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The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win...in air, space and cyberspace.
To achieve that mission, the Air Force has a vision:
The United States Air Force will be a trusted and reliable joint partner with our sister services known for integrity in all of our activities, including supporting the joint mission first and foremost. We will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and Power for the nation.
The Air Force has three core competencies: Developing Airmen, Technology-to-Warfighting and Integrating Operations. These core competencies make our six distinctive capabilities possible:
Air and Space Superiority : With it, joint forces can dominate enemy operations in all dimensions -- land, sea, air and space.
Global Attack: Because of technological advances, the Air Force can attack anywhere, anytime -- and do so quickly and with greater precision than ever before.
Rapid Global Mobility: Being able to respond quickly and decisively anywhere we're needed is key to maintaining rapid global mobility.
Precision Engagement: The essence lies in the ability to apply selective force against specific targets because the nature and variety of future contingencies demand both precise and reliable use of military power with minimal risk and collateral damage.
Information Superiority: The ability of joint force commanders to keep pace with information and incorporate it into a campaign plan is crucial.
Agile Combat Support: Deployment and sustainment are keys to successful operations and cannot be separated. Agile combat support applies to all forces, from those permanently based to contingency buildups to expeditionary forces.
The Air Force bases these core competencies and distinctive capabilities on a shared commitment to three core values -- integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.
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Air Combat Command is the primary force provider of combat airpower to America's warfighting commands. To support the global implementation of national security strategy, ACC operates fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle-management, and electronic-combat aircraft. It also provides command, control, communications and intelligence systems, and conducts global information operations.
As a force provider, ACC organizes, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defense. ACC numbered air forces provide the air component to U.S. Central, Southern and Northern Commands, with Headquarters ACC serving as the air component to Joint Forces Command. ACC also augments forces to U.S. European, Pacific and Strategic Command.
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More than 67,000 active-duty members and 13,500 civilians make up ACC's work force. When mobilized, more than 50,000 members of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, along with approximately 675 aircraft, are assigned to ACC. In total, ACC and ACC-gained units fly more than 1,800 aircraft. |
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ACC's forces are organized under a direct reporting unit, two numbered air forces and one Air Force Reserve numbered air force. The command operates 13 major installations and supports tenant units on numerous non-ACC bases around the globe. ACC also has responsibility for inland search and rescue in the 48 contiguous states. The ACC commander is the component commander of U.S. Air Forces - Joint Forces Command and U.S. Strategic Command.
Numbered Air Forces
First Air Force, or Air Forces Northern, with headquarters at Tyndall AFB, Fla., has responsibility for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As the continental United States Region, or CONR, for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, 1 AF (AFNORTH) provides air defense in the form of airspace surveillance and airspace control. First AF is also the designated air component for U.S. Northern Command.
AFNORTH rapidly responds to non-military threats under the Defense Support to Civil Authorities, or DSCA, mission. The organization assists civilian agencies before and during emergencies, natural or man-made disasters, and other Department of Defense-approved activities. Operating with the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center serves as the U.S. inland search and rescue coordinator and is the single agency responsible for coordinating on-land federal searches. These search and rescue operations can be conducted anywhere in the 48 states, Mexico and Canada. The Civil Air Patrol is a significant partner in search and rescue and other DSCA missions.
Other First Air Force (AFNORTH) units include the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, the 702nd Computer Support Squadron and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall AFB, the Northeast Air Defense Sector in Rome, N.Y.; the Western Air Defense Sector at McChord AFB, Wash.; Det. 1, 1 AF, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and 722nd Air Defense Squadron, North Bay, Canada.
Bases:
119th Fighter Wing, Hector Field, Fargo, N.D.: MQ-1, C-21
Det. 1, 119 Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.: F-16C
120th Fighter Wing, Great Falls International Airport, Mont.: F-16
125th Fighter Wing, Jacksonville IAP, Fla.: F-15
Det. 1, 125 Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Station, Fla.
142nd Fighter Wing, Portland IAP, Ore.: F-15
144th Fighter Wing, Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif.: F-16
Det. 1, 144 Fighter Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
147th Fighter Wing, Ellington ANG Base, Texas: MQ-1, C-26
148th Fighter Wing, Duluth IAP, Minn.: F-16
158th Fighter Wing, Burlington IAP, Vt.: F-16
177th Fighter Wing, Atlantic City IAP, N.J.: F-16
101st Information Operations Flight, Salt Lake City IAP, Utah
Ninth Air Force, with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., is dedicated to organizing, training, and equipping Air Combat Command fighter forces based throughout the Southeastern United States. Ninth Air Force comprises eight active-duty wings and two direct reporting units with more than 480 aircraft and 28,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. Ninth Air Force is also responsible for the operational readiness of 14 Air Reserve Component wings.
Ninth Air Force units include:
1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
23d Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
93d Air-Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
461st Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
633d Air Base Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
823rd Red Horse Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
819th Red Horse Squadron, Malmstom AFB, Mont.
Tenth Air Force, located at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, directs the activities of more than 13,300 reservists and 900 civilians located at 28 installations throughout the United States.
The mission of the 10th Air Force is to exercise command supervision of its assigned Reserve units to ensure they maintain the highest combat capability to augment active forces in support of national objectives. Tenth Air Force currently commands Air Force Reserve Command units gained by five other major commands, including Air Combat Command. ACC-gained units consist of six fighter wings, three air rescue units, one bomber squadron, one combat operations squadron, and one airborne warning and control group when mobilized.
Twelfth Air Force, with headquarters at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., controls ACC's conventional fighter and bomber forces based in the western United States and has the warfighting responsibility for U.S. Southern Command as well as the U.S. Southern Air Forces.
Other 12th Air Force units include: 388th Fighter Wing (F-16C/D), Hill AFB, Utah; 1st Air Support Operations Group, Fort Lewis, Wash; and 820th RED HORSE Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
Bases:
Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. -- Headquarters 12th Air Force; 355th Wing: A/OA-10 EC-130H,
Dyess AFB, Texas -- 7th Bomb Wing: B-1
Ellsworth AFB, S.D. -- 28th Bomb Wing: B-1
Holloman AFB, N.M. -- 49th Fighter Wing: F-22, MQ-1, MQ-9, T-38
Mountain Home AFB, Idaho -- 366th Fighter Wing: F-15C/D/E, F-16D, F-16C/J, and the Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab
Beale AFB, Calif. -- 9th Reconnaissance Wing: U-2, T-38, RQ-4B, MC-12
Offutt AFB, Neb. - 55th Wing: E-4B, EC-130, OC-135B, RC-135S/U/V/W, TC-135S/W, WC-135C/W
Tinker AFB, Okla. - 552nd Air Control Wing: E3-B/C
Creech AFB, Nev. - 432nd Wing: MQ-1, MQ-9
Hill AFB, Utah - 388th Fighter Wing: F-16C/D
Direct Reporting Unit
U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT)
U.S. Air Forces Central Command is the air component of United States Central Command, a regional unified command. AFCENT is responsible for air operations (either unilaterally or in concert with coalition partners) and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia. Additionally, AFCENT manages an extensive supply and equipment prepositioning program at several area of responsibilities sites.View AFCENT factsheet here.
U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, at Nellis AFB, Nev., conducts the Air Force's advanced weapons and tactics training, manages advanced pilot training and is responsible for the operational test and evaluation of ACC's combat weapons systems. The UAV Battlelab, and the Command and Control Training and Innovation Group located at Hurlburt Field, Fla., are assigned to the center.
Under the Air Warfare Center is the 57th Wing (A-10, F-15C/D/E, F-16C/D, HH-60G and RQ-1A/B Predator unmanned aircraft system); 99th Air Base Wing; 98th Range Wing; U.S. Air Force Air-Ground Operations School; U.S. Air Force Weapons School; U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron (the Thunderbirds) and the 414th Combat Training Squadron (Red Flag).
The 53rd Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla. is also assigned to the Air Warfare Center. The 53rd Wing's subordinate units include the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (A-10, F-15A/C/E, F-16C/D, F-22, B-1, B-2, B-52, HH-60G, RQ-1 Predator and RQ-4 Global Hawk) at Nellis; the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group at Eglin and the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group (E-9) at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The 53rd Test Management Group at Eglin coordinates the |
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Air Force Mission 
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