The USAF Combat Photography (1968)

The USAF Combat Photography (1968) documents the work of United States Air Force combat photographers during the Vietnam War, examining the specialised role of military photography in recording aerial operations, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and frontline activity. The film traces the development of combat photography from the American Civil War through to the technological advances of the 1960s, before focusing on the personnel and equipment employed by USAF photographic units in Southeast Asia. It demonstrates how still photography and motion picture film were used to document combat operations, assess military effectiveness and produce visual records for operational, historical and public information purposes.

For photographers, the film provides an insight into a highly specialised branch of documentary practice where technical competence, speed and reliability were essential. It shows photographers working under operational conditions using a range of cameras, airborne platforms and processing facilities while recording combat missions from the air and on the ground. Beyond its military context, the documentary offers a detailed record of professional photographic workflows, field techniques and visual documentation during one of the most extensively photographed conflicts of the twentieth century.

This film is presented for educational and historical purposes. The USAF Combat Photography (1968) was produced by the United States Air Force and is a work of the United States Federal Government. It is in the public domain under Title 17, Section 105 of the United States Code and has been identified as free of known copyright restrictions.

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