This Day in History:
September 18, 1947
The United States Air Force becomes an autonomous arm of the U.S. military establishment, with W. Stuart Symington shortly thereafter taking oath of office as first Secretary of the Air Force. The formation of the Air Force as a separate body began with the National Security Act of 1947, which separated the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force as coequal divisions of the new Department of National Defense.
American Aviation Historical Society
1956 - 2026, Celebrating 70 Years of Service
