18 september 1947, however, is considered the air national guard's official birth, concurrent with the establishment of the united states air force as a separate branch of the united states military under the national security act. the postwar air national guard force of the late 1940s included 58,000 members. between 1946 and 1949, all of the initial allotment of units received federal recognition in the conus. the hawaii territory ang received recognition and was activated on 4 november 1946; the puerto rico ang on 23 november 1947, and the alaska territory ang on 15 september 1952.