Establishing the U.S. Air Force Academy: The Early Years‪.‬

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Almost from the beginning of military aviation, American airmen dreamed of having a service independent from land and sea control, and also of a military school, an air academy, that would educate young men on the unique features of air power and how it should be employed. Achieving independence and establishing such an academy would take several decades. It was not until 1947 that the Air Force became a separate service, and not until 1954 that the Air Force Academy was finally established. In June 1959--fifty years ago this month--the first group of young officers graduated from that Academy. The path to that event was protracted and twisting.