The 73rd Air Force Day will be celebrated on Friday, September 18, 2020. Before the creation of the Air Force, the military flying operations were handled by the U.S. Army and the Navy by sea. This branch of service is an important part of the history of air power in the United States.
In the decades since, it has established itself as an air force second-to-none. WWII illustrated the value of air power, and the need to change the basic organization of the U.S. military forces. The result was the creation of a single Department of Defense with a strong Joint Chiefs of Staff with Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs.
In 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act which established this new defense organization, and along with it the creation of the U.S. Air Force as an independent service, equal to the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. Currently, U.S. Air Force personnel strength is approximately 334,000.