X-Nico

80 unusual facts about United States Air Force


105th Air Refueling Squadron

The United States Air Force's 105th Air Refueling Squadron (105 ARS) is an aerial refueling unit that operates the KC-135 Stratotanker at AFB.

28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 28th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (28 EARS) is a provisional United States Air Force unit.

308th Air Refueling Squadron

The 308th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

321st Air Refueling Squadron

The 321st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit.

427th Air Refueling Squadron

The 427th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

6023d Radar Evaluation Squadron

The 6023d Radar Evaluation Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

71st Air Refueling Squadron

The 71st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

763d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 763d Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force unit.

7th Air Refueling Squadron

The 7th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

904th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 904th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

In 1985, the 904th and the 404th Bombardment Squadron were consolidated when the United States Air Force combined inactive units that had served in World War II with squadrons that had been established after the war ended.

908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron is a provisional United States Air Force (USAF) unit.

90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron

The 90th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (90 EARS) is a provisional United States Air Force unit.

917th Air Refueling Squadron

The 917th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

919th Air Refueling Squadron

The 919th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

Air Force Plant 4

Air Force Plant 4 is a government-owned, contractor-operated aerospace facility in Fort Worth, Texas, currently owned by the U.S. Air Force and operated by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Al Anthony

Anthony is a Korean War veteran, having served as an aircraft flight engineer in a B-29 heavy bomber (the same that was used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,Japan,ending World War II) in the United States Air Force.

Alexander Gonzalez

His service in the United States Air Force allowed him to utilize the G.I. Bill to earn his undergraduate degree in history at Pomona College.

Aluminium–air battery

Aluminium-chlorine battery was patented by United States Air Force in the 1970s and designed mostly for military applications.

Australian rules football during the World Wars

Because the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Lake Oval were taken over by the United States Air Force as bases, Melbourne and South Melbourne had to play their home games elsewhere, whilst the Junction Oval for two seasons and the Western Oval for 1942 were also commandeered.

Bob Topp

After the 1954 season, Topp was inducted into the United States Air Force and missed the 1955 season.

Boston Camera

It was given to the Air Force Museum in 1964, along with a contact print of a golf ball on a course.

BrightQube

BrightQube was started in 2007 by Lee Corkran, a decorated combat photographer for the United States Air Force.

Budweiser Rocket

Despite an unauthorized written speed certification by the United States Air Force, there is much debate over the validity of the claim.

Burtonwood

RAF Burtonwood was mainly used by the United States Air Force between 1942 and closure of the main airfield in 1958 and was the biggest US airbase in Europe.

CA Software Change Manager

CCC was designed to manage all the components that went into an aircraft engine, and seeing as the same engine was used by both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy (for the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle) it required robust and reliable parallel development.

Chester A. Chesney

He entered the United States Air Force in June 1941 as a private and was discharged as a major in 1946 with service in the Pacific and European Theaters.

Chicksands Priory

In 1950 the United States Air Force took over and continued on the site until September 1995.

Colin Eaborn

Thanks to grants from the United States Air Force and Army, Eaborn was able to assemble a team of 15 researchers and students, and in 1960 published the textbook Organosillicon Compounds, which had "a major influence on the development of what has become one of the most prolific areas of organometallic chemistry, with extensive applications in organic synthesis, catalysis and materials science".

Colin O'Malley

Colin O'Malley (born on December 9, 1973) is a composer who has worked with CNN, the Walt Disney Company, the United States Air Force, Universal Studios, DC Comics and Electronic Arts.

Connie Pillich

Prior, she had a career in the United States Air Force, serving in support of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Dick Goddard

Goddard began his weather career while taking classes on meteorology during a stint with the United States Air Force from 1949 through the early 1950s.

Dining in

The United States Army, the United States Navy the United States Coast Guard and the United States Air Force refer to this event as a dining in or dining-in.

Eames Lounge Chair Wood

In 1942 Charles left MGM to begin making molded plywood splints for the U.S. Air Force.

Elliott Ward Cheney, Jr.

Cheney was awarded grants for his research on approximation theory from the National Science Foundation, United States Air Force and United States Army as well as the UK Research Councils and the Italian Scientific Research Council, among others.

Eric Clemons

His daughter, 24, is an aspiring filmmaker graduating from Emerson College in 2010 and his son, 21, is a member of the United States Air Force.

Eric Schadt

In 1983, Schadt left high school early to enlist in the United States Air Force and joined a Special Operations/Rescue unit.

F-117 Night Storm

Arcade mode allows players to pick and choose every aspect of the mission, while campaign mode is basically a career in the United States Air Force.

Firsby railway station

Between 1943 and 1958 Firsby station was kept busy as the nearest railhead staging point for RAF and later USAF airmen travelling to and from the nearby RAF Spilsby airfield at Great Steeping.

Flight Officer Badge

The Navigator Badge and Aircrew Badge, variations of the Flight Officer Badge, are issued by the Air Force.

Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash

The first emergency response arrived at 8:22 am with the fire brigade, ambulance and police services being assisted by doctors and a medical unit of the United States Air Force.

Hochvogel

According to the United States Air Force the accident was due to a navigation error when the aircraft flew into a snowstorm.

Ian Lewis

In 2008 he was appointed an Honorary Commander of the United States Air Force.

Itek

Richard Leghorn was a former United States Air Force (USAF) aerial reconnaissance expert who had first proposed flying reconnaissance missions over enemy territory in peacetime.

Jim Van Pelt

Van Pelt's football career was cut short when he was drafted into the United States Air Force in the summer of 1960 for a three-year period of service.

Joseph Cyril Bamford

Working in supply and logistics, he returned to the African Gold Coast, to run a staging post for USAF planes being ferried to the Middle East.

Joseph Ligambi

He attended South Philadelphia High School before dropping out his junior year to join the United States Air Force, where he eventually earned his high school diploma.

Kadena, Okinawa

Approximately 85% of the town is controlled by the US Government including Kadena Air Base, the second-largest base in the United States Air Force.

Kimberly Gittings

She belongs to the University of Georgia Air Force ROTC and has hopes of being a physician in the United States Air Force someday.

Lieutenant commander

On service khakis and all working uniforms, lieutenant commanders wear a gold oak leaf collar device, similar to the ones worn by a majors in the USAF and Army, and identical to that worn by majors in the Marine Corps.

Linda A. Morabito

Linda Morabito married Major David Meyer (U.S. Air Force, Retired), an Associate Professor of Astronomy, in 2008.

Little Johnny Jet

He then finds out he and Mary are going to have a kid, so needing to find work, he heads off to reenlist in the Air Force, but finds even they won't take him back in, as they're looking for jets as well, which further angers him.

Marion Keisker

Marion Keisker MacInnes (September 23, 1917 – December 29, 1989), born in Memphis, Tennessee, was a radio show host, station manager, U.S. Air Force officer, and assistant to Sam Phillips at Sun Records.

Michael N Schmitt

From 1979-1999, Schmitt was an intelligence officer and judge advocate in the United States Air Force.

Montana Air National Guard

Under the "Total Force" concept, Montana Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components (ARC) of the United States Air Force (USAF).

National Airlines Flight 102

At the time of the crash, the aircraft was flying on behalf of the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.

Neil Frank

Prior to his graduate studies in meteorology, Frank served in the United States Air Force where he received training as a weather officer.

Non-commissioned officer

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, all ranks of sergeant are termed NCOs, as are corporals in the Army and Marine Corps.

Paicines, California

Famous people associated with Paicines include Lieutenant General Janet C. Wolfenbarger, the highest-ranking woman in the United States Air Force; her parents Eldon and Shirley Libby reside in Paicines.

Peter O. Price

He subsequently graduated from Yale Law School; after graduation, he served as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Programmable read-only memory

The invention was conceived at the request of the United States Air Force to come up with a more flexible and secure way of storing the targeting constants in the Atlas E/F ICBM's airborne digital computer.

R.I. Bong Air Force Base

The United States Air Force then instructed the Air Defense Command to study the possibility of locating a base which would house two fighter-interceptor squadrons within a 70-mile radius from the city.

Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban's B-15 XLT lenses were originally created for the United States Air Force pilots.

Robert J. McIntosh

McIntosh served in the United States Air Force from 1942 to 1945 and was assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England as a fighter pilot.

Roy Padrick

Padrick has covered some of the Navy's most important events, from the rescue of downed Air Force pilot Capt. Scott O'Grady, to the rescue of thousands of refugees in then-Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in what was called Operation Noble Obelisk.

Saints, Seine-et-Marne

For a short period of time, this village became the operating base of almost the entire US Air Service, the predecessor of the US Air Force.

Samos-F

SAMOS-F or Air Force Program 102 refers to a series of SIGINT reconnaissance satellites launched and operated by the United States Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office during the 1960s.

Schierstein

The Schierstein Kaserne eventually became the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group in early 1952, who remained until the site was deactivated on 1 July 1992.

Stefanos Sarafis

He and his wife Marion were taking a walk when an automobile driven by a non-commissioned officer of the United States Air Force collided with them.

Stephen Reinhardt

After law school, Reinhardt worked at the legal counsel’s office for the United States Air Force as a lieutenant in Washington, D.C..

The Big Green Egg

The mushikamado first came to the attention of the Americans after World War II when US Air Force servicemen would bring them back from Japan in empty transport planes.

The Conversion of Chaplain Cohen

The Conversion of Chaplain Cohen is a 1963 novel by the American writer and rabbi Herbert Tarr about a young rabbi serving as a United States Air Force military chaplain.

The Sound Barrier

Contrary to what is depicted in the film, the first aircraft to break the sound barrier was the Bell X-1 flown by Chuck Yeager of the United States Air Force in 1947.

Timeline of the 2005 London bombings

In response to public pressure, the United States Air Force bases at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk lift travel bans imposed on service personnel in the wake of the bombings.

Trouble in the Glen

By the time American widower, Major Jim "Lance" Lansing (Tucker), a former Air Force pilot who was stationed in Scotland during World War II, returns there, the disgruntled villagers are burning the laird in effigy.

United States Air Force Web Posting Response

The United States Air Force Web Posting Response Assessment is a twelve-point plan developed by the Emerging Technology Division of the US Air Force’s Affairs Agency that illustrates how US Airmen should respond to online blogs.

University of North Texas System

1982–2002: Alfred Hurley, PhD & Brig. Gen. USAF (Ret.), was appointed president and chancellor on February 1, 1982, making him UNT's twelfth president and second chancellor.

VHDL

It was originally developed under contract F33615-83-C-1003 from the United States Air Force awarded in 1983 to a team with Intermetrics, Inc. as language experts and prime contractor, with Texas Instruments as chip design experts and IBM as computer system design experts.

WHIO-TV

USAF meteorologist Warren Madden was hired from nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; he went to The Weather Channel in December, 1996.


1955 Altensteig mid-air collision

The Altensteig mid-air collision was on the 11 August 1955 when two United States Air Force Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcars collided and crashed three miles from Altensteig in West Germany.

307th Air Refueling Squadron

The 307th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

361st Fighter Group

Today, the 127th Wing is a part of the USA's national defense, being part of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command's First Air Force.

39th Airlift Squadron

The 39th Airlift Squadron (39 AS) is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas.

71st Flying Training Wing

The 71st Flying Training Wing (71 FTW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force.

920th Air Refueling Squadron

The 920th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit.

Angolan War of Independence

The aircraft were flown to Africa by John Richard Hawke – reportedly a former Royal Air Force-pilot – who on the start of one of the flights to Angola flew so low over the White House, that the United States Air Force forced him to land and he was arrested.

Battle of Taegu

The United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, immediately deployed armed forces (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force units) to southeastern South Korea because of their immediate availability from their bases in Japan and Okinawa, where the military occupation of Japan was still in effect (through 1952).

Bob Cowan

Cowan joined the Army Air Force in 1943 and served in World War II as part of the ground crew at various military bases and at Okinawa.

Cathcart Wight-Boycott

In early 1945 he moved, again as Station Commander, to RAF Molesworth home of the USAF 303rd Bombardment Group and remained there until September when he attended a ‘’Methods of Instruction’’ course at the RAF Senior Staff College.

CFB Shearwater

Beginning in the 1970s, CFB Shearwater began hosting an Armed Forces Day every fall, typically on the weekend following Labour Day, and included an air show where the long and wide runways at Shearwater hosted some of the largest aircraft in the world, including the U.S. Air Force's C-5 Galaxy transport planes and B-52 Stratofortress bombers.

Chloe Sutton

Her father is a U.S. Air Force officer who was in the Pentagon at the time of the September 11 attacks and is a former football player who played for the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Earl S. Hoag

In October 1943, he became commanding general of the India-China Wing of Air Transport Command, which operated supply and sustainment flights over "The Hump" between India and China.

Edward Higgins White, Sr.

He attended Harvard Business School, from which he received his Master of Business Administration in 1937, and spent World War II working as a budget and financial officer, first at the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field, Ohio, and then in the Office of the Chief of United States Army Air Forces in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the United States Air Force when it was created in 1947.

Fighter Mafia

The Fighter Mafia was a controversial group of U.S. Air Force officers and civilian defense analysts who, in the 1970s, advocated the use of John Boyd and Thomas P. Christie's Energy-Maneuverability (E-M) theory as the sole driver in designing fighter aircraft.

Gregory T. Baldwin

Gregory T. Baldwin, born March 23, 1976 in Hollywood, California, is a United States Air Force Officer and former video game developer, best known for his work with Electronic Arts' Westwood Studios and Interplay Entertainment.

Grog

Honoring the 18th century British Army regimental mess and grog's historical significance in the military, the United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Army carry on a tradition at its formal dining in ceremonies whereby those in attendance who are observed to violate formal etiquette are "punished" by being sent to "the grog" and publicly drink from it in front of the attendees.

Gulfstream III

C-20B - United States Air Force and United States Coast Guard variant with upgraded electronics, used for Operational Support Airlift (OSA) and Special Assignment Airlift Missions (SAAM); the single Coast Guard C-20B was used by the Commandant of the Coast Guard and other senior USCG officials as well as the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Iowa World War II Army Airfields

Most of these airfields were under the command of First Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command).

L. Neil Smith

His father was an Air Force officer, and his childhood was spent in various places including Waco, McQueenie, and La Porte, Texas; Salina, Kansas; Sacramento, California; and Gifford, Illinois (all before he completed fifth grade) and then St. John's, Newfoundland and Ft. Walton Beach, Florida where he graduated from high school.

Lincoln Park, Calgary

The neighbourhood is located on the section of the former Canadian Forces Base Calgary that during World War II was a Royal Canadian Air Force airfield; the name of the district derives from a small area of military housing located between 54th Avenue S.W. and Glenmore Trail which was reserved for United States Air Force members stationed at the airfield during World War II.

M. A. Foster

He spent over sixteen years as a Captain and Russian linguist in the United States Air Force.

Michael I. Yarymovych

In 1962 he joined NASA Headquarters as Assistant Director of Systems Engineering on the Apollo project and later moved to the Air Force as Technical Director of the Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory, and Deputy for Requirements to the Assistant Secretary for Research and Development.

Michael J. Saylor

Saylor was born in 1965 and spent his early years on various Air Force bases around the world, as his father was an Air Force chief master sergeant.

National Security Personnel System

Also, employees working at DoD agencies, such as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Tricare, the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, earned higher performance ratings and payouts overall than did their civilian counterparts in the three military service branches: United States Army, United States Navy, and United States Air Force.

National Solar Observatory

The site's name was chosen by the late James C. Sadler, (1920–2005), an internationally noted meteorologist and professor at The University of Hawaii, formerly with the United States Air Force on assignment during the early inception of the observatory.

Oregon World War II Army Airfields

Most of these airfields were under the command of Second Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command).

Pianosa

Joseph Heller's absurdist novel Catch-22 is set on a U.S. Army Air Corps bomber squadron base on Pianosa during World War II, but Heller conceded that he took literary license in making Pianosa big enough for a major military complex.

Reichen Lehmkuhl

A former United States Air Force officer, he is best known for winning season four of the reality game show The Amazing Race with his then-partner Chip Arndt, and for his much publicized 2006 relationship with pop singer Lance Bass.

Richard R. Muller

Dr Richard R. Muller is professor of airpower history within the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at the USAF's Air University in Montgomery, Alabama.

Russ Dugger

Upon graduating college, he felt a calling to serve his country and promptly decided to join the United States Air Force - a decision which ultimately led to an opportunity to play trumpet in the United States Air Force Band, which he did for five years before deciding to pursue motorsports.

Squadron Officer School

Squadron Officer School (SOS), is an eight-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains.

Taejon Airfield

Taejon Airfield also known as K-5 Air Base was a former United States Air Force (USAF) and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) air base northwest of the city of Taejon, South Korea.

Teako170

In the late 70s, he was primarily seen on the 2s and 5s of the IRT White Plains Road Line until fading from the scene in 1983 when he joined the United States Air Force.

The Snuke

Meanwhile, the United States Air Force attacks and effortlessly destroys the British fleet.

Travis Raven

He entered the University of Texas in 1941 and graduated in 1948 with three years in between serving in the Air Force.

Utah World War II Army Airfields

Most of these airfields were under the command of Second Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command).

Vernouillet Airport

A completely new NATO airfield was eventually built near the village of Dampierre, about 10 miles to the west, to accommodate the United States Air Force as a tactical airlift base.