recent odc activities 2009

USAF celebrates 62nd birthday with Polish Air Force

14 October 2009

From Left to Right:  Col Timothy Burke and support staff at the Polish Air Force Academy

On the 18th of September, Col Timothy Burke, Col Mary Peterson, Lt Col Scott Wallace and Capt John Szczepanski of the USAF visited the Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin to celebrate a new graduating class of Polish Air Force officers as well as celebrating the 62nd birthday of the USAF.  “The USAF traditionally celebrates our birthday with a toast and cake, so we were pleased to be able to share that tradition with the Polish Air Force Academy,” stated Col Burke.  The Polish Air Force Academy commissioned a new group of officers who had completed their studies at other universities and spent up to two years at Deblin to prepare them for the demands of the Polish Military.  Officers were commissioned into three Polish uniformed services, the Air Force, Army and Navy.  The USAF was created on the 18th of September in 1947 when W. Stuart Symington was sworn in as the first Secretary of the Air Force.  The Polish and United States air forces have a growing partnership, in both bi-lateral and NATO training, exercises and deployments.