Air Force Heritage

Posted for month of February 2010

From Vietnam to Desert Storm —January 1992

The people running the Persian Gulf War were those who had fought the Vietnam War, and they weren't about to repeat the mistakes.

Symington Remembers —July 1984

Timely insight from the first Secretary of the Air Force.

The Secret Squirrels —April 1994

The heavily laden B-52s took off in a hard rain for the world's longest combat mission. They carried a surprise weapon-the supersecret AGM-86C.

Five Smart Men Who Didn't Invent the Airplane —January 1990

Thomas Edison tried. So did Alexander Graham Bell, Hiram Maxim, Samuel Langley, and Octave Chanute.

The Aviation Cadets —November 1990

A cadet—said to rank one grade lower than a German prisoner—would someday be an officer and was expected to act accordingly.

The Big B —July 2008

Berlin was the prize. The Allies paid a fearful price to pulverize the Nazi capital.

Troop Carriers of World War II —February 1999

Troop carrier airmen entered enemy airspace unarmed to deliver men and supplies.

Responsive Air Support —February 1993

Here, in CENTAF's estimation, is how General Horner made his resources work effectively in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

With Stealth in the Balkans —October 1999

The performance of the B-2 exceeded the expectations of even its most ardent fan.

Valor: Triumph at Thai Nguyen —July 1988

Jim Brickel's RF-101 was shredded by flak, but there could be no turning back on this mission.

Valor: First of the Few —April 1984

On his first combat mission, Sgt. Maynard Smith earned a unique place in the Air Force heritage of valor.

Additional Sources of Air Force History

Air Force Historical Studies Office

Air Force Historical Research Agency

Air Force Historical Foundation

Verbatim

No Dog, Just Concern
"You know it concerns me that we keep hearing, 'Well this is something that the military doesn't want. They didn't ask for,' and all that. Then I go over there [Southwest Asia theater], and that's not their attitude at all. They have needs over there. Our lift capacity is in dire straights. … Now on the F-22—just yesterday we read about the T-50 … a fifth generation [fighter] that the Russians have. … I'm concerned about this. And I guess, you know, if we're down to 187 F-22s, and I think out of that only—what 120 are actually combat ready and used for combat. … I look at our committee—the Senate Armed Services Committee—and on these two vehicles I mentioned—the F-22 and the C-17—in Oklahoma. I don't have a dog in that fight. We don't have any parochial interest there. But it's the capability that we're going to need."
—Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), speaking during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal 2011 defense budget, Feb. 2, 2010.

Verbatim

Taming Expectations
"Every QDR disappoints those who look for radical reallocation of resources. The current fiscal environment is compounding that trend."
—Jim Thomas, vice president for studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, briefing reporters in Washington, D.C., Jan. 26, 2010.