The news comes less than a year after a deadly November CV-22 Osprey crash in Japan that claimed the lives of eight airmen.

The Pentagon grounded its entire fleet of Ospreys in late 2023 after a deadly crash off the coast of Japan killed eight airmen in November. The aircraft were cleared to fly again in March with some limitations: flights and missions have to stay within 30 minutes of a “suitable divert airfield.”

On September 18, 1947, the U.S. Air Force was established as an independent branch of the military, marking its 77th birthday on Wednesday, September 18th, 2024. This significant transition from the Army Air Corps to a standalone service came after years of deliberation,

Tinker Air Force Base celebrated the United States Air Force’s 77th birthday on Wednesday. Officials say 77 years ago in 1947, the U.S. Air Force became its own branch of the military, originally being a part of the Army.