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ANGRC celebrates Air Force 67th birthday

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Jerry Bynum
  • Air National Guard Readiness Center Public Affairs
Air National Guard Readiness Center members, who perform operational and technical functions to ensure combat readiness of 105,400 Air National Guard Airmen at 89 ANG wings and units, celebrated the Air Force's 67th birthday at the ANGRC here Sept. 18.

The celebration highlighted the Air Force's accomplishments and successes during the last 67 years.

"It's about a journey," said Col. Eric W. Mann, ANGRC vice commander. "It's important to reflect on how we got here. It's about how we got here; it's about the 'who' that got us here ... remembering those who have come before us. It's about trying to ensure that we learned from what we came from and where we're going to go."

Mann discussed how the Air Force has embodied the American spirit.

"The Air Force has had the same mission for a long time; fly, fight, and win ... and we are really good at it," Mann said during the ceremony. "We've operate in three domains; air, space, and cyberspace ... and we bring dynamic expertise while accomplishing the Air Force mission."

"We have people doing the jobs that they're doing, connected to the reserves, our active component, and the other departments," said Chief Master Sgt. Anthony L. Whitehead, the ANGRC command chief. "[The Air Force is] a powerhouse! And for that I thank you."

The ceremony concluded with the long standing tradition of bringing up the youngest and oldest Airmen in the unit to joint the ANGRC leadership for the presentation of a celebration cake and the singing of the Air Force song. Tech. Sgt. Kristin Shultz and Col. Gary Szabo joined Mann and Whitehead on stage for the festivities.

The Air Force became a separate military service Sept. 18, 1947, when President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947.