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From the Air Force Global Strike Command by Airman 1st Class Bryan Crane, 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs – December 6, 2012

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. —  “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,”- Franklin Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt uttered these well-remembered words the day after the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Seventy-one years later, we still remember the fallen victims of that day.

The Pearl Harbor attack, at the time, was the largest enemy assault on United States territory. By the end of the day, more than 2,000 individuals had lost their lives.

Today, we thank those that gave their lives that day, those who defended our home and who would continue the fight throughout World War II.

At 7:55 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, a Japanese force of 183 airplanes attacked U.S. military and naval facilities on Oahu without warning.

For 30 minutes, dive bombers, level bombers and torpedo planes struck airfields and naval vessels. Not only did the attack hit the fleet at Pearl Harbor, but also air bases at Ford Island and Kaneohe Bay, the Marine airfield at Ewa and the Army Air Corps fields at Bellows, Wheeler and Hickam.

After a 15-minute lull, another wave of 170 planes launched a second attack at 8:40 a.m. Japanese aircraft destroyed 151 U.S. planes on the ground and sank or damaged all eight U.S. battleships anchored in Pearl Harbor.

However, not all American assets were damaged in the attack.

“The Japanese success was overwhelming, but it was not complete. They failed to damage any American aircraft carriers, which by a stroke of luck, had been absent from the harbor,” according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan and entered World War II, changing the trajectory of the war, and of history.

This flag was flown on the U.S.S. St. Louis at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack. It was later flown on the U.S.S. Iowa in Tokyo Bay at the time of the Japanese surrender in 1945. – National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Membership Renewal Fees Paused

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As of today November 4 2025, membership renewal fees are paused for 90 days. The following message from Air & Space Forces Association national headquarters…

Stand with AFA and our Department of the Air Force Families
As the government shutdown continues, many DoD federal workers, Airmen, Guardians, military spouses, and families are facing financial uncertainty and furloughs.

At AFA, we believe moments like this call us to step up and support those who serve. That’s why we’ve paused membership renewals for the next 90 days or until the government shutdown has been resolved so we can focus on providing direct assistance and essential resources to those most affected.

Keep Watching The Skies!

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“Watch the skies. Everywhere. Keep looking. Keep watching the skies!”. This iconic line is from the 1951 science fiction film “The Thing from Another World”. But in this case many of these launches are clearly seen all the way out here in the Coachella Valley.

Starting in 2026, The U.S. Air Force has approved SpaceX’s proposal to increase launch rates from Vandenberg Space Force Base to up to 100 rockets per year, doubling the previous limit. This approval allows SpaceX to use a second launch complex, SLC-6, which will support up to five Falcon Heavy launches and landings per year, alongside increased Falcon 9 activity at SLC-4. This expansion follows the completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Record of Decision signed on October 10, 2025.

Launch increase: The annual cap will increase from 50 to 100 launches, combining Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions.
New launch complex: A second launch complex, Space Launch Complex (SLC)-6, will be used for up to five Falcon Heavy launches and landings annually.
Facility upgrades: The approval includes authorization for new infrastructure, such as a new hangar, to support the increased activity.
Environmental review: The decision was based on a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a Record of Decision signed in October 2025, which concluded that noise impacts would not be significant, though mitigation measures will be implemented.
State opposition: The California Coastal Commission previously opposed the expansion, citing concerns about noise and environmental impacts, but the federal government maintains that launch operations are exempt from state oversight. 

Happy Birthday, United States Air Force

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A Pennsylvania Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker provides fuel for an F-22 Raptor from Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Va., April 2, 2025. The air refueling mission was part of routine proficiency training. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. George Perkins)

On September 18, 1947, with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman, the United States Air Force was established as a separate and independent branch of the Armed Forces. It was the culmination of decades of innovation and sacrifice, from the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 to the extraordinary achievements of Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces airmen in World War II.

The roots of the Air Force reach back to the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ Aeronautical Division in 1907, the first military aviation organization in America. Over the next forty years, air power proved decisive: the daylight precision bombing campaigns in Europe, the island-hopping battles of the Pacific, and the strategic lessons learned in global warfare all made clear that air dominance was essential to victory.

With independence came a new mission — global vigilance, reach, and power. From the early Cold War years of the Berlin Airlift in 1948, to the development of long-range nuclear deterrence, to air superiority over Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, the U.S. Air Force has continuously adapted to meet new threats. Airmen have flown everything from the rugged F-86 Sabre to the B-52 Stratofortress, from the SR-71 Blackbird to the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, and today they operate on the cutting edge of space and cyber domains.

As we mark the Air Force’s 78th birthday, we honor the more than 685,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen serving today, and the millions who have served before them. Their dedication and innovation have secured freedom in the air and space, ensuring that the United States remains strong, secure, and always ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Happy 78th Birthday, U.S. Air Force — Aim High … Fly-Fight-Win.

Satellite Network Boosts Next-Gen Airpower

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Today’s SDA Payload Launch Marks a Pivotal Boost to Space Force Support for Next-Gen Fighter Operations. Many of you perhaps saw it if you were in the area.

At 7:12 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 21 Transport Layer satellites—the first operational satellites of the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)—launching a new era in resilient military communications.

Reconstituted under the U.S. Space Force in October 2022, SDA’s mission is to build and operate a hardened, low-earth orbit mesh network of satellites that delivers rapid command-and-control connectivity—even in contested environments. This launch, executed under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract with Space Systems Command, marks the first tranche of operational transport satellites vital to realizing that vision.

Built by York Space Systems, these 21 satellites form a flexible, distributed network using optical inter-satellite links (OISLs). This mesh architecture ensures low-latency, beyond-line-of-sight data relay, allowing real-time connectivity from space to units on the ground or in the air.

Modern and future fighters like NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) and upgraded F-35 variants will rely heavily on instant data access—whether for coordinated targeting, sensor fusion, or threat detection. The SDA Transport Layer will serve as an invisible force-multiplier, enabling seamless exchanges of video feeds, radar tracks, and targeting data directly to cockpit systems—even across vast distances. SDA’s mesh network acts as a “space relay,” overcoming the geographic limits of traditional Link 16 radio, and enabling secure, persistent connectivity—from Hawaii to Guam and beyond.

This launch is more than hardware in orbit—it represents a shift toward integrated multi-domain operations, anchoring air-to-space synergy and ensuring fighter wings remain connected, informed, and lethal. The resilience embedded in a distributed architecture yields depth, survivability, and coverage that legacy satellite systems can’t match.

For those who missed the live stream, SpaceX’s official webcast of the SDA T1TL-B launch—including launch, booster recovery, and commentary—is still available via their site: Watch the SDA T1TL-B Launch Here: https://www.spacex.com/launches/sda-t1tl-b

With this successful deployment, the SDA’s PWSA takes its first operational step toward delivering real-time space-enabled connectivity to the warfighter. AFA members should stay engaged with SDA and Space Force developments—as these satellites transform the battlefield, reinforcing that space is no longer the final frontier—it’s the next tactical domain.

A Historic First for Female Aviators in the USAF

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The first 10 female officers to graduate from the Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training Program, Class 77-08, with a Northrop T-38A-50-NO Talon, 63-8111, 2 September 1977. (U.S. Air Force)

On this day in 1977, the U.S. Air Force celebrated a monumental achievement: the graduation of the first 10 female officers from Undergraduate Pilot Training (Class 77-08) at Williams AFB, Arizona. Serving alongside 36 male classmates, these trailblazers earned their coveted Silver Wings and broke through barriers that had stood for decades.

Their names — Captains Connie Engel, Kathy La Sauce, Mary Donahue, Susan Rogers, Christine Schott; First Lieutenants Sandra Scott, Victoria Crawford; and Second Lieutenants Mary Livingston, Carol Scherer, and Kathleen Rambo — stand as testaments to courage and perseverance.

Among them, Capt. Christine E. Schott would go on to make history again as the USAF’s first woman aircraft commander, flying the C-9A Nightingale.

Initiated by a 1975 pilot-training test program, these women logged over 210 flight hours in advanced trainer jets and blazed a trail for future generations of female aviators.

Decades later, their legacy continues: in 2016 they were inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, and the AETC Trailblazer Room stands in their honor.

On this anniversary, we salute these pioneering women and the women following them who soared beyond limitations.

👉 Read the full story here: https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/this-day-in-aviation-history-graduation-of-the-first-10-female-air-force-pilots.html

Mid-Air Salute

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A U.S. Air Force pararescuemen exits a U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II during a free-fall jump at Relámpago de los Andes at Palanquero Air Base, Colombia, Aug. 6, 2025. During RDLA, U.S. Air Force and Colombia Aerospace Force members conducted training with each other to share tactics and techniques. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William Rio Rosado)

Celebrating Artemis and Remembering Apollo

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Marking the Anniversary of Artemis: A New Chapter in Lunar Exploration

Today we commemorate the anniversary of NASA’s Artemis mission—America’s bold return to the Moon. As we look ahead to a new era of exploration, we also honor the legacy that made it possible.

The image shown here is from the historic Apollo 11 mission. It captures astronaut Buzz Aldrin descending the ladder of the Lunar Module “Eagle” on July 20, 1969, moments before becoming the second human to set foot on the Moon. The photograph was taken by mission commander Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the lunar surface.

Artemis is more than a return. It is a launchpad for the future—testing the systems that will eventually take us to Mars, establishing a sustainable lunar presence, and creating new opportunities for scientific discovery and global cooperation.

As members and supporters of the Air & Space Forces Association, we recognize the vision and determination behind every mission. From Apollo to Artemis, we celebrate the people—military and civilian—who make spaceflight possible and push the boundaries of what’s next.

Let Artemis serve as a reminder: Our reach does not end at Earth’s orbit. It stretches across the stars.

Johnny Cash was a “Ditty Bopper”

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Johnny Cash is pictured in his Air Force uniform in the early 1950s.

Before he was the Man in Black, Johnny Cash wore Air Force blue. In 1950, at just 18, Cash enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, eventually serving as a Morse code operator—known as a “ditty bopper”—in the 12th Radio Squadron Mobile, stationed at Landsberg, West Germany.

His assignment? Intercepting Soviet transmissions and decoding them. It was during this duty on March 5, 1953, that Airman Johnny Cash became the first American to learn that Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had died, picking it up over his headphones in dots and dashes before the world knew. Not a bad claim to fame before your first gold record.

Cash later said the Air Force shaped him: the discipline, the long stretches of quiet time with a guitar, and the stories he carried home. It is a reminder that many who shape American culture first served in quiet, often unseen roles, supporting the mission of freedom in the tense days of the Cold War.

The next time you hear “I Walk the Line,” remember Johnny Cash walked a different line first, wearing his Air Force uniform, tuning into the world one dot and dash at a time. Read the DoD story April 17 2025 here… https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/4157671/singer-johnny-cash-served-in-the-air-force-during-the-cold-war/

AFA Air Commandos Lunch Recap – Maj. Lee Cohen Shares His Honor Flight Experience

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On Wednesday, June 18, the Palm Springs Chapter of the Air Force Association hosted Maj. Lee Cohen, USAF (Ret.) as our featured speaker at our Air Commandos Luncheon at ROC’s Firehouse Grille in Palm Desert.

Maj. Cohen shared stories from his recent journey with Honor Flight Southland Mission 18, a trip to Washington, D.C., with fellow veterans. The Honor Flight experience included visits to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery—culminating in an emotional “Welcome Home” reception at LAX.

For Maj. Cohen, a veteran of 119½ combat missions in Vietnam, this trip served as both tribute and healing. For those in attendance, his presentation offered insight into what the Honor Flight means to veterans.

One of the touching moments shared was how each veteran received a bag filled with handmade cards and letters from local schoolchildren—many expressing gratitude, drawing American flags, and writing simple but powerful messages like “Thank you for your service.”

About Honor Flight
The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit organization that honors America’s veterans by providing free trips to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to their service. The program focuses on veterans from WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Honor Flight Southland, which coordinated Maj. Cohen’s flight, serves veterans from across Southern California and relies on volunteers and donations to make each mission possible. From airport send-offs to school letters, the experience is designed to give these veterans the tribute they never received.

Thank you to Maj. Lee Cohen for sharing this journey and for his decades of service to the United States Air Force.

For more information or to get involved, visit:
https://www.honorflightsouthland.org