History of the United States Air Force

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The United States Air Force became a separate military service on 18 September 1947 with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947.^[1][2] The Act created the National Military Establishment, later renamed the United States Department of Defense, which was composed of four of the five branches, the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and a newly created Air Force.^[3] Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was divided between the Army for land-based operations and the Navy and Marine Corps for sea-based operations from aircraft carrier and amphibious aircraft. The Army created the first antecedent of the Air Force on 1 August 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual separation 40 years later. The predecessor organizations leading up to today's U.S. Air Force are:

• Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps (1 August 1907 – 18 July 1914)
• Aviation Section, Signal Corps (18 July 1914 – 20 May 1918)
• Division of Military Aeronautics (20 May 1918 – 24 May 1918)
• Air Service, U.S. Army (24 May 1918 – 2 July 1926)
• U.S. Army Air Corps (2 July 1926 – 20 June 1941)^[a]
• U.S. Army Air Forces (20 June 1941 – 17 September 1947)^[b]

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