Numbered Air Force

A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a Major Command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups.^[1] A Component Numbered Air Force (C-NAF) has the additional role as an Air Force Component Command exercising command and control over air and space forces supporting a Unified Combatant Command.^[2] Unlike MAJCOMs, which have a management role, a NAF is a tactical organization with an operational focus, and does not have the same functional staff as a MAJCOM.^[2] Numbered air forces are typically commanded by a major general or a lieutenant general.

Numerical designations for Numbered Air Forces are written out, without the use of ordinal numbers (e.g., Eighth Air Force instead of 8th Air Force), but Arabic numerals are used in abbreviations (e.g., 8 AF).^[1]^[3] Units directly subordinate to a NAF are generally numbered 6XX (where XX is the NAF number).^[1] For example, the 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) is a unit subordinate to the Eighteenth Air Force.

History[edit]

World War II Air Districts and Numbered Air Forces.

Numbered air forces began as named organizations in the United States Army Air Corps before World War II.^[4] The first four NAFs were established as the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest Air Districts on 19 October 1940 to provide air defense for the United States.^[5] These Air Districts were redesignated as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air Forces, respectively, on 26 March 1941. Over a year after the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces on June 20, 1941, the Arabic numerals were changed to the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Air Forces on 18 September 1942. Other organizations established during this period and that became Numbered air forces include the Philippine Department Air Force (became Fifth Air Force), the Panama Canal Air Force (became Sixth Air Force), the Hawaiian Air Force (became Seventh Air Force), and the Alaskan Air Force (became Eleventh Air Force).^[6] After World War II, the US Air Force continued to use both named and numbered air forces. While named air forces were used in both tactical and support roles, numbered air forces were generally employed only in tactical roles.^[4]

As part of a peacetime restructuring in March 1946, the United States Army Air Forces were reorganized into three major operating commands: the Strategic Air Command (SAC), the Tactical Air Command (TAC), and the Air Defense Command (ADC).^[7] These commands reflected the basic air combat missions that evolved during the war, and each reported directly to General Carl Spaatz, the Commanding General, Army Air Forces. Numbered air forces served as an intermediate headquarters between these commands and the operational wings and groups. Eleven of the sixteen wartime air forces remained. The Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces were assigned to SAC; the Third, Ninth, and Twelfth Air Forces were assigned to TAC; and the First, Second, Fourth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Air Forces were assigned to ADC. Second Air Force would later be transferred to SAC in 1949.^[8] The numbered air forces had both operational and administrative authority, and existed as a command level between major commands and air divisions. Although variations existed, and number air forces were often reassigned, this basic arrangement persisted throughout the Cold War.

The role of numbered air forces changed in the 1990s during the Air Force reorganization initiated by Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak. The goal of the reorganization was to "streamline, take layers out, flatten (Air Force) organizational charts, while at the same time clarifying the roles and responsibilities of essential supporting functions."^[9] Numbered air forces were reorganized into tactical echelons focused on operations, and their administrative staff functions were eliminated. This reorganization also reduced the number of major commands, and eliminated the air divisions to place numbered air forces directly in command of operational wings.

The role of numbered air forces was again changed in 2006 with the implementation of the Component Air Force (C-NAF) concept.^[10] Some numbered air forces have an additional mission as the Air Force Component Command exercising command and control over air and space forces supporting a Unified Combatant Command.^[2] C-NAFs have a second designation to identify their role. For example, First Air Force, a numbered air force assigned to Air Combat Command, is designated as Air Force Northern (AFNORTH) in its role as the air component of the United States Northern Command.^[11] Most C-NAFs have an Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) to provide command and control of air and space operations for the supported combatant commander.

List of Numbered Air Forces[edit]

The table below lists current and historical numbered air forces of the US Air Force, their C-NAF designation (if applicable), their current shield and station, and the major command (MAJCOM) to which they are currently assigned. Note that the lineage of some numbered air forces is continued by non-NAF organizations (e.g., the 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force continues the lineage of the Fifteenth Air Force). Boldface indicates a NAF or C-NAF that is currently active.

Air Force	Station	Major Command	Comments
First Air Force (Air Forces Northern)	Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida	ACC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Northern Command and Continental NORAD Region
Second Air Force	Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi	AETC	Oversees all USAF non-flying technical training
Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe)	Ramstein Air Base, Germany	USAFE-AFA	C-NAF supporting U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command
Fourth Air Force	March Air Reserve Base, California	AFRC	Air Force Reserve Command NAF for all AFRC C-5, C-17, KC-135, KC-10 and C-40 units operated by Air Mobility Command and supporting U.S. Transportation Command
Fifth Air Force	Yokota Air Base, Japan	PACAF	Air component to United States Forces Japan
Sixth Air Force	Howard Air Force Base, Panama		Redesignated United States Air Forces Southern Command in 1963. Inactivated in 1976.
Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea)	Osan Air Base, Korea	PACAF	C-NAF supporting United States Forces Korea
Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)	Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana	AFGSC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command and is responsible for all USAF bombers
Ninth Air Force	Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina	ACC	C-NAF
Tenth Air Force	Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (former Carswell Air Force Base), Fort Worth, Texas	AFRC	Air Force Reserve Command NAF for all AFRC B-52 units gained by AFGSC; all AFRC E-3, F-22, F-15C/D, F-15E, F-16, A-10, HC-130, HH-60, C-145, U-28, MQ-1, MQ-9 and RQ-4 units gained by ACC, PACAF and AFSOC, and all AFRC T-6, T-1 and T-38 "Associate" flying training units in support of AETC; 10 AF also has oversight for a single AFRC space wing in support of AFSPC
Eleventh Air Force	Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska	PACAF	Air Component for Alaskan Command and Alaska NORAD Region. Administrative HQ for PACAF Wings not in 5th AF or 7th AF AORs.
Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern)	Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona	ACC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Southern Command
Thirteenth Air Force (Air Forces Pacific)	Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii	PACAF	C-NAF previously supporting USPACOM. Inactivated in 2012.
Fourteenth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)	Vandenberg Air Force Base, California	AFSPC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command and is responsible for U.S. space forces
Fifteenth Air Force	Travis Air Force Base	AMC	Redesignated 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force in 2003. Inactivated in 2012.
Sixteenth Air Force	Izmir Air Base	USAFE-AFA	Redesignated 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force in 2006. Inactivated in 2008.
Seventeenth Air Force	Ramstein Air Base, Germany	USAFE-AFA- AFAFRICA	Inactivated in 2012. Redesignated 17th Expeditionary Air Force, supporting U.S. Africa Command.
Eighteenth Air Force (Air Forces Transportation)	Scott Air Force Base, Illinois	AMC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Transportation Command
Nineteenth Air Force	Randolph Air Force Base, Texas	AETC	Oversees all USAF flying training, to include all undergraduate flight training and selected Formal Training Units (FTU) and Replacement Training Units (RTU)
Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)	F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming	AFGSC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command, oversees all USAF ICBMs
Twenty-First Air Force	McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey		Redesignated 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force in 2003. Inactivated in 2012.
Twenty-Second Air Force	Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia	AFRC	Air Force Reserve Command NAF for all AFRC C-130 and WC-130 units operated by Air Mobility Command and supporting U.S. Transportation Command
Twenty-Third Air Force (AFSOC)	Hurlburt Field, Florida	AFSOC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Special Operations Command. Inactivated in 2013.
Twenty-Fourth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)	Lackland Air Force Base, Texas^[12]	ACC	C-NAF supporting U.S. Cyber Command.
Twenty-Fifth Air Force	Lackland Air Force Base, Texas	ACC	Redesignated from Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency on 29 September 2014.^[13]

Named Air Forces[edit]

Named Air Forces operate at the same level as Numbered Air Forces. General Headquarters Air Force, the first named air force of the United States Army's air arm, began operations in 1935. The GHQ Air Force became the Air Force Combat Command in 1941. Several of the numbered air forces began as named air forces.^[14]

Since World War II other named air forces have existed in both operational and support commands. Air Forces Iceland, and the Central, Eastern, Japan, and Western Air Defense Forces, have provided air defense capability. The USAF Special Operations Force controlled operational special forces. The Crew, Flying, and Technical Training Air Forces served Air Training Command both in the air and on the ground. Pacific Air Force/FEAF (Rear) controlled both operational and support forces of Far East Air Forces. Air Materiel Force, European Area, and Air Materiel Force, Pacific Area, on the other hand, served primarily as logistical support establishments.^[14]

Currently, United States Air Forces Central provides airpower in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Air Force	Station	Major Command	Comments
Air Forces Iceland	Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland	USAFE-AFA	Established in 1952. Performed air defense of Iceland and North Atlantic. Inactivated 28 June 2006
Air Materiel Force, European Area	Châteauroux-Déols Air Base, France	Air Force Logistics Command	From 1954 to 1962 served as the primary USAF logistical organization in Europe
Air Materiel Force, Pacific Area	Tachikawa Air Base, Japan	Air Force Logistics Command	Originated during World War II in 1944, served as the primary USAF logistical organization in the Pacific. Inactivated 1962.
Aviation Engineer Force	Wolters Air Force Base, Texas	Continental Air Command	Controlled aviation engineer organizations of the United States Army, on duty with the United States Air Force, 1951–1956
Central Air Defense Force	Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri	Air Defense Command	Controlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the central United States, 1951-1960.
Crew Training Air Force	Randolph Air Force Base, Texas	Air Training Command	Provided training for air crews, 1952-1957.
Eastern Air Defense Force	Stewart Air Force Base, New York	Air Defense Command	Controlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the eastern United States, 1949-1960.
Flying Training Air Force	Randolph Air Force Base, Texas	Air Training Command	Provided flying training for combat crews and flying training leading to an aeronautical rating, 1951-1958.
Japan Air Defense Force	Nagoya Air Base, Japan	Far East Air Force	This air defense organization was established to replace the 314th Air Division, 1952–1954
Pacific Air Force/FEAF (Rear)	Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii Territory	Far East Air Force	Established to control Air Force operations in the Pacific and Far East during the move of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF) from Japan to Hawaii, 1954–1957
Technical Training Air Force	Randolph Air Force Base, Texas	Air Training Command	Provided officer candidate training, indoctrination (basic) training, and technical training to Air Force personnel, 1951-1958.
USAF Special Operations Force	Eglin Air Force Base, Florida	Tactical Air Command	When the USAF Special Air Warfare Center became too large and cumbersome for center status, it was elevated to a named air force, 1962-1974.
Western Air Defense Force	Hamilton Air Force Base, California	Air Defense Command	Controlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the western United States, 1951-1960.
United States Air Forces Central Command	Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina	Air Combat Command	Established in 1983 as United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF); renamed United States Air Forces Central Command (USAFCENT) in 2009. Air component of United States Central Command, a regional unified command. Responsible for air operations (either unilaterally or in concert with coalition partners) and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia.^[15]