Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command | |
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Active | 21 March 1946 – present (78 years) Detailed
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Country | MC-130 |
LGM-30G[8] |
The Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine
ACC directly operates 1,110 fighter, attack, reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, airborne command and control and electronic aircraft along with command, control, computing, communications and intelligence (C4I) systems, Air Force ground forces, conducts global information operations, and controls Air Force Intelligence.[10] As of 6 April 2023 ACC operated 48 fighter squadrons and nine attack squadrons.[11]
Air Combat Command consists of approximately 74,240
Mission
Air Combat Command's mission is to provide air combat forces to the geographic
History
Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the
Following the inactivation of SAC at
Historically, Combat Command was an earlier air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the tactical air units of the War Department, formerly known as the GHQ Air Force, formed the Air Force Combat Command. The AFCC was dissolved in the reorganization of the United States Army, effective 9 March 1942, which created the United States Army Air Forces as a major command of the Army, which functioned as a de facto independent service branch of the Armed Forces.[12]
Mission Realignments
Combat search and rescue
Not long after activation, ACC underwent organizational and mission changes. The first such major change was the transfer of the
Flight training
One of the most significant changes for Air Combat Command resulted from an overhaul of flying training responsibilities. Following its activation, ACC was responsible for aircraft-specific aircrew training, including initial weapon system and continuation training. On 1 July 1993, the 58th and 325th Fighter Wings—F-16 and F-15 training units transferred from ACC to
Tanker and airlift
The next major organizational change resulted from a fine-tuning of
There was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command. During the earliest days of Tactical Air Command (TAC), the command had carried out the "tactical" or combat airborne aspect of airlift operations, leaving the "strategic" or logistical mission to Military Air Transport Service, later redesignated Military Airlift Command (the precursor of today's Air Mobility Command) in 1966. The tactical airlift mission included logistical airlift, airborne operations, aeromedical evacuation, and air support for special operations. This division of the airlift mission continued until 1 December 1974, when TAC transferred its CONUS-based tactical airlift units, including Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard tactical airlift units, to Military Airlift Command (MAC). MAC gained the overseas units from theater commands on 31 March 1975.[12]
On 1 October 1993, all Air Mobility Command C-130s with the exception of those permanently under
In 1997, a subsequent USAF reorganization of ACC and AMC resulted in all CONUS-based C-130 theater airlift aircraft being reassigned from ACC back to AMC. This change also shifted operational claimancy for all "slick" theater airlift mission C-130s in the
Operational deployments
In Southwest Asia, Air Combat Command provided active duty and reserve component forces for the follow-on to
Participation in humanitarian operations has also been a recurring theme. Air Combat Command supported the humanitarian efforts of the
In addition, ACC supported United States Atlantic Command's humanitarian relief to Haitian refugees associated with Operation GTMO at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Similarly, the command supported Operation Safe Haven and the processing of Cuban refugees during the latter part of the summer of 1994. Across the Atlantic, Air Combat Command units participated in Operation Restore Hope, largely an Air Mobility Command humanitarian operation intended to provide food for Somalia. Also, ACC regular and ACC-gained Air National Guard C-130 units deployed to Uganda and Kenya to participate in Operation Support Hope. This operation, conducted by the United States European Command, comprised part of the United Nations effort to provide humanitarian relief to victims of the civil war in Rwanda.[12]
In keeping with its global responsibilities, ACC initiated a series of "Global Power" missions in 1993. ACC's bomber wings are required to perform out-of-CONUS training flights to demonstrate the capability to perform their "quick reaction" worldwide mission. On one of the global power missions, two
Global war on terrorism
Air Combat Command units flew operational missions during the 2002
The task of developing a comprehensive listing of ACC units present in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat areas is particularly difficult as the events of 11 September 2001 and the
However, it is certain that ACC units are actively flying combat missions in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.
Predecessor units merged into Air Combat Command 1992
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Wings and groups
As of 2020[update], Air Combat Command consisted of the following units:[9]
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In 2009, responsibility for nuclear-capable bombers, specifically the
On 1 February 2010, the
In October 2019 units from Twenty-Fourth Air Force and Twenty-Fifth Air Force were merged into the reactivated Sixteenth Air Force. Sixteenth Air Force headquarters is based at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.[16]
In August 2020 units from Ninth Air Force and Twelfth Air Force were realigned under the reactivated Fifteenth Air Force. Fifteenth Air Force headquarters is based at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
In addition, units from Air Force Reserve Command's Tenth Air Force, and numerous other state and District of Columbia Air National Guard units are allocated to Air Combat Command when activated to federal service.
Aircraft
As of 2015[update]:
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Lineage
- Constituted as Air Combat Command and activated on 1 June 1992
- Consolidated with Tactical Air Command on 26 September 2016[17]
Assignments
- Headquarters, United States Air Force, 1 June 1992 – present
Stations
- Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia, 1 June 1992 – present[18]
Major components
- Air Forces
- First Air Force: 1 June 1992 – present
- Second Air Force: 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1993
- Transferred to Air Education and Training Command
- Eighth Air Force: 1 June 1992 – 2009
- Transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command, 2009
- Ninth Air Force: 1 June 1992 – present
- Twelfth Air Force: 1 June 1992 – present
- Fifteenth Air Force: 20 August 2020 – present
- Sixteenth Air Force: 11 October 2019 – present
- Twentieth Air Force: 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1993
- Transferred to Air Force Space Command, 1993
- Transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command, 2009
- Twenty-Fourth Air Force: 17 July 2018 – 11 October 2019
- Twenty-Fifth Air Force: 29 September 2014 – 11 October 2019
- Centers
- Air & Space Expeditionary Force Center: 1 October 2002 – 29 August 2006
- Aerospace Command and Control & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (later, Air Force Command and Control & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Center (see Agencies below): 29 July 1997 – 30 April 2002. On 17 June 2010, the GCIC was officially redesignated the Air Force Command and Control Integration Center or AFC2IC as a direct reporting unit to Air Combat Command (ACC).[19]
- Air Force Contingency Supply Support Office (later, Air Force Contingency Supply Squadron; ACC Regional Supply Squadron; Combat Air Forces Logistics Support Center): 12 June 1992 – 1 July 1994; 1 December 1998 – present
- Air Warfare Center (later, USAF Warfare Center): 1 June 1992 – present
- Air Force Network Integration Center: 17 July 2018 – present
- Air Force Spectrum Management Office: 17 July 2018 – present
- Agencies
- Air and Space Command and Control Agency (later, Aerospace Command and Control Agency; Aerospace Command and Control & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center; Air Force Command and Control & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center): 29 July 1997 – 30 April 2002.
- Air Intelligence Agency: 1 February 2001 – 8 August 2006
- Groups
- Air Combat Command (ACC) Air Force Targeting Center: 2008–present
- Air Combat Command (ACC) Communications Group: 1 June 1992 – present
- Air Combat Command (ACC) Logistics Support Group: 1 July 1994 – 16 September 1999.
source for lineage, assignments, stations, components[20]
List of commanders
No. | Commander | Term | |||
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Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
1 | John M. Loh (born 1938) | General1 June 1992 | 23 June 1995 | 3 years, 22 days | |
2 | Joseph Ralston (born 1943) | General23 June 1995 | 28 February 1996 | 250 days | |
- | Brett M. Dula Acting | Lieutenant General28 February 1996 | 5 April 1996 | 37 days | |
3 | Richard E. Hawley (born 1942) | General5 April 1996 | 11 June 1999 | 3 years, 67 days | |
4 | Ralph Eberhart (born 1946) | General11 June 1999 | 8 February 2000 | 242 days | |
5 | John P. Jumper (born 1945) | General8 February 2000 | 25 August 2001 | 1 year, 198 days | |
- | Donald G. Cook (born 1946) Acting | Lieutenant General25 August 2001 | 14 November 2001 | 81 days | |
6 | Hal M. Hornburg (born 1945) | General14 November 2001 | 17 November 2004 | 3 years, 3 days | |
- | Bruce A. Wright Acting | Lieutenant General17 November 2004 | 3 February 2005 | 78 days | |
- | William M. Fraser III (born 1952) Acting | Lieutenant General3 February 2005 | 27 May 2005 | 113 days | |
7 | Ronald Keys (born 1945) | General27 May 2005 | 2 October 2007 | 2 years, 128 days | |
8 | John D. W. Corley (born 1951) | General2 October 2007 | 10 September 2009 | 1 year, 343 days | |
9 | William M. Fraser III (born 1952) | General10 September 2009 | 13 September 2011 | 2 years, 3 days | |
10 | Gilmary M. Hostage III (born 1955) | General13 September 2011 | 4 November 2014 | 3 years, 52 days | |
11 | Herbert J. Carlisle (born 1957) | General4 November 2014 | 10 March 2017 | 2 years, 126 days | |
12 | James M. Holmes (born 1957) | General10 March 2017 | 28 August 2020 | 3 years, 171 days | |
13 | Mark D. Kelly (born 1962) | General28 August 2020 | 29 February 2024 | 3 years, 185 days | |
14 | Kenneth S. Wilsbach (born c. 1963) | General29 February 2024 | Incumbent | 49 days |
See also
U.S. Armed Forces operations commands
- United States Army Forces Command
- United States Marine Corps Forces Command
- United States Fleet Forces Command
- Space Operations Command
References
- ^ "About Us > ACC History". Air Combat Command. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017.
- ^ a b c "Air Combat Command (USAF)". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Pike, John. "Air Combat Command". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017.
- ^ "ACC Leadership". acc.af.mil. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018.
- ^ "United States Air Force Weapons School". Archived from the original on 7 December 2017.
- ^ "57th Wing". Archived from the original on 6 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Air Combat Command > Home". acc.af.mil. Archived from the original on 24 January 2007.
- ^ "Fact Sheet Display". Air Combat Command. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017.
- ^ Andy Love (6 Apr 2023) With war potentially approaching, a pilot shortage looms over the US Air Force
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "ACC History". Air Combat Command. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-59797-851-4
- ^ "Air Force Historical Research Agency". www.afhra.af.mil. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014.
- ^ a b c WOPE – Without Personnel or Equipment
- ^ Cohen, Rachel S. (18 September 2019). "USAF's New Info Warfare Group Coming into Focus". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
- ^ DAF/A1M Letter 694t:, Consolidation of Tactical Air Command and Air Combat Command, 7 September 2016
- ^ Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989
- ^ "AFC2IC's History" (PDF). Air Force Command and Control Integration Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ Bailey, Carl E. (7 October 2016). "Air Combat Command (USAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
External links
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency