the skies
Meets the gleam in our eyes
And a touch of Old Glory's hue
We fervently declare we're proud to wear
The U. S. Air Force Blue.

[BLUEHAWK]

[Jerry D]

Thanks Rigger, Here's to the Vision of Col. William Mitchell, Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, Jimmy Doolittle and "5 Star" Gen Hap Arnold for their Vision of a USAF
Looking back on our Air Force history we see that innovation and flexibility has always been the major strength enabling us to overcome a myriad of challenges and stay a technological step ahead of our enemies.

Only two years after World War II?s end, the Air Force became a separate service after proving that air power and its operational doctrines was a distinct and decisive weapon in determining the outcome of battles. An interesting tidbit of trivia is that the only five-star general in Air Force history, General Henry ?Hap? Arnold, became a pilot in 1911 when our nation?s military air arm consisted of only two aircraft.

During his tenure, he successfully led the Army Air Corps to victory in Europe and the Pacific, ending the debate about the significance of aviation contributions. When General Arnold retired in 1945, the Army Air Corps had grown to a force of more than 78,500 aircraft and nearly 2.4 million Airmen. In 1947, President Harry Truman made the Air Force a separate service, and appointed General Arnold the first 5-star General of the Air Force.

Throughout military history, Airmen have made a difference. From the massive Berlin Airlift, dogfights in ?MiG Alley? over Korea to the ?Wild Weasels? in Vietnam, stealth fighters in Desert Storm to the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in Operation Enduring Freedom, the Air Force has always dealt swiftly with any challenge facing it.

Today we face an even greater danger in the Global War on Terror. This effort requires focusing a tremendous amount of energy and determination to defeat the current threat to the U.S. and freedom. In concert with the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the Air Force has been working non-stop since 2001 in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom by helping to win the war and sow the seeds of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Airmen in these operations have taken on non-traditional tasks and are doing superbly. Working with the Army in Balad Air Base, Iraq, our Airmen have reached the 3 million-mile mark in convoys driven in Iraq; they have supported more than 3,500 convoys since 2004 when they started conducting joint operations with the Army. These operations included loading supplies, providing convoy escort and security, maintaining convoy vehicles and adding protective armor plating to vehicles.

Our Air Force medical teams are also assisting in the fight by being based where they provide advanced medical care for our wounded troops within hours, resulting in the lowest death rate of wounded soldiers in any war in recorded history.
The Air Force maintains a long tradition of rising to meet any challenge and we are proud of this legacy. It is important to know that your service to the USAF and your country is greatly appreciated through your contributions here at Hanscom. We don?t know what the future holds for our Air Force, but our future is in great hands with the talented, motivated and outstanding Airmen we are serving with today.

Here are some good pics too,
http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...040213_005.jpg

http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...040706_001.jpg

http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...040624_001.jpg

How the NY Air Guard go skiing
http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...040205_001.jpg

Women Air Service Pilots:
http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...021222_006.jpg

one for the Infantry
http://www.af.mil/media/ggallery/hir...030602_001.jpg

Happy B-Day Airmen, and U.S. Air Force. Thanks for keeping the skies clear from fear.

[Boats]

They got the heavies and still some of the best air craft around for long distance stikes. Would be very difficult to fight a war without them and their support. Happy Birthday the A-F

[MarineAO]

Happy B-Day to The United States Air Force and thanks for a Job Well Done!