Happy 71st Birthday, U.S. Air Force!

To celebrate the Air Force’s 71st birthday, Senior Master Sgt. Jeriann Sigley, assistant director, food and drug safety; retired USAF Col. Michael Smietana, senior vice president of the Real Estate Directorate; and Staff Sgt. Christophore Hountohotegbe, military personnel office, cut the ceremonial cake. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tim Meyer

Exchange associates at  headquarters in Dallas celebrated the 71st anniversary of the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday, honoring the world’s best fighting force and Airmen who protect our nation.

Keynote speaker at the ceremonies was Lt. Col. Michael Young from the Exchange’s Office of Inspector General, who reflected upon how his grandfather set the standard for service to this great Nation.

Here is the text of Lt. Col. Young’s speech:

Lt. Col. Michael Young reflects on how his grandfather was his military hero.

Wow, what an honor to be standing up here today to celebrate the strongest, most dynamic and talented Air Force in the World, the United States Air Force!

Most military birthday speeches go through the history of their service, but I want to take this time to celebrate the people that make up our Air Force.  They are the reason our Air Force is so great.

People like my Grandfather. Although I had never met my Grandfather because he passed away the week I was born, I always looked at him as my hero. While he was a freshman at University of North Carolina, he was on a bus to go to a football game when he heard on the radio that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.

He simply got off the bus and walked to the recruiting station to join the Army.

He was 6’2” and 120 pounds soaking wet.  The recruiters took one look at him and told him to go home.

A determined grandpa

He was too skinny and couldn’t make weight.  Determined, he went home and ate bananas and drank beer over the next few months and eventually was able to join the Army Air Corps in which he flew missions over Africa towards the end of WWII.

Of course eating bananas and drinking beer are not the reasons he’s my hero; it’s the fact that he was willing drop everything (the parties, social life,  and everything else that goes along with college) to join the Army Air Corps to fight a war.

I always admired that!

Willing to give up money, family, time

I don’t tell you this to brag about my grandfather because he definitely wasn’t the only person rushing to join the Air Corps.  I tell you this to illustrate what type of people the Air Force is comprised of.

We have the very best that the United States has to offer.  We have doctors, lawyers, physicists, biochemists, pilots, cops, air traffic controllers, special forces.  I could go on forever…but the bottom line is…they’re all HEROES!

‘We have the very best that the United States has to offer. We have doctors, lawyers, physicists, biochemists, pilots, cops, air traffic controllers, special forces.  I could go on forever…but the bottom line is…they’re all HEROES!’

-Lt. Col. Michael Young

They are willing to give up money, family, time and, in some cases fame, to join the Air Force.

It’s hard to put into perspective, but the reality is anyone joining the Air Force today is just like my grandfather…a kid volunteering for war. Airmen enlisting today have never known a time without war.

Yet they still raise their right hand and are willing to give everything to their country and the Air Force.  To me, that is what makes the Air Force great.  We are truly comprised of the brightest, toughest, and bravest individuals the U.S. has to offer.

Before I step down I would like to read one thing, The Airman’s Creed.  In my opinion nothing depicts an Airman better:

There is no doubt that we are the greatest Air Force in the world.  We can drop bombs on any target at any time.  We provide services such as GPS with over 99.9% accuracy and maintain a stronghold on cyber security, but our true asset is our people.

From Air Force pioneers like Billy Mitchell who understood the importance of Air Power to the Airmen going through basic training in San Antonio today, I personally want to thank you for making our Air Force the best the world has ever seen! Today we celebrate you and our Air Forces Birthday!  Thank You!

Send us your pictures of your Air Force anniversary celebrations to exchangepost@aafes.com.

Exchange Post History FunFact

July 26, 1948

From the Exchange History Flickr album, a PX matchbook from the World War II-era Amarillo Field Exchange in Texas. 

The year the Army Exchange Service became the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. On September 18, 1947, the Air Force became a separate service under the National Security Act. But post exchanges had been serving this Nation’s pilots since World War I.