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The Air Force Association (AFA) is an independent, nonprofit, civilian organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It publishes the monthly Air Force Magazine promoting aerospace power and the interests of the United States Air Force.

Contents 1 History and membership 2 AFA mission statement 3 2007 AFA national officers 4 Notes 5 Sources

The genesis for the Air Force Association occurred in August 1945 when Chief of the Army Air Forces General Henry H. Arnold asked an executive of Eastman Kodak, Edward Curtis, to create an organization among veterans returning from World War II to promote airpower and the cause of a separate Air Force. Curtis held an organizing meeting in New York City on October 12, 1945, for a nonprofit organization to meet Arnold's goals. In addition to Curtis, the founders of AFA in attendance were John Allard, Everett Cook, James H. Doolittle, Deering Howe, Rufus Rand, Sol Rosenblatt, Julian Rosenthal, James M. Stewart, Lowell P. Weicker (Senior), Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and John Hay Whitney.

The establishment of AFA was made public by Doolittle in January 1946, who explained that it would be based on a "grass-roots structure", with affiliates on local, state, and regional levels, would publish a national magazine, and would provide sponsorship for educational programs about the development of airpower.

The Association incorporated in the District of Columbia on February 4, 1946, and its first national president was Doolittle, an aviation pioneer and recipient of the Medal of Honor. In July, Air Force Magazine, then the official service journal of the Army Air Forces, became AFA's official journal at Arnold's behest. The next month a nationwide radio broadcast in observance of "Air Force Day" on August 1, 1946, was organized by AFA and featured charter members Stewart, Jack L. Warner, and Ronald Reagan. In 1948 Doolittle took a year's leave of absence from Shell Oil, where he was a vice president, to establish AFA chapters nationwide.^[1]

In addition to its lobbying mission on behalf of the Air Force, its mission, members, and their benefits, AFA holds several symposia annually on current issues affecting aerospace power. The organization has also been an advocate in several prominent controversies, including the Revolt of the Admirals, the display of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay at the National Air and Space Museum^[2] and the creation of the Air Force Memorial.^[3]

As of June 30, 2006, AFA has a membership of 127,749 of whom 34% (43,266) are life members (permanent membership), organized into 226 local chapters in 49 states (Maine is the only state without a chapter), the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Okinawa, and the Republic of Korea. AFA membership in 2006 included 16% on active duty military and 68% retired or former military.

In 1995 the demographics of membership were 24% life members (39,286 actual), 28% active duty, and 55% retired-former against a total membership of 170,881. Membership trends indicate that with the downsizing of the Air Force since 1991 (by approximately one-third),^[4] life membership has grown by 10% in actual membership totals while retired-former memberships have gone down by a slightly smaller percentage, but that active duty membership has been cut by more than half. Peak AFA membership was 237,722 in 1986, while life membership peaked at 43,389 in 2002.^[5]

"To educate the public about the critical role of aerospace power in the defense of our nation.

"To advocate aerospace power and a strong national defense.

"To support the United States Air Force and the Air Force family."

• Board Chairman Robert E. Largent
• Vice Chairman, Field Operations Joseph E. Sutter
• Vice Chairman, Aerospace Education L. Boyd Anderson
• Secretary Judy K. Church
• Treasurer Steven R. Lundgren
• Executive Director Donald L. Peterson

• Air Force Association
• "50 Years of AFA", AIR FORCE Magazine February 1996