World War II marked a climax in the long struggle of the Army airmen to establish an independent Air Force. In Europe and the Pacific, the United States Army Air Forces made impressive contributions to the Allied was effort-mounting massive strategic bombing campaigns against enemy industry and transportation targets as well as supporting major invasions an action on the ground. Yet amid the turbulence of war, key military planners were already considering what types of organizations and force structure would be needed in peacetime. They were determined to build a permanent military establishment capable of defending American interests by deterring war among the world powers. An independent United States Air Force, many believed, would allow the nations to fully develop the awesome potential of aviation, as air power became American first line of defense. Despite the interservice rivalries and cost-cutting policies of the early postwar period, General Eisenhower, General Arnold and other air advocates set in motion the modern Air Force. The Struggle for Air Force Independence describes the birth of the independent air arm, from initial planning through the intense postwar years. The roles and missions mapped out fifty years ago by a small group of visionaries are still preeminent today. The fledging Air Force of 1947 has been continually tested, yet over the decades it has maintained it technological edge, developing truly global warfighting and peacekeeping capabilities.

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