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The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. The USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 from the United States Army.[1] The USAF is the largest modern air force in the world, with over 9,000 aircraft in service and about 352,000 men and women on active duty.[2] Since World War I, the USAF and its predecessors have taken part in military conflicts throughout the world. The USAF is widely considered to be the most technologically advanced military air power. The Air Force is currently planning a massive Reduction-in-Force (RIF). Due to budget constraints the USAF will reduce its strength by nearly 57,000 active duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian personnel over the next 5 years.
According to the National Security Act of 1947 which created the Air Force, “In general the United States Air Force shall include aviation forces both combat and service not otherwise assigned. It shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The Air Force shall be responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war.”
The stated mission of the USAF today is to “deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests