60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force

Floor Speech

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE -- (Senate - September 18, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, GEN H.H. ``Hap'' Arnold, USAF, once said, ``A modern, autonomous, and thoroughly trained Air Force in being at all times will not alone be sufficient, but without it there can be no national security.'' It is in the name of our national security that today I recognize the U.S. Air Force's 60th anniversary.

One hundred years ago, Henry H. ``Hap'' Arnold graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. That same year, in August 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division to oversee ``military ballooning, air machines and all kindred subjects.'' Arnold went on to become the Chief of the Army Air Corps, and, upon the creation of the U.S. Air Force as a separate branch of the military in 1947, a year after General Arnold's retirement, Congress appointed him to the rank of five star general--the first and only in the history of the Air Force.

The U.S. Air Force was created by Congress to ``be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations.'' ``[It] shall be responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war.'' Today, on the anniversary of the National Security Act of 1947, we celebrate 60 years of an independent Air Force. This independence was necessary and critical and remains so in order that, in the recent words of MG Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., the United States has ``one service that focuses on maximizing options for decision-makers by optimizing airpower.''

The U.S. Air Force, comprised of close to 700,000 Active Duty, civilian, Air National Guard, and Air Force reservists, plays a vital and instrumental role in the ongoing fight against terrorism and other emerging threats on
multiple fronts, from flying combat missions and conducting manned and unmanned surveillance to logistical ground support. Thirty-five thousand Air Force personnel are currently deployed to 120 duty stations worldwide, keeping freedom alive and the forces of tyranny at bay. Whether it is monitoring satellites in orbit or the space shuttle, delivering precision-guided munitions to air and ground targets or patrolling the far reaches of cyberspace, the USAF maintains strategic and operational dominance in theater and around the globe. Fighters, bombers, missiles, and unmanned aircraft are the unparalleled tools of today's airmen, tools they use with unmatched skill and lethal precision in defense of our freedom and liberties.

On a daily basis for over 4 years now, dozens of close air support missions--troop support, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities--are conducted by coalition forces in Iraq. The U.S. Air Force is responsible for the majority of these.

Sixty years of Air Force excellence and superiority has been possible only because of those who have voluntarily dedicated their lives to the success of U.S. air power. With the esteemed heritage of ``Hap'' Arnold and other distinguished and outstanding leaders in their hearts, the men and women of the USAF and their families serve our Nation with distinction, integrity, and patriotism. They approach their mission in the same spirit with which they swore their oath of allegiance: with a grave sense of duty, honor and bravery.

Idaho has been home to Mountain Home Air Force Base for over 60 years now. Over the past half century, Mountain Home AFB has hosted many diverse missions of the Air Force including special and covert operations, combat and reconnaissance operations, ballistic missile defense, electronic combat, and fighter operations. It is one of the largest employers in the State of Idaho.

The Gunfighters, as Mountain Home AFB personnel are known, deploy to fight terror in an integrated fashion, from the maintenance and piloting of F-15 Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, and F-16 Fighting Falcons to complementary support missions such as intelligence and communications. In the air campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Gunfighters flew almost 1,000 individual sorties.

In addition to executing its military mission, the Air Force recognizes its environmental responsibility to the communities in which it operates and has worked diligently over the years to be a good steward of Federal land in southern Idaho. I have worked with leadership at the base on many land management issues during my service in Congress. Further, the Air Force continues to respect Native-American cultural sensitivities and practices and works hard to do its part in maintaining a respectful relationship for the betterment of Shoshone-Paiute tribal interests as well as maintaining state of the art training for our airmen.

As a Nation, we are blessed to have such an outstanding, committed, and respectable military. The Air Force works intricately and effectively with the other military branches to skillfully execute the war on terror, specifically, but not limited to, military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Always innovative, the Air Force continues to look ahead, establishing itself as the dominant space defense force empowered and capable of facing new strategic global realities in an ever-changing global threat environment, ensuring its ability to respond to threats immediately and wherever they arise. Americans can be incredibly proud of and thankful for the sacrifice of their Air Force women and men worldwide. In the words of another famous former Chief of the Air Force, GEN Curtis LeMay, ``If we maintain our faith in God, love of freedom, and superior global air power, the future looks good.''

Source