The history of AFA

1940s

1. February 4, 1946: AFA was incorporated in Washington, D.C., with Gen. Jimmy Doolittle as its first president.
2. July 1946: Air Force Magazine became the Association's official journal after serving as the U.S. Army Air Forces' service journal.
3. September 18, 1947: The U.S. Air Force became an independent military service under the National Security Act of 1947.
4. 1948: AFA established its awards program, including the H.H. Arnold, Flight, Science, Arts and Letters, and Hoyt S. Vandenberg awards. Several were renamed in later years.

1950s

1. September 1951: The first USAF Almanac appeared as an anniversary issue of Air Force Magazine.
2. May 1956: AFA formally established the Air Force Association Foundation, later renamed the Aerospace Education Foundation.
3. August 1956: AFA introduced the Outstanding Airmen of the Year program at its 10th National Convention in New Orleans.
4. April 1959: AFA held the World Congress of Flight in Las Vegas, drawing participation from 51 nations.

1960s

1. March 1964: AFA's Airmen's Council proposed a senior enlisted Air Force post. The first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force was appointed in 1967.
2. March 1967: The Aerospace Education Foundation worked with the U.S. Office of Education on Project Utah, testing the use of Air Force technical training in public education. AFA connects that work to the later Community College of the Air Force.
3. October 1969: Air Force Magazine coverage of U.S. prisoners of war and those missing in Vietnam helped bring wider attention to their situation.

1980s

1. August 1984: After 38 years in Washington, D.C., AFA moved to its own building in Arlington, Virginia.
2. January 1985: AFA held its first Tactical Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, the predecessor of today's warfare symposium.
3. April 1986: AFA's Gathering of Eagles in Las Vegas honored veterans of World War I, Korea, and Vietnam.
4. September 1987: President Ronald Reagan welcomed the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year to the White House and presented their badges.

1990s

1. October 1990: AFA and the Air Force Chief of Staff organized Stealth Days at Andrews Air Force Base to brief members of Congress on stealth aircraft.
2. January 1992: AFA helped establish the Air Force Memorial Foundation to pursue a national monument to Airmen and the Air Force.
3. March 1994: AFA published a special report criticizing a proposed Smithsonian presentation of the Enola Gay. The museum subsequently changed its exhibition plans amid public and congressional debate.
4. September 1995: The Aerospace Education Foundation awarded its first spouse scholarships to 10 recipients selected from more than 500 applicants.
5. December 1995: AFA and the Military Coalition advocated for federal protection against state income tax on military retirement income for people who no longer live in that state.
6. April 1997: AFA marked the Air Force's 50th anniversary in Las Vegas with a Global Air Chiefs Conference and an air show at Nellis Air Force Base.
7. September 1998: Hundreds of AFA delegates pressed Congress for military funeral honors for veterans. The following year's defense authorization law established an honor guard requirement upon request.

2000s

1. March 2001: AFA says it advocated for tax relief on gains from the sale of a member's home after a permanent change of station.
2. December 2002: AFA helped secure a Silver Star for Korean War veteran Lt. Col. David B. Van Pelt.
3. August 2005: Air Force Magazine introduced the Daily Report email newsletter on the Air Force and national defense.
4. October 2006: The United States Air Force Memorial was dedicated and presented to the nation, with President George W. Bush in attendance.
5. May 2007: The Eaker Institute was renamed the Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies in honor of Billy Mitchell.
6. February 2009: AFA launched CyberPatriot and held its first youth cybersecurity competition.

2010s

1. April 2010: CyberPatriot expanded beyond cadet teams as Northrop Grumman became its presenting sponsor.
2. November 2011: AFA established the Wounded Airman Program to assist seriously ill and injured Airmen.
3. April 2013: CyberPatriot opened to middle schools; later expansions reached elementary students and older adults through CyberGenerations.
4. September 2013: The organization became the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, with retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula as dean.
5. November 2013: CyberPatriot expanded internationally, beginning with CyberCenturion in the United Kingdom and later related programs in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
6. April 2014: AFA named its headquarters the James H. Doolittle Building for its first president.
7. June 2014: AFA launched Cyber Camps within the CyberPatriot program.
8. August 2014: The Secretary of the Air Force asked AFA to develop a space-focused STEM program, leading to StellarXplorers.
9. April 2015: StellarXplorers held its first space systems design competition.
10. September 2016: AFA renamed the Air & Space Conference the Air, Space & Cyber Conference to recognize the cyber domain.
11. December 2017: The Mitchell Institute, Air Force, and General Atomics created a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Squadron of the Year award.
12. December 2018: DARPA contracted the Mitchell Institute to study Mosaic Warfare, its first major contract.
13. April 2019: The Mitchell Institute established the General T. Michael Moseley Airpower Chair and named retired Maj. Gen. Lawrence Stutzriem to the post.
14. December 2019: AFA transferred the Air Force Memorial and its trademark rights to the Air Force District of Washington and closed the Air Force Memorial Foundation.
15. December 2019: The U.S. Space Force was established as a military branch within the Department of the Air Force.

2020s

1. April 2020: The Mitchell Institute launched Aerospace Nation as a virtual forum for Air Force and Space Force leaders during the pandemic.
2. May 2020: AFA revised its mission to include an explicit commitment to the new U.S. Space Force.
3. September 2020: AFA dedicated the General James Doolittle Leadership Center for engagement between warfighters and industry.
4. September 2020: AFA held its first virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference, attracting more than 10,000 registrants.
5. October 2020: AFA renamed its Air Warfare Symposium the Aerospace Warfare Symposium as its focus expanded to space.
6. November 2020: Lockheed Martin became StellarXplorers' presenting sponsor. Retired Lockheed Martin chairman Norman Augustine was named chair of the program's advisory board the next month.
7. December 2020: The Mitchell Institute established the Neal Blue Chair for Space Studies.
8. April 2022: AFA announced its change from Air Force Association to Air & Space Forces Association, reflecting support for both the Air Force and Space Force.

Where can I find AFA's Doolittle Legacy Wall?

AFA says its Doolittle Legacy Wall was part of its former headquarters at 1501 Langston Boulevard. AFA now preserves the wall as a digital memorial recognizing the generosity of those who supported it. On AFA's official Doolittle Legacy Wall, visitors can search by last name or rank. Use that live memorial to look up a name; this history guide does not reproduce or maintain its inscription records.

For AFA's current headquarters and staff contacts, see our staff and contact guide. The Legacy Wall is distinct from the Memorial to Memorial Ride fundraiser and the U.S. Air Force Memorial.

Continue exploring AFA

Read our guide to AFA's Vietnam War 50th anniversary commemoration and report on AFA's 2022 name change, then explore its mission, CyberPatriot, StellarXplorers, and the Board of Directors.

Source and review date

This chronology paraphrases AFA's official history timeline, reviewed October 7, 2026. The Legacy Wall description follows AFA's digital memorial, reviewed October 13, 2026. The official pages remain the primary sources.