WASHINGTON, D.C. — A congressional investigation concluded this week, revealing a decades-long conspiracy by the United States Air Force to recruit and retain better-looking women than other branches of the U.S. military.

According to information provided by the Department of Defense and the Justice Department, since 1989, the core strategy of Air Force recruiting activities were aimed at attractive high school girls nation-wide, aged 17 and above.

During the federal investigation, agents found that millions of dollars were spent convincing the best-looking girls that the Air Force was the service in which smarter, prettier, and more popular girls served.

Advertising is part of every service's recruiting effort and is carried out by every branch, but federal investigators say what was being done by the Air Force was beyond scope and intensity.

Some examples found by the congressional report include:

• Following young girls home from cheer-leading practice.
• Forging notes and passing them in classes under more popular students' names.
• Leaking embarrassing information to unattractive candidates' boyfriends and parents.
• Investigating the lives of pop-singers seen as most influential to prospective candidates.