Defense Primer: The United States Air Force (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 14, 2022 |
| Report Number |
IF10547 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Jeremiah Gertler |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
When it was established as a separate service in 1947, the
U.S. Air Force (USAF) was to be “organized, trained, and
equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and
defensive air operations... necessary for the effective
prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned.” That
statutory language remains almost identical today.
Similarly, although the words used to describe its core
missions have changed, space and cyberspace joined air as
operational domains, and the means used to carry them out
have evolved with technology, the USAF’s missions
themselves have remained remarkably constant.
