Military 101: The U.S. Air Force

By Morgan Thomas, CSG Policy Associate

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) visual information does not imply or constitute DOD endorsement.

The U.S. Air Force is one of six branches of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Air Force operates under the Department of the Air Force which is one of three military departments under the Department of Defense. Although the U.S. Air Force is the second youngest branch, it has operated, under different names, alongside the U.S. Army since 1907. Today, the U.S. Air Force operates as the largest air force in the world.

Mission

The U.S. Air Force runs on three core values: integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do. The overall mission statement of the U.S. Air Force, which was adopted in 2021, is: “To Fly, Fight, and win…airpower anytime, anywhere.” The new mission statement is a revision of the original Air Force mission statement and motto from 2010: “Aim High, Fly-Fight-Win.” The U.S. Air Force made this change to reflect the integration of the U.S. Space Force into the Armed Forces. The U.S. Space Force focuses on U.S. defense interests in space, which has long been a focus of the U.S. Air Force but now has a formal military branch outside of the Air Force. Now, the U.S. Air Force is focused on all sectors of airpower, including air superiority, global strikes, rapid global mobility, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and command and control.

History

Prior to becoming a standalone branch, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Division in 1907 to house all tactical air power. In 1914, Congress formed the Aviation Section to replace the Aeronautical Division. The Aviation Section, which was a part of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I, was tasked with supervising all U.S. Army Aircraft. During the war, the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) replaced the American Expeditionary Force under the United States Secretary of War. The USAAS was responsible for developing and training air units and procuring aircraft. While fighting in the war, the USAAS split its functions and responsibilities between the Division of Military Aeronautics and the Bureau of Aircraft Production.

The USAAS was renamed the Army Air Corps in 1926 following World War I , remaining a devision of the Arrmy, due to a lack of support for an independent air force branch. During World War II on June 20, 1941, the United States Army Air Forces was established as the successor to the United States Army Air Corps. The United States Army Air Forces was comprised of the Army Ground Forces, the United States Army Services of Supply and the Army Air Forces. 

The Department of the Air Force was established on July 26, 1947, under the National Security Act of 1947. However, the U.S. Air Force officially became the fifth branch of the United States Armed Forces on September 18, 1947, when the first Secretary of the Air Force, William Stuart Symington, was sworn into office. Subsequently, the U.S. Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Reserves were also created. 

Structure

Each branch of the military has a unique leadership and organizational structure that is delineated by branch specific terminology. Traditionally, the military follows a bottom-up style of leadership. This helps determine the chain of command structure which is used to delineate orders and resolve discrepancies at the lowest level. The structure of the U.S. Air Force is as follows:

Unit or Section

A unit or section is where an airman is placed based on their assigned job. A unit or section brings together specific career fields that can house two or more personnel.

Flight

A flight is a subsection of a squadron that consists of individual airmen or units or sections. A flight can range from 12–100 personnel.

Squadron

A squadron houses three to six flights that perform similar job functions to support the same mission. It can operate as a mission squadron, functional squadron, or maintenance squadron. A squadron comprises 35–700 personnel and can vary greatly based on mission needs.

Group

A group is made up of two or more squadrons to provide full spectrum mission support. A group can operate as a large functional unit for support squadrons such as logistics, operations, or medical, or a group can also operate independently with wing-like functions. A group consists of 100 to several hundred personnel.

Wing or Base

A standard wing will consist of one primary mission group and several supporting groups, such as operations, maintenance, mission support and medical. It can be an operational wing, an air base wing or a specialized mission wing. A standard wing will consist of 1,000 personnel or more.

Numbered Air Force (NAF)

A Numbered Air Force consists of wings, squadrons and groups. A Numbered Air Force is selected based on mission goals and geographic location. There are a total of twenty-five Numbered Air Forces. For example, the First Air Force oversees air defense for the continental United States, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Major Command (MAJCOM)

Major Commands, commonly referred to as MAJCOMs, are selected based on a specific air force mission or physical geographic location. MAJCOMs function as management headquarters and fall directly under Headquarters United States Air Force (HQ USAF). The USAF has 10 MAJCOMs and two Air Reserve Commands. For example, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) MAJCOM is headquartered in Hickam, Hawaii, and its mission is to provide air force component units for the United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Headquarters United States Air Force (HQ USAF)

Headquarters United States Air Force, known as HQ USAF, is the senior level of authority of the Air Force. It consists of the office of the Secretary of the Air Force and the office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

Rank Structure

Rank structure plays a critical role in leadership, duties and responsibilities, and authority in all branches of the Armed Forces. How rank is achieved varies from branch to branch, and the title of each rank can vary greatly as well. In the U.S. Air Force, rank is determined by time-in-service, time-in-grade, and career and leadership development courses. A service member’s rank corresponds with their pay grade. The enlisted pay grades are E-1 through E-9, officer pay grades are O-1 through O-6, and general officer pay grades are O-7 through O-10. The highest-ranking enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force is Chief Master Seargent. General is the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Below, you will find the rank, grade and insignia structure of the U.S. Air Force.  

Enlisted Ranks and Grades

Airman Basic (AB/E-1)

Airman (Amn/E-2)

Airman First Class (A1C/E-3)

Senior Airman (SrA/E-4)

Staff Sergeant (SSgt/E-5)

Technical Sergeant (TSgt/E-6)

Master Sergeant (MSgt/E-7)

Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt/E-8)

Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt/E-9)

The First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Seargeant and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force are additional duty assignments. While they do not provide additional rank, they do require an airman to obtain a specific rank before applying to obtain that additional duty assignment. All airmen are paid according to their rank and years of service.
Officer Ranks and Grades

Second Lieutenant (2^nd Lt/ O-1)                                                 

First Lieutenant (1^st Lt/O-1)

Captain (Capt/O-3)

Major (Maj/O-4)

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col/O-5)

Colonel (Col/O-6)

Brigadier General (Brig Gen/O-7)

Major General (Maj Gen/O-8)

Lieutenant General (Lt Gen/O-9)

General (Gen/O-10)

*Warrant Officers serve above all non-commissioned officers but are subordinate to commissioned officers. Warrant officers are highly skilled and proficient in a specific career field. Although the Air Force had warrant officers upon its conception in 1947, after being separated from the Army, the Air Force has not had Warrant Officers since the late 1950s. However, as of February 2024, the U.S. Air Force is re-introducing warrant officers for cyber and information technology jobs.

Jobs

The first step to becoming an airman is completing basic military training, otherwise known as “boot camp.” Once an airman completes BMT at Lackland Air Force Base, they will attend their assigned job training school often referred to in the Air Force as “tech school.”  An airman’s job and their corresponding tech school are selected based on their scores from the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test and the Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS). The ASVAB is an online test that is taken prior to enlisting in the Armed Forces and attending training. In addition to the ASVAB, MEPS is a physical examination that is conducted prior to enlistment and boot camp. The scores obtained on both the ASVAB and MEPS determine which jobs an individual qualifies for in the U.S. Air Force and other military branches. Once a job is selected, a candidate is sent to boot camp, and the tech school specific to their job. When boot camp and tech school are completed, an airman will go on to serve on Active Duty, Air Force National Guard or the Air Force Reserves.

In addition to taking the traditional route of graduating boot camp and attending tech school, there are other ways to start a career with the U.S. Air Force, such as entering under prior service, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) and more.

Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. Air Force offers a wide variety of jobs outside of aviation. In the USAF, an airman’s job is referred to as your Air Force Specialty Code, commonly referred to as AFSC.  Each AFSC plays a critical role in mission success across the Air Force. Each AFSC is categorized by a specific career field in the Air Force.

The different career fields within the U.S. Air Force are categorized as the following:

Medical

The U.S. Air Force offers a multitude of medical jobs, including employment as dentists, healthcare administrators, nurses, surgeons, physicians, technicians and specialists. If there is a civilian medical profession, there is likely an Air Force equivalent career field. Medical is a critical career field in the Air Force and all branches of the Armed Forces as it serves to support the physical and psychological health of service members.

Maintenance
The U.S. Air Force maintenance career field houses aircraft maintenance, facilities construction, maintenance and support, and airframe inspection and maintenance. Maintenance ensures that all aircraft are operational and meet Air Force standards by performing inspections, functional checks, proper fueling and more.

Science & Technology

The U.S. Air Force science and technology career field is composed of jobs related to engineering, specialty electronics, space, missile and weapons systems.

Aviation & Flight

The U.S. Air Force aviation and flight carer field encompasses more than just pilots. It includes airborne support, flight operations, avionics and integrated systems.

Logistics & Administration

The U.S. Air Force logistics and administration career field encompasses an array of support jobs that ensure broader organization. These include institutional support, material management, resource management and religious support. Logistics and administration also manage the procurement, transportation, functionality, and maintenance of military parts and personnel.

Cyber and Intelligence

The U.S. Air Force cyber and intelligence career field encompasses intelligence, cyber intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Cyber and intelligence jobs analyze and manage intelligence activities, targets, and operations for Air Force personnel and Department of Defense leadership.

Combat & Warfare

The U.S. Air Force also offers jobs in the combat and warfare career field that encompasses special warfare and combat support. The combat and warfare career field also houses Air Force Special Warfare forces specializing in reconnaissance and special warfare missions in hostile environments. 

Law and Order

The U.S. Air Force Law and Order career includes legal services, safety management and emergency response. Legal jobs uphold the justice and laws of the Air Force and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Safety management and emergency response jobs ensure the safety and security of Air Force personnel.

Whether an airman is part-time or full-time, their job is an essential piece to ensuring mission success and air dominance. Every job within the U.S. Air Force plays an essential part in maintaining airpower dominance and supports the overall mission of the U.S. Air Force anytime, anywhere.  

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