Luke celebrates Air Force 64th birthday

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Myra Dougharty
  • 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  This year marks the 64th birthday of the U.S. Air Force and will be celebrated with an Air Force Ball Sept. 17. The 2011 theme is "Saluting Heroes ... America's Airmen."

Although the U.S. Air Force did not exist as a separate and independent military service organization until 1947, its history and heritage go back to when the U.S. military purchased its first aircraft in 1907. It went through a series of designations: Aeronautical Section of the Army Signal Corps, 1909; Aviation Section of the Army Signal Corps, 1914; U.S. Army Air Service, 1918; U.S. Army Air Corps, 1926, U.S. Army Air Forces, 1941.

In 1947, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 dividing forces which then established the Air Force as a separate military branch. Since this date, the Air Force Ball has been celebrated once a year in recognition of this historical occasion.

Luke Air Force Base will start this year's Air Force Ball with cocktails at 6 p.m. in the Renaissance Hotel and Spa in Westgate City Center. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. with the Parade of Flags Ceremony and live music will be provided by the Air Force Band of the West. Gen. Carol Chandler, former vice chief of staff, will be the guest speaker. Uniform is mess dress or semiformal. Tickets go on sale Aug. 15.

"The event marks a time when we reflect on how far we have come as a service and as a nation," said Senior Master Sgt. Aaron Kigar, 56th Operations Support Squadron Host Aviation Resource Management superintendent. "It's also an opportunity to celebrate our heritage as we look forward to the future."

For more information, call 1st Lt. Holly Gramkow at (623) 856-8918.