One hundred years ago, in 1917, the United States formed an Air Service as part of the American Expeditionary Force. Created to aid in battle during World War I, it became the first significant U.S. air combat force. Thirty years later, with the enactment of the National Security Act on September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force became a separate branch of the United States military. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of this event, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with Maxwell Air Force will present a selection of works of art from the collection of the U.S. Air Force.

On view will be 40 paintings that artistically reflect the beginning of the Air Service—with images that depict the involvement of the Wright Brothers in Montgomery—and the subsequent development and growth of the U.S. Air Force. Through portraits of influential airpower leaders, renderings of various aircraft, and images of airmen in action, this exhibition provides insight into the history of the United States Air Force from World War I to the present.