IN THE AIR The United States Air Force plays an important role as one of the main branches of the U S military Its main purpose is to protect the country in the air 4
By protecting the United States in the air the air force protects people and other armed forces on the ground More than 300,000 men and women serve in the U S Air Force today They use the most advanced aircraft and aviation technology to defend the United States But more than 100 years ago the group that would become the U S Air Force began with just one officer and two other men Their main aircraft were balloons Let’s find out more about the massive military power that grew from this small force 5
CHAPTER ONE THE AIR FORCE APPROACH The main objective of the U S Air Force is to protect the United States and the people that live there But what makes this branch different from other branches of the U S military Based on the name we know that much of the air force’s work defending and fighting for the country is done in the air protect the country in space and cyberspace In fact the U S Air Force’s official mission is to fly fight and win in air space and cyberspace There’s a lot that goes into successfully fulfilling that mission However the air force also studies and works to MISSILE A ROCKET USED TO STRIKE SOMETHING AT A DISTANCE 6
COMMAND SPACE FORCE AIR The Air Force Space Command was established in 1982 to focus on missions involving missile warnings satellite control and space surveillance 7
