The U.S. Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. Since then, American Airmen have been breaking barriers in air, space and cyberspace, resulting in global vigilance, reach and power. They’ve shown tenacity in Korea’s MiG Alley, endurance in Vietnam’s Rolling Thunder campaign, decisiveness over the skies of Baghdad during Desert Storm and resilience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Airmen are now fully engaged as part of America’s Joint Force in every region of the world and every mission area across the full spectrum of military operations. Airmen span the globe and Airpower has become the “oxygen the joint team breathes.”

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 1: The Enola Gay
2015
The thought of using a nuclear weapon is a heavy one and when the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima it sparked conversations all over the world…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 2: The Plane That Ended WWII
2015
Near the end of WWII, America was planning a full-scale invasion on mainland Japan. The Allies expected casualties on both sides to number in the millions…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 3: The President’s Plane
2015
As the Leader of the Free World, one of the perks of being President is flying in style. But no President had ever experienced anything like SAM 26000…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 4: The World’s Fastest Plane
2015
In the 1960's, the Air Force developed a plane that could travel more than 3 times as fast as the sound produced by its own engines. The SR-71 Blackbird's…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 5: Belle
2015
As a retired aircraft mechanic, Roger has always loved airplanes. But he’s never met one like her. She’s a timeless symbol of World War II, and she’s…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 6: The U-2 and Gary Powers Incident
2015
As the dust settled after World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as competing superpowers. The former wartime allies found themselves…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 7: Archie Williams
2016
…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 9: Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold
2016
This episode of Yesterday's Air Force looks at the career of General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, the only man to ever hold both grades of General of the…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 10: Lafayette Escadrille
2016
Over a hundred years ago American Airmen were flying for the French Air Service in the Great War.

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 11: Langley Air Force Base
2016
One hundred years ago military officials broke ground on what would become Langley Air Force Base. In this episode, we take a look back into its history…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 12: Secret Squirrel
2016
Operation Senior Surprise (Secret Squirrel) began the bombing campaign against Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991. It began Operation Desert Storm and the…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 13: The Challenger Disaster
2016
It was 30 years ago that the much-anticipated launch of Space Shuttle Challenger quickly turned to tragedy. Here's a look back at this fateful day as well…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 14: Operation Tomodachi
2016
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the tsunami struck of the Pacific coast of Japan. The U.S. and Japanese response was known as "Operation…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 15: Pilot Training
2017
Take a look back at the history of the Air Force's Pilot Training Program, from its humble beginnings in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to its modern day…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 16: ICBM Evolution
2017
The Cold War sparked the evolution of America's most powerful nuclear deterrent, intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 17: The Information Age
2017
Computers have influenced the Air Force since inception. They were originally developed to be problem solvers, but their vulnerabilities soon created a…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 18: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
2017
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, better known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft are not a new war-fighting technology, in fact their development goes back to the early…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 19: USAF Astronauts
2018
The U.S. Air Force helped propel man to the moon. Across several decades, Airmen have participated in the training, planning and flying of rockets and…

Yesterdays Air Force – Episode 20: Robin Olds
2018
This episode follows the progression of Robin Olds through his Air Force Career, his accomplishments, and the lasting impact he left on many generations…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 21: Women Air Force Service Pilots
2018
Women Air Force Service Pilots left a legacy that inspires even today. Their contributions during WWII were invaluable, to say the least.

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 22: Strategic Bombers
2018
Since the World War II era, the Air Force has relied on strategic bombers gather intelligence and defend the United States against adversaries.

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 23: Hurricane Hunters
2018
What started as a dare more than 70 years ago turned into the way we predict hurricanes today. Find out how the Air Force got started in a critical mission…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 24: Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
2018
The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center has been coordinating inland search and rescue missions in the United States since its creation. Today, the AFRCC…

Yesterday’s Air Force – Episode 25: The Pilot who Killed King Kong
2018
There was only one man who took part in the hunt for Pancho Villa, the Doolittle Raid, the Flying Tigers, the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri and…