Second Air Force

The Second Air Force (2 AF; 2d Air Force in 1942) is a USAF

History

The Northwest Air District of the

On 11 December 1941, four days after the

In January 1942, the 2d Air Force was withdrawn from the Western Defense Command and assigned the operational training of units, crews, and replacements for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations. It received graduates from 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 conducted operational unit training (OTU) and replacement training (RTU) to prepare groups and replacements for deployment overseas to combat theaters.

As the Second Air Force it became predominantly the training organization of

Designated the Second Air Force on 18 September 1942, starting in mid-1943 the unit's training of B-17 and B-24 replacement crews began to be phased out, and reassigned to First, Third and Fourth Air Forces as the command began ramping up training of

A football team made up of Second Air Force personnel defeated Hardin–Simmons University in the 1943 Sun Bowl.^[9]

On 13 December 1944, First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces (CAF) with the Numbered Air Forces becoming subordinate commands of CAF. The training of B-29 groups and replacement personnel continued until August 1945 and the end of the Pacific War. With the war's end, Second Air Force was inactivated on 30 March 1946. In what was effectively a redesignation, the headquarters staff and resources were used to create Fifteenth Air Force, which became the first Numbered Air Force of the new Strategic Air Command ten days later.

Cold War

The command was reactivated on 6 June 1946 under

The Second Air Force was (re)-activated and assigned to

• MacDill AFB
  , Florida (assigned 10 February 1951)

305th Bombardment Wing (MacDill AFB) (B-29)

B-47 Stratojet

Operational Training Unit – Not on Operational Alert)

307th Bombardment Wing

(MacDill AFB) (B-29)

Detached for

Okinawa

• 40th Air Division, Turner AFB, Georgia (assigned 14 March 1951)

31st Fighter Escort Wing (Turner AFB) (F-84)

108th Fighter Wing (Turner AFB) (F-47D) (Federalized New Jersey Air National Guard

wing)

• 37th Training Wing Lackland Air Force Base Texas
  Provides Basic Military Training to Air Force recruits as well as technical training in the career enlisted aviator, logistics, and Security Forces career fields.
• 81st Training Wing Keesler Air Force Base Mississippi
  Provides training in Aviation Resource Management, weather, basic electronics, communications electronic systems, communications computer systems, air traffic control, airfield management, command post, air weapons control, precision measurement, education and training, financial management and comptroller, information management, manpower and personnel.
• 17th Training Wing Goodfellow Air Force Base Texas
  Provides training in intelligence and firefighting career fields. Also provides training to Army, Navy and Marine detachments.
• 82d Training Wing Sheppard Air Force Base
  Texas
  Provides specialized technical training, medical, and field training for officers, Airmen, and civilians of all branches of the military, other DoD agencies, and foreign nationals.
• Vandenberg AFB
  , California
  Provides qualification training for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), space surveillance, missile warning, spacelift, and satellite command and control operators. It also performs initial and advanced maintenance training on air-launched missiles (ALM) and ICBMs. It conducts training in joint space fundamentals and associated computer maintenance. The group also conducts qualification and orientation training for Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) staff and senior-level personnel, as well as instructor enhancement in support of operational units.
• 602d Training Group Keesler Air Force Base Mississippi
  Provides fully combat mission capable Airmen to all Combatant Commanders in direct support of the Joint Expeditionary Tasking (JET) mission.

In 2006, Second Air Force was assigned the responsibility of coordinating training for Joint Expeditionary Tasked (JET) Training Airmen. These Airmen are assigned to perform traditional US Army duties in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. An Expeditionary Mission Support Group was formed to provide command and control of these JET Airmen as they are trained at US Army Power Projection Platforms across the US prior to deploying to their assigned Area of Responsibility (AOR). This group has been named the 602d Training Group.

In 2007, Second Air Force was given responsibility to provide curricula and advice to the Iraqi Air Force as it stands up its own technical training and branch specific basic training among others. This mission is known as "CAFTT" for Coalition Air Forces Technical Training.

Lineage

• Established as Northwest Air District on 19 October 1940

Activated on 18 December 1940

Re-designated: 2d Air Force on 26 March 1941

Re-designated: Second Air Force on 18 September 1942

Inactivated on 30 March 1946.

• Activated on 6 June 1946.

Inactivated on 1 July 1948.

• Activated on 1 November 1949.

Inactivated on 1 January 1975.

• Activated on 1 September 1991.

Inactivated on 1 July 1993.

• Activated on 1 July 1993

Assignments

General Headquarters Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command) 18 December 1940 Western Defense Command, 11 December 1941 Air Force Combat Command (later, United States Army Air Forces), 5 January 1942

Continental Air Forces 13 December 1944 Strategic Air Command 21 March 1946 – 30 March 1946 Air Defense Command , 6 June 1946 – 1 July 1948 Strategic Air Command, 1 November 1949 – 1 January 1975; 1 September 1991 – July 1993 Air Combat Command, 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1993 Air Education and Training Command, 1 July 1993

Stations

• McChord Field, Washington
  , 18 December 1940
• Fort George Wright, Washington, 9 January 1941
• Colorado Springs AAF
  , Colorado, 13 June 1943 – 30 March 1946
• Fort Crook, Nebraska, 6 June 1946 – 1 July 1948
• Barksdale AFB
  , Louisiana, 1 November 1949 – 1 January 1975
• Beale AFB
  , California, 1 September 1991 – 1 July 1993
• Keesler AFB
  , Mississippi. 1 July 1993 –

Components

Commands

I Bomber Command: 1 May – 6 October 1943[12] Redesignated: XX Bomber Command: 20 November 1943 – 29 June 1944 2d Air Force Service (later, 2d Air Force Base) Command: 1 October 1941 – 20 May 1942. 2d Air Support (later, 2d Ground Air Support; II Air Support) Command: 1 September 1941 – 25 January 1943

2d Bomber (later, II Bomber) Command: 5 September 1941 – 6 October 1943. 4th Air Support (later, IV Air Support) Command: 12 August 1942 – 21 January 1943. XXI Bomber Command: 1 March 1944 – 9 November 1944 XXII Bomber Command: 14 August 1944 – 13 February 1945

Divisions

4th Air (later, 4th Strategic Aerospace): 16 June 1952 – 31 March 1970 6th Air: 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 1 January 1959. 17th Air (later, 17th Strategic Aerospace): 15 July 1959 – 1 July 1963 19th Air: 1 July 1955 – 1 January 1975. 21st Air (later, 21st Strategic Aerospace): 1 January 1959 – 1 September 1964 22d Air : 15 July 1959 – 9 September 1960. 37 Air: 10 October 1951 – 28 May 1952 37th Air: 10 October 1951 – 28 May 1952 38th Air: 10 October 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 1 January 1959 40th Air 14 March 1951 – 1 July 1952 1 July 1952 – 1 April 1957 1 July 1959 – 1 January 1975 42d Air (later, 42d Strategic Aerospace; 42d Air) 1 April 1955 – 1 July 1957 15 July 1959 – 2 July 1969 1 January 1970 – 1 January 1975

45th Air: 31 March 1970 – 1 January 1975 47th Air: 31 March 1970 – 1 July 1971 73d Air (formerly, 73d Bombardment Wing) : 12 June 1947 – 1 July 1948 96th Air (formerly, 96th Bombardment Wing): 12 June 1947 – 1 July 1948 322d Air (formerly, 322d Troop Carrier Wing) : 12 June 1947 – 1 July 1948 801st Air: 28 May 1952 – 1 July 1955. 806 Air: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960 806th Air: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960 810th Strategic Aerospace: 1 July 1963 – 2 July 1966 813th Air: 15 July 1954 – 1 June 1956 816th Air (later, 816th Strategic Aerospace): 1 July 1958 – 1 July 1965 817th Air: 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971 818th Air (later, 818th Strategic Aerospace) : 1 January 1959 – 25 March 1965 819th Strategic Aerospace: 1 July 1965 – 2 July 1966 823d Air: 1 June 1956 – 1 January 1959; 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971 825th Air (later, 825th Strategic Aerospace): 1 August 1955 – 1 January 1970.

Wings

• 5th Bombardment Wing
  : 18 December 1940 – 1 September 1941.
• 11th Pursuit Wing
  : 18 December 1940 – 1 October 1941.
• 15th Bombardment Training Wing
  : 23 June 1942 – 6 April 1946 (ceased all activity February 1945).
• 20th Bombardment Wing: 18 December 1940 – 1 September 1941.

Squadrons

• 393rd Bombardment Squadron
  , Very Heavy: 25 November - 17 December 1944

List of commanders

No.	Commander		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
1		Major General John C. Griffith	1 July 1993	13 June 1995	1 year, 347 days
2		Major General Henry M. Hobgood	13 June 1995	28 August 1996	1 year, 76 days
3		Major General Lance W. Lord	28 August 1996	1 August 1997	338 days
4		Major General Andrew J. Pelak Jr.	1 August 1997	25 August 2000	3 years, 24 days
5		Major General John F. Regni	25 August 2000	8 July 2004	3 years, 318 days
6		Major General Lloyd S. Utterback	8 July 2004	9 November 2005	1 year, 124 days
7		Major General Michael C. Gould	9 November 2005	23 May 2008	2 years, 196 days
8		Major General Alfred K. Flowers	23 May 2008	29 September 2009	1 year, 129 days
9		Major General Mary Kay Hertog	29 September 2009	21 July 2011	1 year, 295 days
10		Major General Leonard A. Patrick	21 July 2011	3 July 2014	2 years, 347 days
11		Major General Mark Anthony Brown	3 July 2014	26 August 2016	2 years, 54 days
12		Major General Robert D. LaBrutta	26 August 2016	23 August 2017	362 days
13		Major General Timothy J. Leahy	23 August 2017	29 August 2019	2 years, 6 days
14		Major General Andrea Tullos	29 August 2019	30 July 2021	1 year, 335 days
15		Major General Michele C. Edmondson	30 July 2021	Incumbent	2 years, 263 days

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

1. ^ "Second Air Force (AETC)".
2. ^ "Second Air Force > Home".
3. ^ "About Us".
4. ^ "About Us".
5. ^ "Second Air Force (AETC)".
6. ^ "Second Air Force (AETC)".
7. ^ Senior Airman Kimberly L. Mueller (30 July 2021). "Maj. Gen. Edmondson assumes command of 2nd Air Force". Second Air Force. 81st Training Wing Public Affairs.
8. ^ "Factsheet 5 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
9. ^ Bolding, Mark. "Sun Bowl 1943". mmbolding.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
10. ^ Serrano, Jose Maria (26 April 2007). "US Strategic Air Command (SAC) 1966". orbat.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
11. ^ 1966 order of battle
12. ^ Air Force Historical Research Agency, Second Air Force Fact Sheet, September 9, 2020.

• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
  ISBN 0-89201-092-4
  .
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
  ISBN 0-912799-12-9
  .

External links

• Second Air Force Factsheet
• News Stories:

Air Force News: http://www.aetc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/5115/Article/263318/army-air-force-leaders-examine-in-lieu-of-training.aspx

Air Force News: http://www.aetc.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/5115/Article/263675/ilo-training-prepares-airmen-to-serve-in-combat-operations.aspx

Air Force News: Change of Command https://archive.today/20121212040908/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123166976

• PRESENTATION TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON READINESS COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: http://www.airforcemag.com/testimony/Documents/2007/July%202007/073107Gibson.pdf
• Air Force Historical Research Agency, Index card for 2 Air Force history, 1941