DAF History

Initial formation of the Department of the Air Force and the DAF's evolution

Initial Formation - 1907

The US Army Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Division to take "charge of all matters pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all kindred subjects”. This marked the beginning of structured military aviation in the United States.

The Army Reorganization Act of 1920

This act made the Air Service a combatant arm of the Army. Tactical air units in the United States were placed under the nine USA corps area commanders, where they continued to be employed primarily in support of the ground forces.

Air Corps Act of 1926

This act changed the name of the Air Service to Air Corps but left unaltered its status as a combatant arm of the U.S. Army. The act also established the Office of Assistant Secretary of War for Air.

WWII - Army Air Forces

A War Department reorganization dissolved the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps and the Air Force Combat Command and merged all elements of the air arm into the Army Air Forces. These actions emphasized the surge towards an independent service.

National Security Act of 1947

Created the Department of the Air Force, headed by a Secretary of the Air Force. Under the Department of the Air Force, the act established the United States Air Force, headed by the Chief of Staff, USAF.

World War I

The first major conflict involving aircraft. Balloons used for artillery spotting and airplanes for reconnaissance over enemy lines made a decisive contribution. Eventually, fighter aircraft emerged, marking the beginning of air-to-air combat, while dirigible airships and airplanes proved effective at bombing. At the same time, a serious doctrine of air warfare was beginning to emerge. Spearheaded by Brig Gen William ‘Billy’ Mitchell, the idea for an independent air service was first proposed.

World War II

WWII saw the advent of strategic bombing. Escorted by the P-51 Mustang, American bombers were able to attack targets deep within German airspace. During the war, atomic weapons were developed, setting up a new age of nuclear power. WWII also saw the expansion of American airpower, as its numbers grew from around 20,000 personnel to 2.4 million. After the successes of the USAAF, independence for the Air Force was virtually inevitable

Cold War Strategic Air Command

The Cold War ushered in the creation of Strategic Air Command in 1946, whose mission was to provide nuclear deterrence and strategic strike capability. This command operated fleets of B-52 bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which remained on constant alert during the Cold War.

Cold War Operation Vittles

Operation Vittles, aka the Berlin Airlift, was one of the first post-WWII demonstrations of the Air Force’s strategic mobility. In 1948, the Soviets blocked all land and water access to West Berlin, forcing the Allies to bring in all necessary supplies by air. To accomplish this, the USAF replaced the WWII-era C-47 with the new C-54 Skymaster and introduced a new, more efficient system of standardization. Operation Vittles delivered 2 million tons of cargo and was able to successfully keep West Berlin from collapsing.

Korean War

The Korean war saw the first jet-on-jet combat. New American planes, such as the F-86 Sabre, gave pilots an edge against Russian fighters like the MiG-15, leading to a 10:1 victory ratio for the United States. Additionally, aerial refueling was used for the first time. This allowed fighter aircraft to fly further and remain over enemy territory longer, increasing air mobility.

Vietnam War Graduated Response

When the U.S. first entered the Vietnam War, they did so following a doctrine of Graduated Response. This meant that offensive actions were escalated incrementally, designed to increase pressure on the enemy and force them to negotiate. At the same time, the war was controlled mainly from Washington D.C., with decisions made by U.S. advisors, rather then combatant commanders. Neither of these were effective strategies.

Vietnam War Operation Rolling Thunder

After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the USAF began a bombing campaign known as Operation Rolling Thunder. However, targeting limitations were imposed, sharply reducing the effectiveness of the campaign. The USAF operated under strict ROEs, preventing them from attacking strategic targets, such as grounded MiGs or SAM sites. Operation Rolling Thunder was unable to force negotiations with the North Vietnamese and is considered a failure.

Vietnam War Operation Linebacker

After the failure of Operation Rolling Thunder, the USAF tried the opposite approach. They removed the restrictive targeting limitations, attacking more effective targets like airfields and power plants. This approach was able to cut off supply lines to North Vietnamese troops, and it was successfully able to pressure them into peace negotiations.

The Gulf War

Operation Desert Storm was a 43-day air campaign against Iraq, following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. This was a Total Force campaign, combining Active Duty troops with members of the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard. It was the first time stealth and precision-guided munitions were used on a large scale, thanks to innovations such as the F-117 Nighthawk and laser-guided Smart Bombs. It also marked the first time that GPS was used extensively in combat, allowing ground troops to sucessfully navigate the desert. Operation Desert Storm was highly effective, showing not only the importance of space and stealth but also of using a truly multi-domain strategy and a “Total Force” doctrine.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft

In 1994, Air Force's modern-day RPA program was created, with the advent of the RQ-1 Predator. This was the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be flown in combat by the USAF, and it was designed purely for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). In 2002, the Predator was equipped with Hellfire missiles, and its designation was changed to MQ-1. RPAs were no longer just for spying; they were now able to function as a combat platform as well. Since then, the MQ-9 Reaper has been introduced. The MQ-9 is a larger, more powerful airframe than the MQ-1, and it is able to carry more weapons

Global War on Terror

RPAs have seen combat throughout the Global War on Terror. A well-known use of an MQ-1 was during Operation Enduring Freedom, at the Battle of Roberts Ridge. The drone was used both to provide video footage of the firefight and provide air support to the ground troops. Both MQ-1s and MQ-9s were used in Operation Iraqi Freedom as well, performing ISR, close air support, communications relay, and much more.

Brigadier General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell

Proposed and spearheaded the idea for an independent air service.