An Airman renders a salute during the playing of the National Anthem at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., Sept. 17, 2019. The memorial will be the site of a concert commemorating the force’s 77th birthday on Sept. 18, 2024. (Airman 1st Class Taryn Butler/U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. Air Force is closing out the week with a concert to commemorate its 77th birthday, which is on Sept. 18.
The concert is slated for Friday at 7 p.m. at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., with performances by the U.S. Air Force Band’s Concert Band and Singing Sergeants. Four members of the Brazilian air force’s symphony orchestra will also participate.
The USAF band’s mission is to honor those who have served and connect with the global community.
The force formally became a separate branch of the U.S. military on Sept. 18, 1947. It now boasts a total force of 689,000 personnel.
While the branch’s official birthday is next week, celebrations are already underway — and not just with the concert in the U.S. capitol region. The 502nd Air Base Wing at Joint Base San Antonio prepared commemorative photos, videos and graphics to mark the occasion.
Graphic created to observe the 77th birthday of the United States Air Force. (Kathryn Reaves/U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. April Edwards, 902d Civil Engineer Squadron training assistant chief, poses for a photo series commemorating the 77th anniversary of the USAF at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Sept. 5, 2024. (Kathryn Reaves/U.S. Air Force)
The USAF also received an early birthday wish from Fort Leonard Wood, a U.S. Army base in Missouri that has hosted and trained the Air Force’s 368th Training Squadron. “We are proud to serve with you!” reads a Sept. 10 news release.
Nor will all festivities end on Wednesday: Hanscom Air Force Base is throwing a 2024 Air Force Ball on Sept. 21, and there will likely be plenty of unofficial, private celebrations in the coming days as well.
