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Air Force Materiel Command Office Of History

Welcome to the Air Force Materiel Command Office of History. 

History Museum Program LogoOUR MISSION

The mission of HQ Air Force Materiel Command History Office is to operationalize history, weaponize the archives, bring context to the discussion, and inspire and educate.

VISION

  • To be the force multiplier to all AFMC operations.

  • To build an agile Air Force Materiel Command History Program into the recognized, best-in-class history organization within the United States Air Force History & Museum Program and actively seek ways to help the commander tell the story of Air Force Materiel Command’s delivery and support of agile, war-winning capabilities.

  • To capture and keep the institutional knowledge of the Air Force Materiel Command.

  • To establish and remain an operationally integrated force for wartime and contingency operations.

  • To advance knowledge of Air Force Materiel Command history, heritage, and leadership challenges through research, analysis, writing, interpretation, service, and products.

  • To inspire Airmen with heritage and enhance continuous organizational learning across the entire AFMC enterprise with improved integration and outreach.

AFMC History in Brief

Air Force Materiel Command  traces its heritage to 1917 at McCook Field, a World War I-era, experimental engineering facility in Dayton, Ohio. With the creation of the U.S. Air Service in 1918, the organization became known as the Engineering Division and was expanded to include responsibility for the Air Corps' logistics system. It was redesignated the Air Corps Materiel Division in 1926. As the largest branch of the Air Corps, the Materiel Division was responsible for all aircraft and equipment research, development, procurement, maintenance, supply and flight tests.

The research, development and logistics functions were separated during World War II. However, they were subsequently reunited for several years during the late 1940s under the Air Materiel Command and structured around the strengths of technological superiority and worldwide logistics support. In 1950, the Air Research and Development Command was broken out as a separate organization devoted strictly to research and development. In 1961, Air Materiel Command was redesignated Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC), while the Air Research and Development Command gained the added responsibility for weapon system acquisition and was redesignated Air Force Systems Command (AFSC).

On July 1, 1992, AFLC and AFSC combined to form Air Force Materiel Command, a single, streamlined organization with an expanded mission. The new command built upon AFLC's expertise in providing worldwide logistics support -- including maintenance, modification and overhaul of weapon systems -- and AFSC's expertise in science, technology, research, development and testing.

The new AFMC has tremendous resources and responsibilities, directly controlling about 33 percent of the Air Force's budget. AFMC supports nine host bases and runs the Air Force's medical and test pilot schools. As with any outstanding organization, AFMC's most important resource is its people, a world-class work force with about 87,000 Air Force experts in matters ranging from the research laboratory to the flight line.

Today, AFMC remains committed to helping ensure the continued dominance of the United States Air Force in air, space and cyberspace.

History Articles

  • Contributions of Edwards Air Force Base to the Moon Landing

    A number of aspects of the joint U.S. Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and U.S. Navy X-15 flight research project that began in 1958 had an impact on the development of several technologies used in Project Apollo. In particular, it influenced both the Lunar Landing Research

  • Flashback: Hypersonic Flight to the Edge of Space

    While most of the country was focused on the race to space, a unique test program was just getting underway at Edwards Air Force Base in the high desert of California. This vehicle was like no other, built to withstand the temperatures of hypersonic flight as well as flight to the edge of space, the

  • History in Two: Dyna-Soar

    The Dyna-Soar program (System 464L), initiated on  October 10, 1957, took three separate, but related studies on manned, hypersonic weapons and reconnaissance systems (Hywards (SR-131), Bomi/Brass Bell (SR-12) and Robo (SR-126)) and merged them into a single, three-phased program. The research

  • History of Aircraft Track Landing Gear

    *(Extracted from historical study No. 135: Case History of Track Landing Gear) The design of landing gear is closely related to an aircraft’s mission. In the 1940’s it was thought that heavy bombardment aircraft, if using conventional systems, would require thick, expensive runways. Track landing

  • History in Two: Project MERCURY

    Project MERCURY was established in October 1958 with the following objectives: Place a manned spacecraft in orbital flight around the earth. Investigate man’s performance capabilities and his ability to function in the environment of space. Recover the man and the spacecraft safely.On  April 6,

  • History in Two: The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle

    This month marks the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in 1969. Over a decade prior to this, and nearly four years before President Kennedy’s famous speech, ARDC’s Ballistic Missile Division began research on high thrust space vehicles capable of lunar flights. In January 1957, the ARDC

  • Special Study: Operation ALLIED FORCE

    One of the most successful campaigns in the history of air power was Operation Allied Force (OAF). Perhaps the goal was not victory alone, for that is not really what most of the air power proponents meant, but rather that someday air power “alone” would form the tip of the spear. However, it is a

  • 75th Anniversary of the P-80

    History in Two articles provide a quick overview of historical milestones in AFMC and the Air Force. The first edition focuses on the 75th Anniversary of the P-80.

Historical Write-Ups

Our Team

Redirecting...
  • Command Historian

    Yancy Mailes

    Contact Us

  • Archives and Research
    R. Ray Ortensie
  • Heritage and Exhibits
    Jack Waid