Less than two years later, the establishment became the Department of Defense, and on 5 September 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order renaming it as the War Department. The Department of the Air Force today includes the Air Force, the Space Force, the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol.
The mission of the Air Force is “to fly, fight and win — airpower anytime, anywhere.” This is achieved through air superiority, global mobility in troop movement and munitions for the joint force, and by maintaining two legs of the nuclear triad: bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The Air Force also contributes to humanitarian and natural disaster missions. Its origins trace back to 1908, when the Army received its first powered military aircraft from the Wright brothers.
During the Second World War, the air arm of the Army was known as the Army Air Forces, a designation that remained until the creation of the independent Air Force. In the 1950s, the Army began acquiring helicopters, effectively recreating an air arm for troop movements and fire support.
The Navy and Marine Corps retained their fighter and transport aircraft, preserving their aviation roles without interruption. These developments shaped the organisation of American air power as it is known today.
Source: U.S. Department of War.
