Happy Friday, FighterSweep Fans! Today we are celebrating the creation of the United States Air Force, sixty-eight years ago today when President Truman signed the National Security Act and established a new defense organization independent of its previous life as part of the Army.

As you read these words, airmen all over the globe are hard at work, reminding friend and foe alike why the courage, innovation, tactical prowess, and overwhelming mastery of the aerial battlespace have come to be the calling card of the USAF. It is the most respected, feared, agile, capable, and dominant instrument of air power the world has ever seen…bar none.

The value of airpower has been demonstrated in every major conflict since the dawn of the 20th Century. That proud heritage began with the heroes of the Lafayette Escadrille and continues on to this moment, where the first two combat-coded F-35As have begun local flying at their home station of Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

The truth is, we live in uncertain times. The Air Force is in a position where its senior leaders have to decide the way ahead and continue to ensure battlespace dominance, all while they make agonizing choices about the longevity of current inventory and despite our nation’s fiscal and societal challenges. It’s no small task.

The world is a very scary and dark place, and regardless of the origins of the current menace, we can rest assured the sword of freedom is well placed on the wings of our men and women in blue. As General Mark Welsh, Air Force Chief of Staff says, “Tomorrow’s Air Force rests in America’s hands. I have faith were entrusting our future to the hands of servant leaders…heroes whose stories are still being written.”

Happy Birthday to the USAF!