Numbered Air Force


A Numbered Air Force is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a Major Command and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups. A Component Numbered Air Force 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 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, while cardinal numerals are used in abbreviations. Units directly subordinate to a NAF were traditionally numbered 6XX. For example, the 618th Air and Space Operations Center is a unit subordinate to the Eighteenth Air Force. This is no longer completely accurate, due to regular reorganization of Wings and Numbered Air Forces

History

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 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 the Philippine Department Air Force, the Panama Canal Air Force, the Hawaiian Air Force, and the Alaskan 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 a peacetime restructuring in March 1946, the United States Army Air Forces were reorganized into three major operating commands: the Strategic Air Command, the Tactical Air Command, and the Air Defense Command. 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. 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 organizational charts, while at 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 was again changed in 2006 with the implementation of the Component Air Force 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, is designated as Air Force Northern in its role as the air component of the United States Northern Command. Most C-NAFs have an Air and Space Operations Center to provide command and control of air and space operations for the supported combatant commander.

List of Numbered Air Forces

The table below lists current and historical numbered air forces of the US Air Force, their C-NAF designation, their current shield and station, and the major command to which they are currently assigned. Note that the lineage of some numbered air forces is continued by non-NAF organizations. Boldface indicates a NAF or C-NAF that is currently active.
Air ForceShieldStationMajor CommandComments
First Air Force Tyndall Air Force Base, FloridaACCC-NAF supporting U.S. Northern Command and Continental NORAD Region
Second Air ForceKeesler Air Force Base, MississippiAETCOversees all USAF non-flying technical training
Third Air Force Ramstein Air Base, GermanyUSAFE-AFA
C-NAF supporting U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command
Fourth Air ForceMarch Air Reserve Base, CaliforniaAFRCAir 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 ForceYokota Air Base, JapanPACAFAir component to United States Forces Japan
Sixth Air ForceHoward Air Force Base, PanamaRedesignated United States Air Forces Southern Command in 1963. Inactivated in 1976.
Seventh Air Force Osan Air Base, KoreaPACAFC-NAF supporting United States Forces Korea
Eighth Air Force Barksdale Air Force Base, LouisianaAFGSCC-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command and is responsible for all USAF bombers
Ninth Air ForceShaw Air Force Base, South CarolinaACCC-NAF
Tenth Air ForceNaval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TexasAFRCAir 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 ForceElmendorf Air Force Base, AlaskaPACAFAir Component for Alaskan Command and Alaska NORAD Region. Administrative HQ for PACAF Wings not in 5th AF or 7th AF AORs.
Twelfth Air Force Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, ArizonaACCC-NAF supporting U.S. Southern Command
Thirteenth Air Force Hickam Air Force Base, HawaiiPACAFC-NAF previously supporting USPACOM. Inactivated in 2012.
Fourteenth Air Force Vandenberg Air Force Base, CaliforniaAFSPCC-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command and was responsible for U.S. space forces. In December 2019, redesignated as the United States Space Force's Space Operations Command
Fifteenth Air ForceTravis Air Force Base, CaliforniaAMCRedesignated 15th Expeditionary Mobility Task Force in 2003. Inactivated in 2012.
Sixteenth Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-LacklandACCC-NAF supporting U.S. Cyber Command
Contains components of the inactivated 24, and 25 AF's.
Seventeenth Air ForceRamstein Air Base, GermanyUSAFE-AFA-
AFAFRICA		Inactivated in 2012. Redesignated 17th Expeditionary Air Force, supporting U.S. Africa Command.
Eighteenth Air Force Scott Air Force Base, IllinoisAMCC-NAF supporting U.S. Transportation Command
Nineteenth Air ForceRandolph Air Force Base, TexasAETCOversees all USAF flying training, to include all undergraduate flight training and selected Formal Training Units and Replacement Training Units
Twentieth Air Force F.E. Warren Air Force Base, WyomingAFGSCC-NAF supporting U.S. Strategic Command, oversees all USAF ICBMs
Twenty-First Air ForceMcGuire Air Force Base, New JerseyRedesignated 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force in 2003. Inactivated in 2012.
Twenty-Second Air ForceDobbins Air Reserve Base, GeorgiaAFRCAir 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 Hurlburt Field, FloridaAFSOCC-NAF supporting U.S. Special Operations Command. Inactivated in 2013.
Twenty-Fourth Air Force Lackland Air Force Base, TexasACCInactivated in 2019. Merged with 25 AF to create the 16 AF.
Twenty-Fifth Air ForceLackland Air Force Base, TexasACCRedesignated from Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency on 29 September 2014. Inactivated in 2019. Merged with 24 AF to create 16 AF

Named Air Forces

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.
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 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 ; since 2003 for the War in Iraq; and, with a more recent start, air refueling and other support in regard to the Yemeni Civil War.
Air ForceShieldStationMajor CommandComments
Air Forces IcelandNaval Air Station Keflavik, IcelandUSAFE-AFAEstablished in 1952. Performed air defense of Iceland and North Atlantic. Inactivated 28 June 2006
Air Materiel Force, European AreaChâteauroux-Déols Air Base, FranceAir Force Logistics CommandFrom 1954 to 1962 served as the primary USAF logistics organization in Europe
Air Materiel Force, Pacific AreaTachikawa Air Base, JapanAir Force Logistics CommandEstablished as Far East Air Service Command on 14 July 1944. Activated on 18 August 1944 at Brisbane, Australia. Eventually moved its headquarters to Manila on 7 August 1945 having re-located through several intermediate locations. It was redesignated Pacific Air Service Command, U.S. Army, in January 1946, and Far East Air Materiel Command on 1 January 1947. At Tachikawa Air Base in Japan after being activated as FEAMCOM, it effectively replaced the Japan Air Materiel Area. It was the primary USAF logistics organization in the Pacific before finally being inactivated in 1962.
Aviation Engineer ForceWolters Air Force Base, TexasContinental Air CommandControlled aviation engineer organizations of the United States Army, on duty with the United States Air Force, 1951–1956
Central Air Defense ForceRichards-Gebaur Air Force Base, MissouriAir Defense CommandControlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the central United States, 1951-1960.
Crew Training Air ForceRandolph Air Force Base, TexasAir Training CommandProvided training for air crews, 1952-1957.
Eastern Air Defense ForceStewart Air Force Base, New YorkAir Defense CommandControlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the eastern United States, 1949-1960.
Flying Training Air ForceRandolph Air Force Base, TexasAir Training CommandProvided flying training for combat crews and flying training leading to an aeronautic rating, 1951-1958.
Japan Air Defense ForceNagoya Air Base, JapanFar East Air ForceThis air defense organization was established to replace the 314th Air Division, 1952–1954
Pacific Air Force/FEAF Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii TerritoryFar East Air ForceEstablished to control Air Force operations in the Pacific and Far East during the move of the Far East Air Forces from Japan to Hawaii, 1954–1957
Technical Training Air ForceRandolph Air Force Base, TexasAir Training CommandProvided officer candidate training, indoctrination training, and technical training to Air Force personnel, 1951-1958.
USAF Special Operations ForceEglin Air Force Base, FloridaTactical Air CommandWhen 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 ForceHamilton Air Force Base, CaliforniaAir Defense CommandControlled ADC Radar and Interceptor units in the western United States, 1951-1960.
United States Air Forces Central CommandShaw Air Force Base, South CarolinaAir Combat CommandEstablished in 1983 as United States Central Command Air Forces ; renamed United States Air Forces Central Command in 2009. Air component of United States Central Command, a regional unified command. Responsible for air operations and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia.

Source: