In late 1957, as part of a reenlistment program, a 50-foot Christmas tree was erected in front of the Headquarters SAC administration building. Unit commanders could light one of the bulbs by reenlisting a given number of first-term airmen. A status board was maintained nearby to reflect the names of those commanders who met the quota. A painter was called upon to make a sign reflecting the theme of the reenlistment drive, 'Maintaining Peace is our Profession'. There wasn't enough space for all those words on the sign, so Lt.Col. Edward Martin and CWO Ben Kohoot, project officers for the 'Tree of Peace' program, decided to omit the word 'Maintaining'.

While visiting Headquarters SAC, Col. Charles T. Van Vliet, 8th Air Force director of information, saw the sign, liked it and took the idea back to Westover AFB, Mass. Afterwards, "Peace is our Profession" appeared on a large sign at Westover's main entrance. By early 1958, other 8th Air Force bases followed suit and journalists began publicizing it as being the SAC slogan. It soon was re-adopted by Headquarters SAC. The philosophy behind the punctuation was addressed during a 1976 press conference in Memphis, Tenn. by Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, SAC's commander in chief. He said; "The motto of the Strategic Air Command is 'Peace is our Profession'. But it isn't written like I just said it. It's written 'Peace....is our Profession'. The general added; 'You know that something has been excised. You fill it in, 'Peace with honor', or 'Peace on our terms', peace our way and for our people and for preservation of freedom. It's sort of a novel thing for a command that makes its business practicing the art of war, but that's what deterrence is all about and that's what you hired me for".