As the Air Force celebrates its 69th birthday this year, it brings along with it the 68th anniversary of the Twenty-Fifth Air Force. Born in the age of vacuum tubes and punch cards, “Elephant Cages” and Cold War methodologies, 25 AF continues its legacy into the 21st century.

What hasn’t changed though are the dedication and professionalism of the Silent Warriors doing the mission.

Some of today’s information collection still relies on updated Cold War-era platforms such as the U-2 or the RC-135, flown and maintained today by Airmen who could be the grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren, of the Airmen who preceded them.

Technology has brought us Remotely Piloted Aircraft, satellites and cyberspace tools, which not only help keep warfighters out of harm’s way but also transmit collected data at the speed of light. This technology has given us “Eyes in the Sky” that “vacuum up” video and telemetry at a rate unfathomable to the uninitiated. Data passes down at a daily rate that easily exceeds the total of all the televised professional football championships since Super Bowl I!

Airmen in the past often sat listening to static-filled headphones, seeking one recognizable signal to analyze. Others studied films from Corona and KH-series satellites, which kicked actual film canisters back into the atmosphere for aerial capture, wet processing and, finally, exploitation.

Born into a world filled with laptops, smart phones and tablet computers, today’s analyst finds the tech-filled workspaces immediately familiar. Today’s tech-savvy Airmen sort and study every bit and byte. By gleaning every piece of relevant information and making critical judgments on targets and appropriate responses, these Airmen provide around the clock tactical advantages to coalition forces. Today’s technology combined with still-valid legacy capabilities allow our Airmen to reach out to warfighters both real time and through carefully produced and vetted fused analytic products, providing battlefield commanders tactical advantage for immediate results.

The alignment of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft under 25 AF, along with two host base wings, presented the storied command with missions and responsibilities widely dissimilar from the ISR missions of the past 68 years. The numbered Air Force now oversees two entire bases and flying wings, gaining installation management, runway maintenance, and personnel and base support missions, as well as targeting and analysis through the addition of a third new wing. With these new wings, the NAF also gained electronic warfare and command and control capabilities and responsibilities for the Air Force. It also retains its role as the Air Force Service Cryptologic Component for the National Security Agency.

Over time the tools have changed but the mission has essentially stayed the same: providing full-spectrum decision advantage to warfighters and national leaders through globally integrated ISR, treaty monitoring, electronic warfare, targeting and analysis, and strategic command and control.