"Sixty years ago today the Air Force became an independent
service. Three days before becoming the first secretary of the Air
Force, W. Stuart Symington noted in his address to the inaugural
convention of the Air Force Association, 'No Air Force can be
created by legislative action alone. All the National Security Act
of 1947 has done is to give us the green light. It must be
considered an opportunity and not an accomplishment.' Since that
time, courageous Airmen have pushed the limits of imagination and
technology to fight and win the nation's wars.
"This anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect on where we
have been in just over a century of powered flight and just over
five decades of rocketry and access to space. Today we also honor
the extraordinary achievements and gallant sacrifices America's
Airmen have made in the defense of freedom. Born of the
revolutionary ideas of military aviation and rocketry and forged in
the fire of combat throughout the wars of the 20th century, a
handful of visionary pioneers helped shape the most dominant Air
Force the world has ever known.
"Today, our innovative, warfighting culture shines through as
close to 700,000 Airmen -- including our active duty, civilians,
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve -- continue to answer our
nation's call. Of those Airmen, more than 235,000 are assigned to
our global combatant commanders, defending this great nation
through the operating domains of air, space and cyberspace. Over
35,000 Airmen are currently deployed to 120 locations around the
world fighting the Global War on Terrorism.
"Yet, while we are fighting today's war we are also transforming
our service to meet tomorrow's emerging threats. We are modernizing
and recapitalizing our force. New aircraft, such as the F-22, F-35,
new combat search and rescue helicopter and replacement air
refueling tanker will ensure our edge in the air domain. We are
also helping to maintain our technological lead in space by
replacing our strategic communication and early warning satellite
systems. Likewise, we are aggressively pursuing options that will
position us to dominate cyberspace. These vital efforts aim to give
the joint warfighting team critical advantages in the air, space
and cyberspace. They foster Air Force cross-domain dominance -- the
ability to project power and create decisive and lethal effects
through the air, space, cyberspace and against targets on the
ground and at sea. They provide our nation with sovereign
options.
"While the Air Force is a technically-oriented service, it is
our Airmen who make our Air Force great. While we mark this
milestone in Air Force history, we congratulate each of you. Total
Force Airmen of the U.S. Air Force past, present and future can
take pride in their roles in the Air Force's success. Your service,
dedication and sacrifice guarantee our ability to fly, fight and
win for America today and into the future."
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