U.S. Air Force airpower has been a major element of our nation's defense dating back to the earliest days of the Army Air Corps. The Air Force became an independent military branch when President Harry S Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. The Air Force’s airpower currently includes the following aircraft:
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![Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Boase, dressed as Santa, waves to Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, before being dropped off by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-12/santa.jpg?itok=KFVvxUEU "Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brian Boase, an intelligence chief, Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), waves to Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, before being dropped off by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to deliver Christmas presents, Dec. 25, 2012. (Spc. Brian Smith-Dutton/U.S. Army photo)")
