Argentine Air Force Day is observed in Argentina every August 10, commemorating the establishment of the Military Aviation School at El Palomar, Buenos Aires, in 1912. The origins of Argentine military aviation trace back to July 8, 1867, when an observation balloon was utilized during the Paraguayan War, but the official founding date of the Argentine Air Force is marked by the school's inauguration by President Roque Sáenz Peña. The first directors of the school included notable figures such as Enrique Mosconi, M. J. López, and Jorge Newbery. In 1927, the General Directorate of Aeronautics was established to oversee military aviation, and the Argentine Air Force became a separate military branch in 1945. The day serves to honor the contributions and history of the Argentine Air Force, which has participated in UN peacekeeping operations since 1991.