United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
USAAF Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active:	March 21, 1942 - 1947
Country:
Allegiance:
Branch:	Regular Army
Type:
Role:
Size:
Command structure:
Current commander:
Garrison/HQ:
Ceremonial chief:
Colonel of the Regiment:
Nickname:
Patron:
Motto:
Colors:
March:
Mascot:
Notable battles or wars:
Notable commanders:
Anniversaries:
Decorations:
Battle honours:

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was a part of the U.S. Army during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. Image File history File links Shield of the United States, Army Air Corps, Public Domain Image from af. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Regular Army is the name given to the permanent force of the United States Army that is maintained during peacetime. ... A battle honour is an official acknowledgement to recognize a military units achievements in specific wars or operations. ... The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ...

History

Prior to the start of World War II, the USAAF was known as the U.S. Army Air Corps, or USAAC. The USAAC was a corps-level, subsidiary organization within the U.S. Army, and had little autonomy. Due to the efforts of several key USAAC officers, the threat of war, and the re-organization of the Army along functional lines, the Air Corps obtained greater organizational autonomy as the Army Air Force on June 20, 1941. Renamed the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) on March 9, 1942, and considered a separate arm of the Army, the new USAAF had an equal "voice" with the Army and Navy. 1. ... A corps (a word that immigrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: , but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or signals... The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations around the globe. ...

The sixteen Air Forces

USAAF recruitment poster.

By the end of World War II, the USAAF was divided into sixteen numbered Air Forces (First-Fifteenth and the Twentieth) distributed across all theaters of war, plus the Zone of the Interior general air force stationed in the continental United States. To these were attached an additional eight Air Divisions which were sometimes detached and served as independent units when the need arose. Several of these Air Forces and Divisions grew out of earlier Air Corps commands---for example, the Eighth Air Force was originally called VIII Bomber Command---as the service expanded in size and organization with multiple lower tiers added and yet higher echelons such as U.S. Strategic Air Forces created to control the whole. Several Air Forces were created de novo as the service expanded during the war. The Air Forces and Divisions were divided into a total of 91 Wings, called Bombardment, Tactical Reconnaissance, Training or Composite depending on whether their primary intended role was strategic bombing, pursuit, air support etc. The Air Forces also had jurisdiction over a number of logistical units like the Air Transport Command, successor to the pre-war Air Corps Ferrying Command File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ...

USAAF recruitment poster.

After the war, the Eighth Air Force was merged with several other units to become the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). In 1947, the USAFE became a component of the newly-created United States Air Force. From 1948-49, the unit was responsible for the Berlin Airlift. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Categories: Stub | Commands of the U.S. Air Force ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... The Soviet Union blocked Western rail and road access to West Berlin from June 24, 1948 - May 11, 1949. ...

The official name for the organization was the United States Army Air Forces. In colloquial speech, the old Air Corps name persisted among veteran soldiers; in addition, the singular "Air Force" often crept into popular use, possibly by analogy to the Allied Royal Air Force. This misnomer even crept onto official recruiting posters (see image on right). When spelt with a capital A, Allies usually denotes the countries supporting the Triple Entente who fought together against the Central Powers in World War I and against the Axis Powers in World War II. For more information, see the related articles: Allies of World War I and Allies of... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

List of air forces

• First Air Force
• Second Air Force
• Third Air Force
• Fourth Air Force
• Fifth Air Force
• Sixth Air Force
• Seventh Air Force
• Eighth Air Force
• Ninth Air Force
• Tenth Air Force
• Eleventh Air Force
• Twelfth Air Force
• Thirteenth Air Force
• Fourteenth Air Force
• Fifteenth Air Force
• Twentieth Air Force

One of the original four numbered air forces formed in the United States in 1940, the First Air Force provided air defense and conducted combat training for personnel of newly formed units. ... The Second Air Force was formed in the United States to provide air defense and train personnel of newly formed units in World War II. The Second was briefly a part of Air Defense Command after the war. ... Third Air Force was established in 1940 as the Southeast Air District to provide air defence for that part of continental United States, it also provided air defense and conducted combat training for personnel of newly formed units in World War II. After the war it served Tactical Air Command... Formed in the United States during World War II to provide air defense and combat training for the personnel of newly formed units, the Fourth Air Force was assigned, in turn, to Continental Air Forces, Air Defense Command, and Continental Air Command before inactivating in 1960. ... The Fifth Air Force (5AF), with headquarters currently located at Yokota Air Base,Japan, is one of very few numbered air forces of the United States Air Force never to have been based in the United States itself. ... Sixth Air Force was redesignated from the Caribbean Air Force in February 1942. ... The Seventh Air Force (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) under the Pacific Air Forces major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force. ... The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the major command (MAJCOM) of Air Combat Command of the United States Air Force and it is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. ... Ninth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Combat Command (ACC). ... The USAAF Tenth Air Force was created for air combat operations in China-Burma-India (CBI) theater during World War II. In the years since World War II, the Tenth Air Force has served the air defense and reserve training programs. ... Military aircraft began to deploy to Alaska during the last half of 1940. ... Twelfth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Combat Command (ACC). ... Like the Fifth Air Force, the Thirteenth Air Force has never been stationed in the United States; it is also one of the oldest, continuously active, numbered air forces. ... The United States Fourteenth Air Force operated primarily in China during World War II and subsequently served Air Defense Command, Continental Air Command, and the Air Force Reserve. ... Activated on November 1, 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force was established as part of the U.S. Army Air Force in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. ... Twentieth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). ...

Air Force independence

Following the immense buildup in aviation infrastructure and personnel during the war, and in recognition of the tremendous new importance and strength of airpower, then-President Harry S. Truman created the United States Department of the Air Force in 1947. This legislation renamed the aviation military group again to the United States Air Force, elevating it to a truly separate branch of the U.S. military. The Key West Agreement outlined the air assets that each service would be permitted to maintain, with the Air Force getting the bulk of strategic, tactical and transport aircraft. The Army was permitted light aircraft for reconnaissance, the transport of general officers and other miscellaneous duties, under the auspices of Army Aviation. This state-of-affairs lasted until the 1960's, when the advent of the jet-turbine helicopter and the concept of air-mobile brigades increased the size and scope of Army Aviation once again. The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... Seal The United States Department of the Air Force was formed in 1949 and is a component agency of the United States Department of Defense. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Key West Agreement is the colloquial name for a policy paper entitled Functions of the Armed Forces and the Joint Chiefs of Staff drafted by James V. Forrestal, the first United States Secretary of Defense. ... Aerial warfare is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of warfare. ...

Notable people who served in the USAAF

• Carl Albert, U.S. representative from Oklahoma and Speaker of the House from 1971 to 1977
• Henry H. Arnold, commanding general of the USAAF
• Clyde Cowan, discovered existence of the neutrino
• Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the first African-American general in the USAAF and commander of the 332nd Fighter Group.
• Nathan Bedford Forrest III, brigadier general in the USAAF and great-grandson of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest.
• Clark Gable, film actor
• William Wister Haines, author, screenwriter, and playwright
• Charlton Heston, film actor and President of the National Rifle Association.
• Arthur Harvey, oil pioneer, author, World War I veteran.
• John Hope, television meteorologist and hurricane forecaster
• George McGovern, U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic Presidential candidate
• Glenn Miller, popular musician and director of the Band of the USAAF Training Command
• Walter M. Miller, Jr., science fiction author
• William Rehnquist, jurist and Chief Justice of the United States
• Carl Spaatz, commanding general of the USAAF and later first Chief of Staff of the Air Force
• Aaron Spelling, film and television producer
• Jimmy Stewart, film actor - Officer in 8th Air Force.
• Joseph A. Walker, military test pilot
• Harris Wofford, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania
• Kenneth N. Walker Brig. Gen., Medal of Honor recipient, airpower visionary, co-author of the Air War Plan (AWPD-I)
• George Wallace, Governor of Alabama and Presidential Candidate
• Ted Williams, famous baseball player
• Coleman Young, Mayor of Detroit, 1974-1994.

Carl Bert Albert (May 10, 1908 – February 4, 2000) was a lawyer and a Democratic American politician from Oklahoma. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq. ... The term Speaker is usually the title given to the presiding officer of a countrys lower house of parliament or congress (ie: the House of Commons or House of Representatives). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Henry Hap Arnold Henry Harley Hap Arnold was an aviation pioneer and commander of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first General of the Air Force (in 1949. ... Clyde Lorrain Cowan Jr (1919–1974) was a captain in the United States Army Air Force. ... The neutrino is an elementary particle. ... Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. ... Nathan Bedford Forrest III (April 7, 1905 - June 13, 1943) was a Brigadier General of the United States Army Air Force, and a great-grandson of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3–April 10, 1865 Largest city New Orleans... Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877), was a Confederate general and perhaps the American Civil Wars most highly regarded cavalry and partisan ranger (guerrilla leader). ... Clark Gable with 8th AF in Britain, 1943 Clark Gable (February 1, 1901–November 16, 1960) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor and the biggest box office star of the early sound film era. ... This is an alphabetical list of notable male movie actors. ... This article is about the American author. ... Charlton Heston on the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C Charlton Heston (born October 4, 1923) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor noted for heroic roles and his long involvement in political issues. ... This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association, UK The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a 501(c)(4) group for the protection of gun rights in the United States, established in New York in 1871 as the American... John Raymond Hope (May 4, 1919-June 13, 2002) was an American meteorologist who specialized in hurricane forecasting and was an on-air personality on The Weather Channel. ... Meteorology is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ... George McGovern Dr. George Stanley McGovern (born July 19, 1922) was a United States Congressman, Senator, and Democratic presidential candidate, losing the 1972 presidential election to incumbent Richard Nixon. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Major Glenn Miller Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904–probably December 15, 1944) started life as Alton Glenn Miller in Clarinda, Iowa. ... Walter M. Miller, Jr. ... Note that this partial list contains some authors whose works of fantastic fiction would today be called science fiction, even if they predate, or did not work in that genre. ... William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American lawyer, jurist and political figure, who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and Chief Justice of the United States. ... The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the Supreme Court of the United States. ... Carl Tooey Spaatz (June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974) was an American general in World War II. Carl Andrew Spatz (Spaatz added the second a in 1937 at the request of his wife and daughters to clarify the pronunciation of the name) was born on June 28, 1891, in Boyertown... Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (born April 22, 1928 in Dallas, Texas) is an American film and television producer. ... A Television producer oversees the making of television penis programs. ... Jimmy Stewart, photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 James Maitland Jimmy Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film and stage actor, best known for his homebred, idealistic screen persona. ... Joseph A. Walker - X-15 astronaut (NASA) Joseph Albert Walker (20 February 1921 - 8 June 1966) was an American military test pilot; in 1963, he made two X-15 flights past the 100 kilometer edge of space, the only spaceplane flights past that threshold made until SpaceShipOne in 2004. ... Test pilots work on developing, evaluating and proving experimental aircraft. ... Senator Harris Wofford Harris Llewellyn Wofford (born April 9, 1926) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995. ... Official language(s) None Capital Largest city Harrisburg Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq. ... Three different versions of the Medal of Honor are awarded: one each for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. ... Governor George Wallace (in front of door) standing defiantly against desegregation while being confronted by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach at the University of Alabama. ... Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002), nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper, was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball who played 19 seasons, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot, with the Boston Red Sox. ... Coleman A. Young, Detroit, 1981 Coleman Alexander Young (1918–1997) served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1974 to 1994. ...

Badges of the Army Air Forces

To denote the special training and qualifications required for membership in USAAF, the following military badges were authorized for wear by members of the Army Air Forces: Military badges of the United States are devices of personal recognition that are granted to service members of the United States armed forces to denote personal accomplishment, qualifications, and participation in designated military campaigns or other activities. ...

• Aviator Badge
• Navigator Badge
• Bombardier Badge
• Gunner Badge
• Balloon Pilot Badge
• Auxiliary Pilot Badge
• Flight Surgeon Badge
• Flight Nurse Badge
• Flight Instructor Badge
• Flight Engineer Badge
• Observer Badge
• Technician Badge

First World War Aviator Badge WWI Senior Aviator Badge Enlisted Aviator Badge A United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation. ... Second World War Navigator Badge Master Navigator Badge The Navigator Badge is a military decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created during the Second World War. ... Bombing Aviator Badge Bombardier Badge The Bombardier Badge was a military badge of the United States military which was issued between the years of 1918 and 1947. ... The Gunner Badge was a military decoration of the United States Army Air Force and was issued during the years of the Second World War. ... First World War Aeronaut Badges The Balloon Pilot Badge is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which was issued during the First and Second World Wars. ... The Auxiliary Pilot Badge was a decoration of the United States military which was issued during the years of the Second World War. ... The Flight Surgeon Badge is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which has existed since the Second World War. ... Air Force Master Flight Nurse Badge Navy Flight Nurse Badge Army Air Force Flight Nurse Badge The Flight Nurse Badge is a military badge of the United States armed forces which is issued by the U.S. Air Force and United States Navy. ... The Flight Instructor Badge was a decoration of the United States Army during the years of the Second World War. ... The Flight Engineer Badge was a decoration of the United States military which was first created in the 1930s and was awarded to those military officers who had qualified as flight engineer onboard a military aircraft. ... The Observer Badge is a military badge of the United States military which dates to the First World War. ... The Army Air Force Technician Badge was a decoration of the United States Army Air Force which was first created in 1941. ...

Sources

• ArmyAirForces.com — comprehensive look at the USAAF. Includes searchable databases, histories, dictionary, and forum.
  • USAAF air force/division/wing histories History of all USAAF subdivisions.
  • USAAF jargon dictionary — contains 526 words and abbreviations.
  • USAAF unit search — searchable database of groups, squadrons, squadron codes, stations, and commanders.
  • USAAF missing air crew report search — searchable database of missing air crew reports (MACRs) by MACR number, date, serial number, and group.
• United States Army Center of Military History "Green Book" Chief of Staff: Prewar Plans and Preparations. Chap. IX: The Movement Toward Air Autonomy
• USSAAF.net — "Published accounts of the Army Air Forces in World War II available in the public domain."
• USSAF in WWII — Combat chronology. Available for ZIP download.
• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. 1986.
• Allied Fighter Combat Footage - Watch combat footage from Allied fighters