Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force
Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force | |
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Active | 17 April 1953 – 30 September 1996 1 October 2008 – 24 April 2012 (as Seventeenth Air Force) 21 May 2012 – 19 July 2018 |
Country | Sembach Air Base Germany (1973–1996) Ramstein Air Base Germany (2008–2012) |
Insignia | |
Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force emblem | |
Seventeenth Air Force emblem |
The Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) was a
Seventeenth Air Force housed the traditional
History
Cold War
The establishment of the
Seventeenth Air Force was moved to Wheelus Air Base, Libya, on 1 August 1956 as the command expanded into Italy, Greece, and Turkey. The command exchanged its support mission for the defensive and offensive air missions in Central Europe in 1959.
The headquarters was then relocated in November 1959 to
During the 1972 USAFE reorganization, CINCUSAFE moved his headquarters across Germany from
In the 1980s, Seventeenth Air Force saw the number of its subordinate units almost double. Its area of responsibility included three of the
The air bases at Hahn, Bitburg, Wiesbaden and Zweibrücken were closed by USAFE and turned over to the German government in 1993 and Soesterberg to the Dutch government in 1994. Rhein-Main was closed at the end of 2005, its logistics missions being transferred to Ramstein and Spangdahlem.
Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated effective 30 September 1996, due to reductions in force after the Cold War.
Structure in 1989
At the end of the Cold War Seventeenth Air Force consisted of the following units, which in case of war with the Warsaw Pact would have come under Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force:
- Seventeenth Air Force, at Sembach Air Base
- Lindsey Air Station[8]
- 52d Tactical Fighter Wing, at Spangdahlem Air Base[9]
- 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon
- 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon
- 66th Electronic Combat Wing, at Sembach Air Base
- 43d Electronic Combat Squadron, with EC-130H Compass Call
- 316th Air Division, at Ramstein Air Base
- 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Ramstein Air Base
- 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon
- 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon
- 377th Combat Support Wing, at Ramstein Air Base[10]
- 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Ramstein Air Base
- 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Fighter Wing, at Zweibrücken Air Base
- 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Bitburg Air Base[11]
- 22d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle
- 53d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle
- 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle
- 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Hahn Air Base[12]
- 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon
- 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon
- 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with F-16C Block 25 Falcon
- 38th Tactical Missile Wing, at Pydna Missile Base, Germany[13]
- 485th Tactical Missile Wing, at Florennes Air Base, Belgium
- 71st Tactical Missile Squadron, with 48x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles
- 486th Tactical Missile Wing, at Woensdrecht Air Base, Netherlands, 48x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles were assigned to Woensdrecht, but none were deployed by 1989
- 601st Tactical Control Wing, at Sembach Air Base (operating AN/TPS-43 mobile radars)
- 7100th Combat Support Wing, at Lindsey Air Station[14]
- 7100th Supply Squadron
- 7100th Transportation Squadron
- 7100th Comptroller Squadron
- 7100th Combat Support Wing Medical Center – Wiesbaden (GE), Medical Center Compound
- 18th Aeromedical Staging Flight
- 610th USAF Contingency Hospital – Lindsey AS (GE)
- 652d USAF Contingency Hospital – Donaueschingen (GE), Donaueschingen Contingency Hospital Annex
- 653d USAF Contingency Hospital – Wiesbaden (GE)
- 7261st Munitions Support Squadron – Memmingerberg (GE), Fliegerhorst Memmingen (special weapons storage and maintenance)
- 7361st Munitions Support Squadron – Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium (special weapons storage and maintenance)
- 7362d Munitions Support Squadron – Volkel Air Base, Netherlands (special weapons storage and maintenance)
- 7501st Munitions Support Squadron – Alflen (GE), Fliegerhorst Büchel (special weapons storage and maintenance)
- 7502d Munitions Support Squadron – Nörvenich (GE), Fliegerhorst Nörvenich (special weapons storage and maintenance)
- Frankfurt am Main (Liaison with V US Corps)[15]
- 8th Air Support Operations Group, in Stuttgart (Liaison with VII US Corps)
- 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle at Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands
- 7104th Air Base Group, at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium
Under AFRICOM
It was announced on 12 September 2008 that Seventeenth Air Force would be reactivated, to be headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, located west of Kaiserslautern in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate.[16] It was to form part of United States Africa Command. The stand-up ceremony occurred on 18 September 2008, under the command of Major General Ron Ladnier. It was officially reactivated by the Air Force on 1 October 2008. In this capacity, it was subordinate to the United States Air Forces in Europe, and be referred to by its componency name: Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA).
Air Forces Africa conducts sustained security engagement and operations as directed to promote air safety, security and development on the African continent. Through Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) events, Air Forces Africa carries out
AFAFRICA includes at least two air expeditionary groups. The
In June 2010,
As of 13 January 2010, the Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley announced that the 617th AOC will be consolidated with the 603d Air and Space Operations Center (according to AFA reporting).
Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated in April 2012 as part of an Air Force cost savings effort.
It was redesignated as the Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force, reactivated, and assigned to
Lineage
- Established as Seventeenth Air Force on 17 Apr 1953
- Organized 25 Apr 1953
- Inactivated on 30 September 1996
- Reactivated on 1 October 2008
- Assumed joint designation Air Forces Africa, 1 October 2008
- Inactivated on 24 April 2012
- Redesignated Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force and reactivated 21 May 2012
- Inactivated on 19 July 2018
Assignments
- United States Air Forces in Europe, 25 April 1953 - 30 September 1996;
- United States Air Forces Africa, 1 October 2008 - 24 April 2012
- United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa, 21 May 2012 - 19 July 2018
Components
Divisions
- Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany)
- 1 June 1985 – 30 June 1991
- Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany)
- 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991
- 7217th Air Division, Ankara AS, Turkey
- 7 August – 15 November 1959
Wings
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Stations
- French Morocco (later, Morocco), 17 April 1953
- Wheelus Air Base, Libya, 1 August 1956
- Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 15 November 1959
- Sembach Air Base, West Germany (later Germany), October 1972 – 30 September 1996
- Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 1 October 2008 – 24 April 2012
References
- ^ a b "Third Air Force".
- ^ Official: AfriCom will need Air Force aircraft – Air Force News, news from Iraq – Air Force Times and http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FC031308/Craddock_Testimony031308.pdf
- ^ 17th Air Force inactivated after 3½ busy years, Stars and Stripes
- ^ 17th Air Force stands down, passes African mission to USAFE, 4/24/2012
- ^ "Third Air Force". www.usafe.af.mil. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
As U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's only numbered air force...
- ^ a b "United States Air Forces in Europe (USAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Factsheets : 66 Air Base Wing (AFMC)". www.afhra.af.mil. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011.
- ^ "Factsheet 65 Air Division (Defense)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "52 Fighter Wing (USAFE) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "377 Air Base Wing (AFMC) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "36 Wing (PACAF) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "50 Space Wing (AFSPC) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ "38 Combat Support Wing (USAFE) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Dragoner, 193.
- ^ "4 Air Support Operations Group (USAFE) Fact Sheet". US Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- ^ Seventeenth Air Force ready for 1 October stand-up
- ^ "MAJOR GENERAL MARGARET H. WOODWARD". US Air Force. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- ^ a b Thompson, Mark (April 2011). "Air Boss". Time Magazine (18 April): 28.
- ^ "17th Air Force stands down, AFAFRICA mission carries on". U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- ^ "17th Air Force inactivated after 3½ busy years".
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency