Are you interested in an exciting career in the Air Force Reserve? See If You Qualify Click Here Now!

Prior Service Cash Bonuses Up To $150,000 For Selected Military Programs. Click For Info

The US Air Force (USAF) is the aviation branch of the armed forces in the United States. It is responsible for air-based warfare. It carries out assaults on targets in air, on water and on land using an array of flying machines. The armory of the US Air Force includes a wide variety of fighters, bombers, helicopters and other aircrafts. The mission of the US Air Force is "to defend the United States through the control and exploitation of air and space."

The US Air Force originated from the Army Air Corps in 1947. It comprises of three components today. These include- the Air Force, the US Air Force Reserve and Air National Guards of the several states, territories and the District of Columbia.

The United States Department of the Air Force controls the US Air Force. The secretary of the air force commands this department. The US Air Force comprises of nine major commands. Each command has a number of air forces and each air force comprises of two or more air divisions. Two or more wings make up a division. A division has two or more wings. The smallest unit is the squadron. A wing comprises of four or more squadrons.

The US Air force functions as an “air and space” force. Its responsibility is to defend the United States through control of air and space. The operations of the US Air Force include bombing enemy targets, deploying aircrafts to fight enemy aircrafts, providing reconnaissance and transporting troops for the other armed services.

The US Air Force transports troops and equipment of other branches to combat zones. Its superior airlift capability gives the entire United States defense mechanism an edge over the combat forces of many other countries. It maintains strategic bombers capable of delivering nuclear weapons and land-based nuclear missiles on any target in the world. Besides that, the US Air Force launches and maintains satellites for different military purposes ranging from spying to weather studies.