Breitling

On July 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. This landmark legislation officially established the United States Air Force as a separate and co-equal branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The creation of an independent air arm was the culmination of a long and often contentious struggle between visionary air-minded officers and the entrenched Army and Navy establishments. For decades, senior leaders of the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces had championed the cause, recognizing air power as essential to modern national defense. The decisive role of American air dominance during World War II demonstrated to the nation’s leaders the strategic importance of air power in the atomic age.

By signing this historic act into law, President Truman validated the efforts and sacrifices of thousands of dedicated Airmen who worked tirelessly to build what would become the most powerful air force in the world.

Breitling chose to commemorate this pivotal moment 50 years later with a special timepiece celebrating the vital role aviation has played throughout America’s history, not only in national defense, but also in countless humanitarian missions around the globe.