[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14579-14580]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 262--COMMEMORATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AS AN INDEPENDENT MILITARY SERVICE AND 
  CELEBRATING THE AIR FORCE FOR 70 YEARS OF SERVING AND DEFENDING THE 
                             UNITED STATES

  Mr. BOOZMAN (for himself, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Tester, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
Inhofe, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Udall, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Daines, 
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Burr) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 262

       Whereas, on August 1, 1907, the Aeronautical Division of 
     the Army Signal Corps, consisting of 1 officer and 2 enlisted 
     men, began operation under the command of Captain Charles 
     DeForest Chandler with the responsibility for ``all matters 
     pertaining to military ballooning, air machines, and all 
     kindred subjects'';
       Whereas, in 1908, the Department of War contracted with the 
     Wright brothers to build 1 heavier-than-air flying machine 
     for the Army and, in 1909, the Department accepted the Wright 
     Military Flyer, the first military airplane;
       Whereas pilots of the United States, flying with both 
     Allied air forces and with the Army Air Service, performed 
     admirably during the course of World War I, the first air war 
     in history, by participating in pursuit, observation, and day 
     and night bombing missions;
       Whereas pioneering aviators of the United States, including 
     Mason M. Patrick, William ``Billy'' Mitchell, Benjamin D. 
     Foulois, Frank M. Andrews, Henry H. ``Hap'' Arnold, James H. 
     ``Jimmy'' Doolittle, and Edward ``Eddie'' Rickenbacker, were 
     among the first individuals to recognize the military 
     potential of airpower and, in the decades following World War 
     I, courageously laid the foundation for the creation of an 
     independent arm for the air forces of the United States;
       Whereas, on June 20, 1941, the Department of War created 
     the Army Air Forces as the aviation element of that 
     Department and, shortly thereafter, the Department made the 
     Army Air Forces co-equal to the Army Ground Forces;
       Whereas General Henry H. ``Hap'' Arnold drew upon the 
     industrial prowess and human resources of the United States 
     to transform the Army Air Corps from a force of 22,400 men 
     and 2,402 aircraft in 1939 into an entity with a peak wartime 
     strength of 2,400,000 personnel and 79,908 aircraft;
       Whereas the standard for courage, flexibility, and 
     intrepidity in combat was established for all Airmen during 
     the first aerial raid in the Pacific Theater on April 18, 
     1942, when Lieutenant Colonel James ``Jimmy'' H. Doolittle 
     led 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers in a joint 
     operation from the deck of the USS Hornet to strike the 
     Japanese mainland in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl 
     Harbor;
       Whereas the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3001 
     et seq.), signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, 
     realigned and reorganized the Armed Forces to establish the 
     Department of the Air Force (referred to in this preamble as 
     the ``USAF'') as separate from other military services;
       Whereas, on September 18, 1947, W. Stuart Symington became 
     the first Secretary of the newly formed and independent USAF, 
     marking the date on which the USAF was established;
       Whereas, on September 26, 1947, General Carl A. Spaatz, a 
     pioneering aviator and former Commanding General of the Army 
     Air Forces, became the first Chief of Staff of the USAF;
       Whereas the Air National Guard was also created by the 
     National Security Act of 1947 and has played a vital role in 
     guarding the United States and defending freedom in nearly 
     every major conflict and contingency since its creation;

[[Page 14580]]

       Whereas, on October 14, 1947, the USAF demonstrated the 
     historic and ongoing commitment of the USAF to technological 
     innovation when Captain Charles ``Chuck'' Yeager piloted the 
     X-1 developmental rocket plane to a speed of Mach 1.07, 
     becoming the first flyer to break the sound barrier in a 
     powered aircraft in level flight;
       Whereas the Air Force Reserve, created on April 14, 1948, 
     is comprised of citizen airmen who serve as unrivaled wingmen 
     of the active duty USAF during every deployment and on every 
     mission and battlefield around the world in which the USAF is 
     engaged;
       Whereas the USAF carried out the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 
     1949 to provide humanitarian relief to post-war Germany and 
     has established a tradition of offering humanitarian 
     assistance when responding to natural disasters and needs 
     across the world;
       Whereas the Tuskegee Airmen served the United States with 
     tremendous dignity and honor, overcame segregation and 
     prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter 
     groups of World War II, and helped to establish a policy of 
     racial integration within the ranks of the USAF, as, on April 
     26, 1948, the USAF became the first military branch to 
     integrate, a full 3 months before an Executive order 
     integrated all military services;
       Whereas, in the early years of the Cold War, the arsenal of 
     bombers of the USAF, such as the long-range Convair B-58 
     Hustler and B-36 Peacemaker, and the Boeing B-47 Stratojet 
     and B-52 Stratofortress, under the command of General Curtis 
     LeMay, served as the preeminent deterrent of the United 
     States against the forces of the Soviet Union and were later 
     augmented by the development and deployment of medium range 
     and intercontinental ballistic missiles, such as the Titan 
     and Minuteman, developed by General Bernard A. Schriever;
       Whereas, on April 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower 
     signed legislation establishing the United States Air Force 
     Academy, the mission of which is to educate, develop, and 
     inspire men and women to become aerospace officers and 
     leaders of impeccable character and knowledge, and that, as 
     of 2017, has graduated 59 classes and 49,700 cadets;
       Whereas, during the Korean War, the USAF employed the first 
     large-scale combat use of jet aircraft, helped to establish 
     air superiority over the Korean Peninsula, protected ground 
     forces of the United Nations with close air support, and 
     interdicted enemy reinforcements and supplies;
       Whereas, after the development of launch vehicles and 
     orbital satellites, the mission of the USAF expanded into 
     space and, as of 2017, provides exceptional support with 
     respect to real-time global communications, environmental 
     monitoring, navigation, precision timing, missile warning, 
     nuclear deterrence, and space surveillance;
       Whereas, during the Vietnam War, the USAF engaged in a 
     limited campaign of airpower to assist the South Vietnamese 
     government in countering the communist Viet Cong guerillas 
     and fought to disrupt supply lines, halt enemy ground 
     offensives, and protect United States and Allied forces;
       Whereas, on April 3, 1967, former prisoner of war Paul W. 
     Airey, a career radio operator, aerial gunner, and First 
     Sergeant, became the first Chief Master Sergeant of the USAF;
       Whereas, in recent decades, the USAF and coalition partners 
     of the United States have supported successful actions in 
     Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Kuwait, Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 
     Haiti, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and many other 
     locations around the world;
       Whereas USAF Special Operations Forces have served with 
     honor and distinction around the world since their activation 
     in 1990, providing the United States with specialized 
     airpower across the broad spectrum of conflict in any place 
     and at any time;
       Whereas, for 27 consecutive years beginning in 1990, Airmen 
     have--
       (1) been engaged in continuous combat operations ranging 
     from Operation Desert Shield to the Global War on Terrorism 
     to Operation Inherent Resolve; and
       (2) shown that the Airmen constitute an air and space 
     expeditionary force of outstanding capability and are ready 
     to fight and win wars for the United States when and where 
     they are called upon;
       Whereas, when terrorists attacked the United States on 
     September 11, 2001, fighter and air refueling aircraft of the 
     USAF took to the skies to fly combat air patrols over major 
     cities of the United States and protected the families, 
     friends, and neighbors of the people of the United States 
     from further attack;
       Whereas, on December 7, 2005, the USAF modified its mission 
     statement to include flying and fighting in air, space, and 
     cyberspace and prioritized the innovation, 
     operationalization, and sustainment of warfighting 
     capabilities to deliver unrestricted access to cyberspace to 
     defend the United States and its worldwide interests;
       Whereas women have played a prominent role in the evolution 
     of the USAF, courageously fighting alongside their male 
     counterparts and dedicating their lives to protecting peace, 
     liberty, and freedom around the world as they provide ``ready 
     to fight tonight'' airpower whenever and wherever needed;
       Whereas, as of 2017, the USAF has made tremendous strides 
     in the global warfighting domain of cyberspace by 
     revolutionizing offensive and defensive capabilities and 
     effects with speed, agility, and surgical precision, thereby 
     ensuring the continuous command, control, and execution of 
     joint and service operations in contested, degraded, and 
     limited environments;
       Whereas the untapped potential of enlisted aviators is 
     recognized by the USAF as these highly trained, intelligent, 
     and professional Airmen fly remotely piloted aircraft to 
     distant skies in support of combatant commanders and meet the 
     insatiable demand for persistent intelligence, surveillance, 
     and reconnaissance capabilities;
       Whereas the Civil Air Patrol, as a total force partner and 
     auxiliary of the USAF, has maintained a steadfast commitment 
     to the United States and the communities of the United States 
     through a proud legacy of service, from the earliest days of 
     World War II, when the Civil Air Patrol protected the 
     shorelines of the United States, through 2017, as the Civil 
     Air Patrol executes emergency service missions;
       Whereas the USAF is steadfast in the commitment to fielding 
     a world-class air expeditionary force by recruiting, 
     training, and educating its officer, enlisted, and civilian 
     corps comprising the active duty, Air National Guard, and Air 
     Force Reserve components of the USAF;
       Whereas more than 100,000 Airmen stand watch around the 
     world at 175 global locations, committed to winning the 
     constant fight against violent extremist organizations by 
     expending more than 56,000 munitions and striking more than 
     32,000 enemy targets over the course of 18,200 airstrikes;
       Whereas Airmen were imprisoned and tortured during several 
     major conflicts, including World War I, World War II, the 
     Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf War, and, 
     in the valiant tradition of Airmen held captive, continued 
     serving the United States with honor and dignity under the 
     most inhumane circumstances;
       Whereas Airmen have earned the Medal of Honor 18 times, the 
     Air Force Cross 183 times, the Distinguished Service Cross 42 
     times, and the Silver Star 74 times;
       Whereas the USAF is a tremendous steward of resources, 
     develops and applies groundbreaking technology, manages 
     complex acquisition programs, and maintains test, evaluation, 
     and sustainment criteria for all USAF weapon systems 
     throughout the life cycles of those weapon systems;
       Whereas talented and dedicated Airmen will continue to meet 
     the future challenges of an ever-changing world with 
     limitless strength, resolve, and patriotism;
       Whereas, on every continent around the world, the USAF has 
     bravely fought for freedom, liberty, and peace, preserved 
     democracy, and protected the people and interests of the 
     United States;
       Whereas Airmen of the USAF, together with their joint force 
     partners, will continue to be a tremendous resource for the 
     United States in fights across every domain and at every 
     location, delivering continuous air and space superiority, 
     intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global 
     mobility, global strike, and command and control 
     capabilities, thereby ensuring the safety and security of the 
     United States; and
       Whereas, for 70 years, the USAF and the Airmen of the USAF, 
     through their exemplary service and sacrifice, have 
     repeatedly proven their value to the United States, the 
     people of the United States, the allies of the United States, 
     and all free people of the world: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates the 70th anniversary of the establishment 
     of the Air Force as an independent military service; and
       (2) remembers, honors, and commends the achievements of the 
     Air Force in serving and defending the United States through 
     global vigilance, global reach, and global power.

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