Today marks two anniversaries which are significant to the Texas military community, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force was created as a separate branch of the U.S. military by the National Security Act of 1947, and the Air Force was officially chartered on September 18, 1947.
The Air Force was formed out of the Army Air Corps, and it is now the largest Air Force in the world, with 318,000 active personnel.
Today also marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of Fort Hood.
Fort Hood was formally opened on September 18, 1942, after the Army scoured available land across the country, and determined that Central Texas was the area with terrain most similar to that of Northern Germany.
The plan was to train the tank crews at Fort Hood, which is named for Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, for the eventual invasion of Germany, which took place two years later.
Tank destroyers were first deployed at Fort Hood, which replaced the small Texas communities of Clear Creek, Elijah, and Antelope.
With 52,000 residents, including active duty personnel, civilians, and families, Fort Hood is the most populous military installation in the world. It is home to more than a dozen commands, including the storied First Cavalry Division.