The United States Air Force Memorial

Three Stainless Steel Spires

Soaring toward the sky, the tallest of three stainless steel curved spires reaches a height of 270 feet. The design represents flight and the flying spirit of the Air Force by recalling the image of a precision "Bomb Burst" maneuver, often performed by the United States air Force Thunderbirds during aerial reviews.

The three spires also symbolize the three core values of the Unites States Air Force:

• Integrity First
  
  
• Service before Self
  
  
• Excellence in All that is Done

Finally, the three spires represent the Total Force of the Air Force:

• Active
  
  
• Guard
  
  
• Reserve

Beneath the three central spires, the Air Force star is embedded in granite. The familiar star serves as the rank insignia of every enlisted member of the Air Force and is emblazoned on Air Force aircraft.

The Memorial was designed by architect James Ingo Freed of Pei Cobb freed & Partners, who also designed the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. as well as other well-known structures throughout the United States.