An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

100th Anniversary Logo with the 100 in large letters and the museum logo
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
FREE Admission & Parking

Fact Sheet Alphabetical List

Fact Sheet Search

  • EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal

    Air Force EOD teams performed stressful and dangerous work disarming all types of explosive devices.  These duties also required ingenuity to deal with a clever enemy where one mistake could be deadly.Air Force EOD technicians neutralized malfunctioning, damaged, or degraded explosive devices. 

  • Enlisted RPA Pilots

    Controlled from a station on the ground, Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) fly without anyone on board. They use high-tech sensors to collect near-real-time intelligence—a valuable asset in both war and peacetime.Although unmanned, RPAs still require highly trained operators to pilot the aircraft,

  • Enlisted Guardians

    On December 20, 2019, congressional legislation established the United States Space Force as a new service within the Department of the Air Force. Shortly after, the service began recruiting space and cyberspace personnel and named its members Guardians.Selected from top performers in their fields,

  • Enlisted Thunderbirds: Precision on the Ground

    Since 1953, the precise work of enlisted Thunderbirds has provided the solid foundation for the air demonstration squadron’s excellence in the sky. Over one hundred enlisted Airmen representing nearly thirty career fields serve as Thunderbirds each year. Their hard work enables the team to operate

  • Enlisted Maintainers: Pride in Ownership

    Enlisted maintainers inspect, repair, and maintain aircraft using expert technical knowledge and skill. They take great pride in the ownership given to them: to provide aircrews with mission ready aircraft.The Air Force relies heavily on enlisted maintainers to keep aircraft flying. Enlisted

  • Enlisted Force: Foundation of Air and Space Power

    From its earliest days, the highly-skilled, trained, and talented enlisted force has been the foundation for the daily operations of the Department of the Air Force.Since 1907, enlisted Airmen have distinguished themselves as a technically minded and highly professional force. Their thirst for

  • Enlisted Airmen on the Cutting Edge

    Enlisted Airmen made a profound impact on aircraft, spacecraft, and automobile safety by participating in cutting edge research during the 1940s and 1950s. They volunteered for these assignments, often at great personal risk.Ejection Seat PioneerFirst Sergeant Lawrence Lambert became the first

  • Enlisted Force Exhibit

        This new exhibit highlights the highly skilled, trained and talented enlisted force that has been the backbone of daily operation of the U.S. Department of the Air Force. Elements of this exhibit are thoughtfully placed throughout the museum complex. Full completion is expected later this year,

  • Enlisted Mechanics

    Keep ‘em FlyingAs the complexity of military aircraft increased between 1917 and 1942, so did the role of mechanics.Enlisted mechanics had to constantly upgrade their skills in the face of rapid technological development. A single all-purpose mechanic could no longer service everything on an

  • Eddie Rickenbacker Lost at Sea

    As a nonmilitary observer, WWI Ace Eddie Rickenbacker had a mission to evaluate and report the status of U.S. Army Air Forces in the Pacific theatre during WWII. Unsuccessfully searching for Canton Island and low on fuel, their B-17 went down in the Pacific Ocean. Rickenbacker and the crew were