The 349th Air Mobility Wing gives a shout-out: Happy 67th Birthday Air Force

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TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The "Golden Gate" 349th Air Mobility Wing dates back to November 1943, when it was activated at Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri. But when the 349th was again activated in June 1949, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, we became a proud member of the Air Force. Over the course of time today, with a "Throw-Back-Thursday" special event, we want to share some Air Force historical highlights.

The modern day Air Force was created as a separate military service on Sept. 18, 1947, with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947, under President Truman it created the Department of the Air Force.

Using our unique perspective, Airmen have long stood for innovation and pioneered creative ways to win the fight while shaping the future of the Air Force and Airpower. Airpower is part of our legacy. In the words of William 'Billy' Mitchell, who was a crusader with the vision to understand the potential of air power, long before his contemporaries, "Airpower is the ability to do something useful in the air". In today's era, Airpower is the ability to accomplish vitally important objectives for the nation in air, space and cyberspace.

The Air Force's rich history is also filled with other "Captains of Airpower" like, Hap Arnold, Carl Spaatz, George Kenney, Jimmy Doolittle, Curtis LeMay, Bernard Schriever and William Tunner. These historical Air Force pioneers, and many others, leaned forward during periods of uncertainty, resulting in today's agile service, able to adapt and respond faster than our potential adversaries.

Since the very first powered flight, Airmen have viewed the world differently - seeking to "go over, not through," forever changing the nature of warfare. Airpower continues to defy traditional limitations such as oceans, shoreline, mountains, rivers and distance and deliver unprecedented advantages -- speed, range, flexibility, precision, lethality and payload.

Today's Air Force's core missions are still rooted in our original roles and responsibilities adopted back in 1947; today we call them Air and Space Superiority, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Rapid Global Mobility, Global Strike and Command and Control.

Editor's note: information compiled from the U.S. Air Force Key Talking Points, The Air Force Birthday.