National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Opens New Exhibit Honoring the Enlisted Force

This Enlisted Maintainers element of a newly opened Enlisted Force Exhibit is located in the Korean War Gallery of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The full exhibit, which contains nearly 50 elements, is placed throughout the 10 galleries of the museum.

Enlisted exhibit captionsEnlisted Maintainers exhibit in the Korean War Gallery of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.With the arrival of the jet age after World War II, the Air Force began purchasing equipment and using technical data for troubleshooting. However, when the Korean War began, the newly independent Air Force struggled to provide enough trained personnel.Maintainers served twelve-month tours in Korea. When they gained proficiency with their aircraft, they returned to the United States and an inexperienced maintainer took over. Inadequate maintenance, combined with challenges such as rough runways, cold weather, and supply shortages, caused aircraft to deteriorate faster than expected.In response, the USAF used better-equipped facilities in nearby Japan for Rear Echelon Combined Maintenance Operation (RECMO), which proved successful.(U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees)
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PRESS RELEASE

DAYTON, Ohio – The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has completed the installation of a new exhibit highlighting the Department of the Air Force’s enlisted personnel. The Enlisted Force Exhibit is the museum’s newest permanent exhibit and honors the highly skilled, trained, and talented enlisted force that has been the backbone of daily operations of the U.S. Department of the Air Force throughout its 76-year history. To mark the exhibit opening the museum hosted a private ceremony to honor exhibit contributors, museum staff and volunteers, and other special guests including Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force, John F. Bentivegna, and former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and Air Force Museum Foundation Vice Chair Gerald R. Murray.

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Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, JoAnne Bass, was keynote speaker for the opening of an Enlisted Force Exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on November 9, 2023 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The exhibit, which contains nearly fifty elements, is placed throughout the four buildings and ten galleries of the museum. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees)

“The men and women of our enlisted corps are not merely participants in the chronicles of our nation’s defense, but they are architects of history,” said Bass. “Our heritage is rooted in the ideals of integrity, service, and excellence. A tapestry woven with the threads of sacrifice and valor.” Today, enlisted airmen and guardians represent approximately 80% of the Department of the Air Force and provide a solid foundation for operations in air, space, and cyberspace. The Enlisted Force Exhibit took more than three years to develop and contains more than 40 elements that are thoughtfully placed throughout the museum at locations near the era or artifacts that correlate to their specialty.

Elements of the exhibit include: A display in the WWII Gallery featuring the story of Staff Sgt. James Meredith who was one of the first Black airmen to serve in an all-White squadron.
An introduction to Enlisted Maintainers who work in all conditions at all hours to troubleshoot urgent repairs, overhaul complex systems and closely inspect parts to prevent future problems in any number of areas including aerospace propulsion, electrical systems, weapons systems and more. Insight into Musical Ambassadors who serve as musicians, arrangers and audio engineers in the U.S. Air Force bands, providing inspirational performances to honor veterans and connect the public to the Department of the Air Force through music.

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This grand display of the Enlisted Force stands in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s Kettering Hall as a tribute to the backbone of the Air Force. The display shows the roles of Airmen past and present through photographs and video. Six mannequins display uniforms of Airmen from 1918 to 2019 and include a WWI mechanic, WWII Public Affairs Specialist, Cold War Police Officer, Southeast Asia War Flight Engineer, Persian Gulf War Aerial Gunner, and Global War on Terrorism HALO Parachutist. The full exhibit, which contains nearly fifty elements, is placed throughout the ten galleries of the museum. Since 1907, enlisted Airmen have distinguished themselves as a technically minded and highly professional force. Their thirst for advanced skills, coupled with specialized training, makes them an elite group that produces quality results. Whether repairing the first military aircraft, reporting the weather for D-Day, or flying remotely piloted aircraft, enlisted Airmen have contributed greatly in many career fields. Over time, their responsibilities have increased, and the force has become more diversified in abilities and characteristics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees)

The uniform worn by Sgt. Benjamin Fillinger, one of 15 airmen from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base transferred into the U.S. Space Force in 2020. Space Force guardians are top performers in the fields of information technology, cyber security, communication systems, and space systems operations. “Today’s Space Force is small. It’s just like the museum when it started as an engineering study collection – very small,” said Bentivegna. “But Guardians are creating our Space Force history every day. And 100 years from now, the Enlisted Exhibit in the National Museum of the U.S. Air and Space Force will be overflowing with that history that we’re making today.” The Enlisted Force Exhibit is open to visitors daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. This new exhibit was made possible by generous contributions from the Air Force Museum Foundation (Federal endorsement not implied).

For more information about this exhibit, visit the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s website.

Luc Zipkin

Luc Zipkin grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, in a family passionate about aviation, inspired by his grandfather who became a pilot after WWII. Luc soloed in gliders at 14 and flew a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub at 16. Now a commercial pilot and flight instructor, he runs a tailwheel flight school. He volunteers with the Tunison Foundation, the Commemorative Air Force, and private warbird collections. As the founder of Young Pilots USA, Luc's writing has appeared in AOPA Pilot and EAA's SportAviation. He joined Vintage Aviation News in 2023 and is pursuing a degree in politics, history, and engineering design at Wesleyan University.

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About Luc Zipkin 26 Articles
Luc Zipkin grew up in Middlebury, Connecticut, in a family passionate about aviation, inspired by his grandfather who became a pilot after WWII. Luc soloed in gliders at 14 and flew a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub at 16. Now a commercial pilot and flight instructor, he runs a tailwheel flight school. He volunteers with the Tunison Foundation, the Commemorative Air Force, and private warbird collections. As the founder of Young Pilots USA, Luc's writing has appeared in AOPA Pilot and EAA's SportAviation. He joined Vintage Aviation News in 2023 and is pursuing a degree in politics, history, and engineering design at Wesleyan University.

1 Comment

  1. I certainly hope that there is a more in depth of maintenance personnel. The guys that actually kept the aircraft flying. The uniform exhibit fell short. The closest thing to a real maintenance person was a flight engineer. But in reality they only supplied info to maintenance personnel just like the other flight crew members. Seldom any of them ever did any repairs to make sure the aircraft was ready to fly it’s next sortie. I guess I’d have to see the whole exhibit to better assess the tribute to maintenance personnel. Sadly this brief summary I feel misses the Mark!

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