THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN FACTS AND FIGURES An Air Force Almanac On the following pages appears a variety of infor- Affairs in its role as liaison with Air Staff agencies porting unit reports or in the "Guide to Major mation and statistical material about the US Air in bringing up to date the comparable data from USAF Installations Worldwide") because of differ- Force-its people, organization, equipment, fund- last year's "Almanac." ent cutoff dates, rounding, differing methods of ing, activities, bases, and heroes. This "Almanac" A word of caution: Personnel figures that ap- reporting, or categories of personnel that are ex- section was compiled by the staff of AIR FORCE pear in this section in different forms will not agree cluded in some cases. These figures do illustrate Magazine. We especially acknowledge the help of (nor will they always agree with figures in com- trends, however, and may be helpful in placing the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public mand, separate operating agency, and direct re- force fluctuations in perspective. -THE EDITORS
USAF-EVOLUTION OF THE NAME AND THE SERVICE'S LEADERS' DESIGNATION FROM TO COMMANDER (at highest rank) TITLE FROM TO Aeronautical Div., US Signal Corps Aug. 1, 1907 July 18, 1914 Brig. Gen. James Men Chief Signal Officer Aug 1, 1907 Feb. 13. 1913 Brig. Gen. George P. Scdven Chief Signal Officer Feb. 13, 1913 July 18, 1914 Aviation Section, US Signal Corps July 18, 1914 May 24. 1918 Brig, Gen. George P Scriven Chief Signal Officer July 18. 1914 Feb. 13. 1917 Maj. Gen. George 0. Squier Chief Signal Officer Feb. 14, 1917 May 20, 1918 Army Air Service (MS) May 24, 1918 July 2, 1926 Maj. Gen. William L. Kenly Chief, Div of Military May 20, 1918 Dec. 22, 1918 Aeronautics Maj. Gen, Charles T. Menoher Chief of the Air Service Dec. 23, 1918 Oct. 4, 1921 Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick Chief of the Air Service Oct. 5, 1921 July 1, 1926 Army Air Corps (MC) July 2, 1926 June 20, 1941 Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick Chief of the Air Corps July 2, 1926 Dec. 12, 1927 Maj. Gen. James E. Fechet Chief of the Air Corps Dec. 13, 1927 Dec. 18, 1931 Mai. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois Chief of the Air Corps Dec. 19, 1931 Dec. 21, 1935 Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover Chief of the Air Corps Dec. 22, 1935 Sept. 21, 1938 Gen. H. H. Arnold Chief of the Air Corps Sept. 29, 1938 June 29, 1941 Army Air Forces (MF) June 29. 1941 Sept. 18, 1947 Gen. H. H. Arnold Chief of the AAF June 30, 1941 Mar. 8, 1942 Gen, of the Army H.H.Arnold Commanding General, AAF Mar 9, 1942 Feb. 9, 1946 Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Commanding General, AAF Feb. 10, 1946 Sept. 25. 1947 United States Air Force (USAF) , Sept. 18, 1947 Gen. Cad A. Spaatz Chief of Staff, USAF Sept 26, 1947 Apr 29, 1948
1For USAF leaders since 1948, see 'USAF Leaders Through the Years."
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PERSONNEL USAF TOTAL ACTIVE-DUTY STRENGTH-1907 THROUGH 1990 STRENGTH BY GRADE (As of September 30, 1988) YEAR STRENGTH YEAR STRENGTH
1907 3 1949 419,347 OFFICERS 1908 13 1950 411,277 1909 27 1951 788,381 GRADE NUMBER 1910 11 1952 973,474 1911 23 1953 977,593 1912 51 1954 947,918 GENERAL 13 1913 114 1955 959,946 LIEUTENANT GENERAL 37 1914 122 1956 909,958 MAJOR GENERAL 117 1915 208 1957 919,835 BRIGADIER GENERAL 167 1916 311 1958 871,156 COLONEL 5.508 1917 1,218 1959 840,028 LIEUTENANT COLONEL 12,426 1918 195,023 1960 814,213 MAJOR 19,616 1919 25,603 1961 820,490 1920 9,050 1962 883,330 CAPTAIN 43,045 1921 11,649 1963 868,644 FIRST LIEUTENANT 14,602 1922 9,642 1964 855,802 SECOND LIEUTENANT 9,595 1923 9,441 1965 823,633 1924 10,547 1966 886,350 TOTAL 105,126 1925 9,670 1967 897,426 1926 9,674 1968 904,759 1927 10,078 1969 862,062 AIRMEN 1928 10,549 1970 791,078 1929 12,131 1971 755,107 GRADE NUMBER 1930 13,531 1972 725,635 1931 14,780 1973 690,999 1932 15,028 1974 643,795 CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT 4,858 1933 15,099 1975 612,551 SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT 9,677 1934 15,861 1976 585,207 MASTER SERGEANT 38,853 1935 16,247 1977 570,479 TECHNICAL SERGEANT 58,942 1936 17,233 1978 569,491 STAFF SERGEANT 111,799 1937 19,147 1979 559,450 SERGEANT/SENIOR AIRMAN 116,935 1938 21,089 1980 557,969 AIRMAN FIRST CLASS 84,749 1939 23,455 1981 570,302 1940 51,165 1982 582,845 AIRMAN 27,987 1941 152,125 1983 592,044 AIRMAN BASIC 13,056 1942 764,415 1984 597,125 1943 2,197,114 1985 601,515 TOTAL 466,856 1944 2,372,292 1986 608,199 1945 2,282,259 1987 607.035 OFFICERS 105,126 1946 455,515 1988 576,446 CADETS 4,464 1947 305,827 1989 570,965 1 AIRMEN 466,856 1948 387,730 1990 571,100' TOTAL STRENGTH 576,446 IProgrammed