 |
 McConnell
Air Force Base Located
in Wichita, Kansas, McConnell Air Force Base is
home to the 22nd Air Refueling Wing of the Air
Mobility Command, the Air Force Reserve
Command's 931st Air Refueling Group, and the
Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Intelligence
Wing. |
 The
United
States Army Signal Corps was created
by the U.S. Army in 1860, with a simple semaphore
system and one signal officer. By the time the
U.S. entered World War I, the corps had
integrated the airplane and more advanced
technology into its communications systems. In
1958 the Signal Corps launched its first
communications satellite. |
 The Indian Air
Force was established in 1932, and
went into service with five fighter pilots the
following year. During World War II it played a
pivotal role in thwarting the advance of the
Japanese in Burma. |
 The United
States Air Force Academy was
established by legislation in 1954. Since then
more than 37,800 cadets have graduated,
approximately 38 percent of whom are still on
active duty. |
 The North
American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
is the military agency charged with guarding
North America against attacks by aircraft,
missiles and/or space vehicles. And, since 1955,
it has been the official tracker of Santa Claus
on Christmas Eve. |
 The F-104A
Starfighter was the first American
fighter capable of reaching twice the speed of
sound, which it achieved in 1956. In 1958, it
became the first aircraft in history to hold both
the world speed and altitude records at the same
time. |
