76th Birthday of the United States Air Force

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, on September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force was created by our country’s leaders to defend our nation; and

WHEREAS, for 76 years, the United States Air Force has answered the call of duty in times of war and peace to preserve democracy both at home and abroad; and

WHEREAS, more than 320,000 active-duty service members; 104,000 members of the Air National Guard; 66,000 members of the Air Force Reserve Command; and 174,000 civilian personnel are dedicated to making the United States Air Force one of the most powerful and technologically advanced military branches in the world; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is home to more than 16,000 Air Force Airmen and their families; and

WHEREAS, these service members and civilian workers support our national security and protect our freedoms at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the Pentagon, and other locations; and

WHEREAS, on this day, we celebrate the continued strength, professionalism, and endurance of the United States Air Force;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 18, 2023, as the 76^th BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations