The U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force became an independent service on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act, having grown out of the Army's aviation arms — the Air Service, the Army Air Corps, and the Army Air Forces of World War II. It flies, fights, and wins across air, space, and cyberspace, and operates the air leg of the nuclear triad.

From Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in 1947 to Strategic Air Command, ICBMs, and global strike, the Air Force has defined American air dominance. Its motto, adopted in 2010, is "Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win."

The U.S. Air Force Academy was established in 1954 at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its first class of 306 cadets was sworn in in 1955 (training temporarily at Lowry AFB), moved to the permanent campus in 1958, and graduated in 1959. Its core values: "Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence in All We Do."

Like the other DoD academies, USAFA requires a congressional nomination. Importantly, USAFA and Air Force ROTC commission officers into both the Air Force and the Space Force. Full academy process →