History
The US Army Air Corps served as the air branch of the US Army for many years. It was responsible for training pilots and managing aircraft before the country had a separate Air Force. During the early years of the war, the Air Corps expanded very quickly to meet the needs of the fight. They flew bombers and fighters to help ground troops and attack enemy factories far away. By training thousands of new pilots, they helped the Allies gain control of the skies over Europe and the Pacific. The success of the Air Corps proved that air power was necessary for winning modern wars. Because of this success, the leaders decided that the air forces should be their own branch of the military. In 1947, the Air Corps became the United States Air Force. This change allowed the air branch to have more independence and better technology for future missions around the world.
