51-639: The First Air Force ( Air Forces Northern & Air Forces Space ; 1 AF-AFNORTH & AFSPACE ) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Contiguous United States (CONUS), United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico . Since May 2022, it also provides
102-612: A NAF were traditionally numbered 6XX (where XX is the NAF number). For example, the 609th Air Operations Center is a unit subordinate to the Ninth Air Force . This is no longer completely accurate, due to regular reorganization of Wings and Numbered Air Forces. Numbered air forces began as named organizations in the United States Army Air Corps before World War II. The first four NAFs were established as
153-585: 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
204-505: A fighter OTU and RTU organization. Most P-47 Thunderbolt fighter groups were trained by I Fighter Command , along with P-39/P-63 Airacobra groups; C-47 Skytrain and later C-46 Commando groups by I Troop Carrier Command . By 1944, most of the Operational Training of groups ended, with the command concentrating on the training of individual replacements using Army Air Force Base Units (AAFBU) as training organizations at
255-840: A fighter mission, and two air defense sectors for the Eastern and Western regions of the continental United States (CONUS). First Air Force also has operational control of the Civil Air Patrol , the USAF Auxiliary headquartered at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Administrative control of CAP, to include its Regular Air Force & Air Force Reserve CAP-USAF liaison support components, remains with Air University at Maxwell AFB. Additionally, First Air Force provides operational control of alert Air National Guard air defense fighter units and supporting non-flying units: Non-flying units On July 15, 2021, First Air Force, now AFSPACE, assumed
306-552: A major re-organization of the postwar USAAF that had included the establishment of Major Commands (MAJCOM), who would report directly to HQ United States Army Air Forces. Continental Air Forces was inactivated, and First Air Force was assigned to the postwar Air Defense Command in March 1946 and subsequently to Continental Air Command (ConAC) in December 1948 being primarily concerned with air defense. First Air Force Headquarters
357-442: A management role, a NAF is a tactical organization with an operational focus, and does not have the same functional staff as a MAJCOM. Numbered air forces are typically commanded by a major general or a lieutenant general . Numeric designations for Numbered Air Forces are written in full using ordinal words (e.g., Eighth Air Force), while cardinal numerals are used in abbreviations (e.g., 8 AF). Units directly subordinate to
408-490: A mission of air defense of the Northeastern United States and Great Lakes regions. Its primary mission was the organization and training of new combat units prior to their deployment overseas. It was active in 1941–42; 1942–58; 1966–69; and with minor name and function changes from 1985 to the present. First Air Force is commanded by Lieutenant General M. Luke Ahmann. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant
459-867: 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). 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
510-590: A redesignation and change of command ceremony held at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station , Florida, that day. Air Force Lt. Gen. Kirk Pierce, commander, First Air Force, Continental U.S. NORAD Region, AFNORTH, and now AFSPACE, said First Air Force responsibilities now included '..to plan, train and execute worldwide rescue and recovery of NASA astronauts during contingency operations.' [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Numbered air force A Numbered Air Force ( NAF )
561-545: A striking force against long range targets, and the air defense of the United States. In the spring of 1941, the War Department established four strategic defense areas and GHQ, AF reorganized its Northeast Air District as 1st Air Force with responsibility for air defense planning and organization along the eastern seaboard. Simultaneously, an Air Defense Command was established at Mitchel Field to plan
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#1732773288895612-468: Is Chief Master Sgt. Denny L. Richardson. It has the responsibility for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the Contiguous United States (CONUS), United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico . As the CONUS NORAD Region (CONR) for North American Aerospace Defense Command , CONR provides air defense in the form of airspace surveillance and airspace control. 1AF (AFNORTH) is also
663-491: 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. 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 . Unlike MAJCOMs, which have
714-593: Is designated as Air Force Northern (AFNORTH) in its role as the air component of the United States Northern Command . 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. 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
765-616: The 33d Pursuit Squadron to provide air defense in Iceland in July. The command organized Detachment A to manage the 33rd, along with antiaircraft artillery and signal warning units involved in the air defense of Iceland. The command was charged with control of "active agents" for air defense in its area of responsibility, which included interceptor aircraft , antiaircraft artillery and barrage balloons . Civilian organizations provided air raid warnings and enforced blackouts and came under
816-597: The Civil Air Patrol . One of the four original numbered air forces, First Air Force was activated as the Northeast Air District of the GHQ Air Force on 18 December 1940, at Mitchel Field , Long Island , New York. It was redesignated First Air Force on 9 April 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States. During the initial months after
867-657: The Eastern Theater of Operations was impractical, and in early 1942, the command took over responsibility for air defense of the East and part of the Gulf coast. Along the Atlantic coast, Eastern Defense Command established a "vital air defense zone", extending from the coast approximately 150 miles (240 km) inland and 200 miles (320 km) to sea, with long range bombers from 1st Bomber Command flying patrols over
918-748: The Pearl Harbor Attack , First Air Force organized what would eventually become the core of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFSC), obtaining most of its forces from I Bomber Command to combat the German U-boat threat along the Atlantic Coast. AAFSC would eventually expand that mission to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean until the antisubmarine mission was taken over completely by
969-735: The War in Iraq ; and, with a more recent start, air refueling and other support in regard to the Yemeni Civil War . Source: I Fighter Command I Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces intermediate command responsible for command and control of the fighter operations within the First Air Force during World War II . It was initially established in June 1941 as the 1st Interceptor Command to provide air defense of
1020-543: The attack on Pearl Harbor , the command moved its headquarters to New York City. Here, as the importance of the North Atlantic supply line grew, it assumed responsibility for planning the air defense of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. It selected radar sites in cooperation with Canadian authorities and worked to standardize aircraft warning procedures there. In June 1942, the command returned to Mitchel and would remain there until inactivated. The command dispatched
1071-493: The 1970s and 1980s, the role of the Air National Guard in the defense of North America increased. As this role changed, discussions between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard commenced concerning roles and responsibilities. As the Cold War began to wind down and budgetary constraints became realities, more and more of the missions previously carried out by active duty forces began to be transferred into
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#17327732888951122-621: The Air Force Combat Command in 1941. Several of the numbered air forces began as named air forces. 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
1173-480: The Air Force contribution to United States Space Command , as Air Forces Space (AFSPACE), including support functions for NASA human space flight. It was one of the four original pre- World War II numbered air forces formed during the existence of the United States Army Air Corps . It was activated as the Northeast Air District on 18 December 1940, at Mitchel Field , Long Island , New York with
1224-472: The Air Force contribution to United States Space Command , in addition to its Northern Command and Continental NORAD roles. Contains components of the inactivated 24, and 25 AF's. 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
1275-740: The Navy in mid-1943. Beginning in May 1942, the mission of First Air Force became operational training of units and crews, and the replacement training of individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations. It received graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command flight schools; navigator training; flexible gunnery schools and various technical schools, organized them into newly activated combat groups and squadrons, and provided operational unit training (OTU) and replacement training (RTU) to prepare groups and replacements for deployment overseas to combat theaters. The First Air Force became predominantly
1326-564: The North Carolina/Virginia Border. In 1949 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units were placed under First Air Force command, with its active-duty units being reassigned to Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) or to the 30th, 32d or 26th Air Divisions. The command was inactivated on 23 June 1958 for budgetary reasons, its assigned units being placed under ConAC. First Air Force was reactivated at Stewart Air Force Base , Newburgh, N.Y., on 20 January 1966 due to
1377-649: The Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest Air Districts on 19 October 1940 to provide air defense for the United States. 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 20 June 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
1428-490: The Northeastern United States. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor , the command's area of responsibility extended over the entire Atlantic coast and into Canada and Iceland. As the perceived threat of attack decreased, the command's responsibnility for training units and aircrews became its primary mission. The command continued its mission until March 1946, when it was inactivated. GHQ Air Force (GHQ AF) had been established with two major combat functions, to maintain
1479-770: 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 ). 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. As part of
1530-802: The United States. Activation of the Continental NORAD Region on 1 October 1986, resulted in a new structure for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The Continental NORAD Region, along with the Alaskan and Canadian regions, commanded North American air defense forces. The Air Defense Sectors were transferred by the Air Force to the National Guard Bureau and allotted to the Air National Guard on 1 October 1990. They were operationally gained by First Air Force, Tactical Air Command. First Air Force
1581-487: 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 logistics support establishments. Since 2001 United States Air Forces Central has supervised U.S. Air Force elements engaged in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) ; since 2003 for
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1632-584: The air defense of the North American continent. Upon its reactivation, First Air Force was composed of units of the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Because of its unique mission and its binational responsibilities, First Air Force works closely with the Canadian Forces. Canadian personnel are stationed at First Air Force Headquarters at Tyndall Air Force Base Florida, and at the various regional air defense sectors located throughout
1683-403: The air defense of the United States and develop air defense doctrine. 1st Air Force activated 1st Interceptor Command at Mitchel Field on 5 June 1941, under the command of Brigadier General John C. McDonnell, drawing its personnel from Air Defense Command, which inactivated three days earlier. The command's initial tactical components were the 6th and 7th Pursuit Wings Shortly after
1734-524: The airfields controlled by First Air Force. Air Defense Wings were also organized for the major metropolitan areas along the northeast coast, using training units attached to the Wings. By 1944 the likelihood of an air attack along the eastern seaboard was remote, and these air defense wings were reduced to paper units. By 1944, the vast majority of the USAAF was engaged in combat operations in various parts of
1785-498: The authority of the Office of Civilian Defense . Radar was initially not sufficiently developed to be included in air defense systems, There were only eight radars under construction to guard the Atlantic coast, but the command worked "feverishly" to create a ground observer corps and coastal radar net as elements of its Aircraft Warning Service. However, it soon became apparent that having two commands responsible for air defense in
1836-403: The control of TAC, which established a component called Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), at the level of a numbered air force. On 6 December 1985 HQ USAF reactivated First Air Force at Langley Air Force Base , Virginia, and assigned it to Tactical Air Command (TAC), replacing ADTAC. First Air Force was given the mission to provide, train and equip combat ready air defence forces for
1887-509: The designated air component for the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). USNORTHCOM's area of responsibility includes the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico , and its air, land and maritime approaches. With the transfer of responsibility for continental air defense from the active duty component of the Air Force to the Air National Guard , 1 AF became the first numbered air force to be made up primarily of citizen airmen. Furthermore, 1AF now has operational control (OPCON) of
1938-519: The eastern seaboard, just as it had during World War II. On 16 January 1968 Air Defense Command was re-designated Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) as part of a restructuring of USAF air defense forces. First Air Force's second period of service was short lived, however, and the command was again inactivated as the result of a major ADCOM reorganization on 31 December 1969 of the First, Fourth, Tenth Air Forces and several Air Divisions. This reorganization
1989-537: The inactivation of the ADC Air Defense Sectors. First Air Force assumed responsibility for the ADC 21st, 33d, 34th, 35th, and 36th Air Divisions, primarily located in the northeast and upper Midwest regions of the United States. It also was responsible for the air defense of Greenland , Iceland and parts of Canada. By July 1968, First Air Force had again assumed total responsibility for the air defense of
2040-478: 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. In May 2022, First Air Force was officially designated as "Air Forces Space" (AFSPACE),
2091-539: The ocean. However, 1st Bomber Command soon focused on antisubmarine warfare. Regional air defense wings were established in August 1942 at Boston , New York , Philadelphia , and Norfolk . The command's mission of fighter control later expanded to providing emergency flight services to other aircraft and assisting in air sea rescue . In 1942, Air Force Combat Command had established an Operational Training Unit (OTU) system for 2nd and 3d Air Forces . The system
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2142-598: The operational command and control of the Human Space Flight Support (HSFS) mission, previously carried out by the Combined Force Space Component Command at Vandenberg Space Force Base , California. This mission is executed by its assigned Detachment 3, First Air Force, based at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. Detachment 3, formerly commanded by Space Launch Delta 45 , came under First Air Force control during
2193-507: 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. The numbered air forces had both operational and administrative authority, and existed as
2244-474: The reserve components. By the 1990s, 90 percent of the air defense mission was being handled by the Air National Guard. In October 1997, First Air Force became primarily composed of Air National Guard units charged with the air defense of the North American continent. Today, First Air Force consists primarily of members of the Air National Guard. Its headquarters is located at Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida and it comprises 9 fighter wings, 1 composite wing with
2295-436: The same time clarifying the roles and responsibilities of essential supporting functions." 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
2346-976: The world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe and the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific. The training units located within the United States (known as the Zone of the Interior , or "ZI".) under First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces (CAF) on 13 December 1944, with the Numbered Air Forces becoming subordinate commands of CAF. In March 1946, USAAF Chief General Carl Spaatz had undertaken
2397-578: Was again changed in 2006 with the implementation of the Component Air Force (C-NAF) concept. 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 . C-NAFs have a second designation to identify their role. For example, First Air Force , a numbered air force assigned to Air Combat Command ,
2448-518: Was later extended to 1st Air Force. Although it was originally intended to confine the OTU system to 2d and 3rd Air Forces, too much of the AAF's aircrew and aircraft were assigned to 1st Air Force to permit the command to forego training responsibilities entirely. In May 1942, all pursuit groups assumed Operational Training Unit (OTU) responsibility. The command also trained fighter units and personnel. By
2499-613: Was located at Fort Slocum , New York, from 1946 to 1949. The command was originally assigned the region of the New England states, along with New York and New Jersey. With the inactivation of the ADC Eleventh Air Force on 1 July 1948 due to budget restrictions, command's region of responsibility was increased to include the upper Midwest states of Michigan and Ohio, along with the Mid-Atlantic region south to
2550-616: Was the result of the need to eliminate intermediate levels of command in ADCOM driven by budget reductions and a perceived lessening of the need for continental air defense against attacking Soviet aircraft. ADCOM reassigned the units under the inactivated First Air Force were reassigned primarily to the 20th, 21st or 23d Air Divisions. ADCOM was reorganized on 1 October 1979. The interceptors and warning radars were reassigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC). With this move many Air National Guard units that had an air defense mission also came under
2601-424: Was transferred to Air Combat Command along with the rest of TAC on 1 June 1992. In the years since its third activation, more of the responsibility for the defense of American air sovereignty has primarily shifted to the Air National Guard . Also, reorganization of the command structure of the U.S. Air Force saw the assignment of air defense to Tactical Air Command and later, its successor, Air Combat Command . In
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