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United States Air Force
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The National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force (USAF) after nearly three decades of debate within the government and the military about how best to integrate airpower into an overarching national defense structure. With its ability to project power rapidly across the globe, the air service also reflected greater U.S. involvement in the geopolitical arena. Several themes framed airpower's development and employment. First, technology permeates airpower history. Regardless of the vehicle—airplane, spacecraft, guided missile, or satellite—U.S. airmen consistently sought to expand existing technological boundaries. Second, organization and doctrine fueled debates regarding how best to employ airpower to achieve national policy goals. Third, the expanding nuclear inventory thrust airpower to the forefront of strategy calculations. Finally, dramatically changing diplomatic contexts compelled airmen to adapt to shifts in strategy, operations, and tactics. Thus USAF history is more than an account of a series of wars and operations; it reflects a fundamental transformation in the U.S. conception of war fighting.
Early Cold War
In the aftermath of World War II, USAF leaders believed airpower had proven decisive. The large bomber formations that devastated German and Japanese cities appeared to confirm interwar theories proposed by such individuals as the Italian theorist Giulio Douhet, the Royal Air Force leader Sir Hugh Trenchard, the maverick American airman Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, and the instructors at the U.S. Army's Air Corps Tactical School. The new service's leaders framed their institutional identity in terms that emphasized airpower's strategic role. This produced a force structure that favored long-range heavy bombers and nuclear weaponry at the expense of tactical platforms. Airpower enthusiasts argued that the nuclear bomber's "city-busting" capability rendered traditional armies and navies obsolete as long as the United States maintained a nuclear monopoly. In the early postwar years, this perspective engendered animosity among air, land, and sea service leaders. Tensions peaked in 1949 over the decision to procure the intercontinental B-36 bomber. In what became known as the "Re-volt of the Admirals," sea service leaders argued vehemently against the B-36 program because it threatened navy plans for a supercarrier with expanded naval aviation roles.
In the early Cold War years, geopolitical crises intensified debates regarding the air force's role in national defense. In 1948, the Berlin crisis signaled increasing tensions between the Soviet Union and the West. The USAF launched Operation Vittles to supply Soviet-blockaded Berlin, thus offering wider possibilities for employing military forces in conflicts short of war. When the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic device in 1949, U.S statesmen realized they could no longer rely on nuclear monopoly and strategic bombing to protect the nation and its allies. On 25 June 1950, North Korean forces attacked South Korea and ushered in a new era of limited war, one operating below the Cold War's nuclear threshold. USAF forces applied the full range of conventional airpower—strategic bombing, interdiction, close air support, reconnaissance and surveillance, and search and rescue—to support United Nations operations on the Korean peninsula. In Korea, airpower proved less decisive than the strategic bombing campaigns of World War II, although in many ways it kept U.S. forces from being overrun at the outset of the war. In this war along the periphery of great power conflict, U.S. leaders refused to introduce nuclear weapons for fear of provoking a general war with the Soviet Union and China. The Korean War also witnessed a technological shift as jet aircraft revolutionized the quest to dominate the skies.
Technological developments characterized the remainder of the 1950s as the USAF sponsored research into new airframe designs, engine technologies, and guided missile systems. The Eisenhower administration's "New Look" strategy shaped an aviation force structure that employed both long-range bomber aircraft and nuclear weapons. The Strategic Air Command (SAC), equipped with weapons systems like the B-47 Stratojet, the B-58 Hustler, and the B-52 Stratofortress, formed the nuclear deterrent force's backbone, giving the USAF a true "global strike" capability. Later in the decade, re-search into missile technology promised to add medium-range and intercontinental missiles to the arsenal. Following SAC's lead, tactical forces mirrored the strategic fleet's nuclear emphasis. Fighter and fighter-bomber designs, including the F-100, F-104, and F-105, represented attempts to reconcile tactical and theater needs with nuclear battlefield requirements. The emphasis on deterrence and nuclear operations, however, created a void in the USAF's conventional war-fighting capability.
Vietnam
The Vietnam War shaped a generation of American airmen's views about how to employ airpower. USAF leaders entered the conflict convinced that airpower could be most effective when employed against strategic industrial targets. In 1964, when President Lyndon B. Johnson committed U.S. forces to support the South Vietnamese government, USAF planners proposed attacks against ninety-four strategic targets in the North. Johnson opted for a more limited campaign—Operation Rolling Thunder—designed to coerce communist leaders to the negotiating table while simultaneously confining the war to Southeast Asia. Johnson and his defense secretary, Robert S. McNamara, envisioned a gradually escalating airpower campaign that increased the pressure on North Vietnamese leaders. U.S. leaders expended the bulk of American air strikes in vain attempts to interdict men and materiel destined for the battlefields of the South along the Ho Chi Minh trail. In the South, General William Westmoreland used airpower, including B-52 strikes, in concert with land forces in large-scale "search and destroy" sweeps designed to eradicate Viet Cong guerrilla units. The twin culminating points—the siege at Khe Sanh and the Tet Offensive—that signaled the failure of the Johnson administration's strategy occurred in 1968. Airpower, working in close cooperation with ground forces, ended a siege by 40,000 North Vietnamese soldiers of the Marine firebase at Khe Sanh. The strength of the Khe Sanh siege coupled with the general uprising during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, convinced the American public that Johnson's gradualist strategy had failed. Republican Richard M. Nixon rose to the presidency with a mandate to extract the United States from the Vietnam quagmire.
In 1971 and 1972 Nixon took advantage of improved relations with the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China to unleash airpower first against North Vietnamese conventional forces moving south in Operation Linebacker I, and later against communist industrial centers of gravity in Operation Linebacker II. New technologies including precision-guided munitions and more capable airframes combined with traditional bombing raids in short, violent campaigns that apparently helped bring the North Vietnamese back to the peace talks in Paris, although they did not prevent the North from achieving its overall goals in the war. USAF leaders argued that the Linebacker campaigns confirmed strategic bombing doctrine despite the U.S. failure in Vietnam and the dramatic changes in the international political context.
Desert Storm and the End of the Cold War
For the remainder of the 1970s and into the 1980s the USAF honed its tactical proficiency. The Vietnam experience indicated that a pilot or aircrew's chances of surviving aerial combat increased dramatically after the first ten missions. Red Flag, centered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, emerged as the USAF's aerial combat training center to simulate those first ten combat missions. Its value became apparent in 1990–1991.
In August 1990, Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein occupied the Persian Gulf nation of Kuwait. The UN provided a mandate for coalition action to restore Kuwait's sovereignty and to reduce the Iraqi military threat. In the largest airlift since Operation Vittles, Military Airlift Command's (MAC) C-5, C-141, and C-130 and SAC's KC-135 and KC-10 fleets created an air bridge that deployed materiel to bases in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries. The USAF's complete offensive airpower capability—B-52, F-117 Stealth, F-111, F-15, F-16, EF-111, F-4, and Special Operations forces—also deployed to support the coalition. A robust support fleet, including KC-135 and KC-10 refueling tankers, E-3A airborne warning and control aircraft, and intelligence-gathering and command and control assets, bolstered the offensive capabilities brought to bear against Iraq. United States Central Command's joint force air component commander, Lieutenant General Charles Horner, led efforts to create an air strategy to isolate Iraqi ground forces, defeat Iraqi air defense networks, destroy nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons facilities, and reduce Iraqi ground forces' combat effectiveness. Although Desert Storm left Saddam Hussein's regime intact and his weapons programs still dangerous enough to necessitate UN weapons inspections, its success showcased USAF planning, command and control, precision weaponry, and space support, and above all it vindicated post-Vietnam investments in training and exercises. Many observers concluded that Desert Storm represented the first wave of a revolution in military affairs.
The end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union's collapse ushered in a host of changes for the USAF. Nuclear weapons no longer provided the air service's raison d'être. While nuclear deterrence remained vital to U.S. national security, the Defense Department leaders aligned the strategic forces under a separate unified command in 1992. The organizational scheme that had served the service since its inception also changed as SAC, MAC, and Tactical Air Command (TAC) stood down. The twenty-first century's streamlined air force integrated all combat forces under a single command, Air Combat Command (ACC). All airlift and air refueling assets came under the command of Air Mobility Command (AMC). Paradoxically, the Cold War victory did not decrease the USAF's operations tempo or its deployment commitments. Since 1991, USAF personnel served around the globe to keep the peace, offer humanitarian assistance, deter aggression, and enforce UN resolutions. The hallmarks of USAF air-power reside in the service's core competencies—air and space superiority, global attack, rapid global mobility, precision engagement, information superiority, and agile combat support. These six competencies reflect more than fifty years of institutional continuity and development.
Bibliography
Clodfelter, Mark. The Limits of Air Power: The American Bombing of North Vietnam. New York: Free Press, 1989.
Futrell, Robert Frank. Ideas, Concepts, Doctrine: Basic Thinking in the United States Air Force. 2d ed. 2 vols. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: Air University Press, 1989.
———. The United States Air Force in Korea. 1950–1953. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, 2000.
Hallion, Richard P. Storm over Iraq: Air Power and the Gulf War. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992.
Lambeth, Benjamin S. The Transformation of American Air Power. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2000.
Melinger, Phillip S., ed. The Paths of Heaven: The Evolution of Airpower Theory. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: Air University Press, 1997.
Thompson, Wayne. To Hanoi and Back: The United States Air Force and North Vietam, 1966–1973. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History and Museums Program, 2000.
—Anthony Christopher Cain
| Wikipedia: United States Air Force |
"USAF" redirects here. For other uses, see USAF (disambiguation).
"The U.S. Air Force" redirects here. For the song, see The U.S. Air Force (song).
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare and space warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947.[1] It is the most recent branch of the U.S. military to be formed.
The USAF provides the critical capabilities of Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global Power,[3] with 5,573 manned aircraft in service (3,990 USAF; 1,213 Air National Guard; and 370 Air Force Reserve);[4] approximately 180 unmanned combat air vehicles, 2,130 air-launched cruise missiles,[5] and 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles. The USAF has 327,452 personnel on active duty, 115,299 in the Selected and Individual Ready Reserves, and 106,700 in the Air National Guard as of Sept. 2008. In addition, the USAF employs 171,313 civilian personnel.[6]
The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force who oversees all administrative and policy affairs. The Department of the Air Force is a division of the Department of Defense, headed by the Secretary of Defense. The highest ranking military officer in the Department of the Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
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Mission
According to the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 502), which created the USAF:
- In general the United States Air Force shall include aviation forces both combat and service not otherwise assigned. It shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The Air Force shall be responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war.
§8062 of Title 10 US Code defines the purpose of the USAF[7] as:
- to preserve the peace and security, and provide for the defense, of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths, and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States;
- to support national policy;
- to implement national objectives;
- to overcome any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States.
The stated mission of the USAF today is to "fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace".[8]
Search and rescue
The National Search and Rescue Plan designates the United States Coast Guard as the federal agency responsible for maritime search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, and the USAF as responsible for aeronautical SAR in the continental U.S. with the exception of Alaska.[9] Both agencies maintain Joint Rescue Coordination Centers to coordinate this effort.[10] To help the USAF with the vast amount of search and rescue operations, the USAF tasks the Civil Air Patrol -- the official United States Air Force Auxilliary -- in many inland search and rescue missions.
Air sovereignty
The USAF, through the Air National Guard, is the lead agency to maintain control of America's airspace.
On 30 July 2009, Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, director of the Air National Guard said that "Technologies needed for the mission include an active, electronically scanned array radar (which can be used to detect small and stealthy air threats including cruise missiles), infrared search and track systems and beyond-line-of-sight communications".[11]
On 14 September 2009, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, chief of staff of the USAF, said that he hopes "to bring a combination of F-22, F-35, legacy aircraft, including upgraded F-15 and F-16 fighters, and unmanned aircraft to the [air sovereignty alert] ASA mission."[12]
Even so, the USAF plans to retire up to 80% of their total force air sovereignty mission aircraft, which would leave no viable aircraft at 18 current air sovereignty sites after 2015.[13][14][15] The GAO found that 17 of the 20 commanders of the ASA units "stated that the Air Force treats ASA operations as a temporary mission and has not provided sufficient resources."[16]
Irregular warfare
In response to the conflicts in which the United States has been engaged since the end of the Cold War, on 1 August 2007, Air Force Doctrine Document 2-3 was released showing how air power could be used to support or defeat an insurgency.[17]
In order to help support these missions the USAF is considering outfitting a counter-insurgency wing with small cheap ground support fighters that can also be used for training USAF and allied pilots in addition to counterinsurgency operations.[18]
History
Main article: History of the United States Air Force
The Army created the first antecedent of the USAF in 1907, which through a succession of changes of organization, titles, and missions advanced toward eventual separation 40 years later. The USAF became a separate military service on 18 September 1947, with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947.[19] The Act created the United States Department of Defense, which was composed of three subordinate departments, namely the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy and a newly-created Department of the Air Force.[20] Prior to 1947, the responsibility for military aviation was shared between the Army (for land-based operations), the Navy (for sea-based operations from aircraft carriers and amphibious aircraft), and the Marine Corps (for close air support of infantry operations).
1. 5/17-2/18 2. 2/18-8/19 3. 8/19-5/42
4. 5/42-6/43 5. 6/43-9/43 6. 9/43-1/47
7. 1/47-
The predecessor organizations of today's USAF are:
- Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps (1 August 1907 to 18 July 1914)
- Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps (18 July 1914 to 20 May 1918)
- Division of Military Aeronautics (20 May 1918 to 24 May 1918)
- U.S. Army Air Service (24 May 1918 to 2 July 1926)
- U.S. Army Air Corps (2 July 1926 to 20 June 1941) and
- U.S. Army Air Forces (20 June 1941 to 17 September 1947)
Recent history
In 2007, the USAF undertook a reduction-in-force. Because of budget constraints, the USAF planned to reduce the service's size from 360,000 active duty personnel to 316,000.[21] The size of the active-duty force in 2007 was roughly 64% of that of the USAF at the end of the Gulf War in 1991.[22] However, the reduction was ended at approximately 330,000 personnel in 2008 to meet mission requirements.[21] These same constraints have seen a sharp reduction in flight hours for crew training since 2005.[23]
On 5 June 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, accepted the resignations of both the Secretary of the Air Force, Michael W. Wynne, and the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Gen. T. Michael Moseley. Gates in effect fired both men for "systemic issues associated with declining Air Force nuclear mission focus and performance". This followed an investigation into two embarrassing incidents involving mishandling of nuclear weapons, and were also the culmination of disputes between the Air Force leadership and Gates.[24] To put more emphasis on nuclear assets, the USAF established the nuclear-focused Air Force Global Strike Command on 24 October 2008.[25]
On 26 June 2009, the USAF released a force structure plan that cuts fighter aircraft and shifts resources to better support nuclear, irregular and information warfare.[26] On 23 July 2009, The USAF released their Unmanned Aerial System Flight Plan, detailing UAV plans through 2047.[27] One third of the planes that the USAF plans to buy in the future are to be unmanned.[28]
Conflicts
The United States has been involved in many wars, conflicts, and operations using military air operations. Air combat operations before, and since the official conception of the USAF include:
- World War I[29] as Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps
- World War II[29] as United States Army Air Forces
- Cold War
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Operation Eagle Claw (1980 Iranian Hostage Rescue)
- Operation Urgent Fury (1983 US Invasion of Grenada)
- Operation El Dorado Canyon (1986 US Bombing of Libya)
- Operation Just Cause (1989-1990 US Invasion of Panama)
- Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991 Gulf War)
- Operation Southern Watch (1992-2003 Iraq No-Fly Zone)
- Operation Deliberate Force (1995 NATO bombing in Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Operation Northern Watch (1997-2003 Iraq No-Fly Zone)
- Operation Allied Force (1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia)
- Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-present Afghanistan War)
- Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-present Iraq War)
Humanitarian operations
The USAF has also taken part in numerous humanitarian operations. Some of the more major ones include the following:[30]
- Berlin Airlift (Operation Vittles), 1948-1949
- Operation Safe Haven, 1956-1957
- Operations Babylift, New Life, Frequent Wind, and New Arrivals, 1975
- Operation Provide Comfort, 1991
- Operation Sea Angel, 1991
- Operation Provide Hope, 1992-1993
- Operation Unified Assistance, December 2004 - April 2005
Organization
Administrative organization
The USAF is one of three service departments, and is managed by the civilian Department of the Air Force. Guidance is provided by the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) and the Secretary's staff and advisors. The military leadership is the Air Staff, led by the Chief of Staff.
USAF direct subordinate commands and units are the Field Operating Agency (FOA), Direct Reporting Unit (DRU), and the currently unused Separate Operating Agency.
The Major Command (MAJCOM) is the superior hierarchical level of command. Including the Air Force Reserve Command, as of 30 September 2006, USAF has nine major commands. The Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a level of command directly under the MAJCOM, followed by Operational Command (now unused), Air Division (also now unused), Wing, Group, Squadron, and Flight.
Force structure
Headquarters, United States Air Force, The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
Air Combat Command (ACC), headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
First Air Force, headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
Ninth Air Force, headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Twelfth Air Force, headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
United States Air Force Warfare Center, headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
Air Education and Training Command (AETC), headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
Second Air Force, headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
Nineteenth Air Force, headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
Air Force Recruiting Service, headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
Air University, headquartered at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama- Wilford Hall Medical Center, headquarted at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
Eighth Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
Twentieth Air Force, headquartered at F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Aeronautical Systems Center, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Air Force Flight Test Center, headquartered at Edwards Air Force Base, California
Air Force Global Logistics Support Center, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, headquartered at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico
Air Force Research Laboratory, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Air Force Security Assistance Center, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Air Armament Center, headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Arnold Engineering Development Center, headquartered at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee
Electronic Systems Center, headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), headquartered at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
Fourth Air Force, headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California
Tenth Air Force, headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
Twenty-Second Air Force, headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia- Air Reserve Personnel Center, headquartered at Denver, Colorado
Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
Fourteenth Air Force, headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Twenty Fourth Air Force, headquarters at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
Space and Missile Systems Center, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California
Space Innovation and Development Center, headquartered at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida
Twenty-Third Air Force, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida- Special Operations Training Center, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida
Air Mobility Command (AMC), headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Eighteenth Air Force, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
United States Air Force Expeditionary Center, headquartered at Fort Dix, New Jersey
United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Third Air Force, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Seventeenth Air Force, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
Fifth Air Force, headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan
Seventh Air Force, headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
Eleventh Air Force, headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska
Thirteenth Air Force, headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
The permanent establishment of the USAF, as of 30 September 2006,[31] consisted of:
- Active duty forces:
- 57 flying wings, 8 space wings, and 55 non-flying wings
- 9 flying groups, 8 non-flying groups
- 134 flying squadrons, 43 space squadrons
- Air Force Reserve
- 35 flying wings, 1 space wing
- 4 flying groups
- 67 flying squadrons, 6 space squadrons
- Air National Guard
- 87 flying wings
- 101 flying squadrons, 4 space squadrons
- 87 flying wings
The USAF, including its air reserve components, field a total of 302 flying squadrons.[32]
Operational organization
The above organizational structure is responsible for the peacetime organization, equipping, and training of aerospace units for operational missions. When required to support operational missions, the National Command Authority directs a Change in Operational Control (CHOP) of these units from their peacetime alignment to a Regional Combatant Commander (CCDR). In the case of AFSPC, AFSOC, PACAF, and USAFE units, forces are normally employed in-place under their existing CCDR. Likewise, AMC forces operating in support roles retain their componency to USTRANSCOM unless chopped to a Regional CCDR.
Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force
"Chopped" units are referred to as forces. The top-level structure of these forces is the Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force (AETF). The AETF is the Air Force presentation of forces to a CCDR for the employment of Air Power. Each CCDR is supported by a standing Component Numbered Air Force (C-NAF) to provide planning and execution of aerospace forces in support of CCDR requirements. Each C-NAF consists of a Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) and AFFOR/A-staff, and an Air Operations Center (AOC). As needed to support multiple Joint Force Commanders (JFC) in the COCOM's Area of Responsibility (AOR), the C-NAF may deploy Air Component Coordinate Elements (ACCE) to liaise with the JFC. If the Air Force possesses the most strategic air assets in a JFC's area of operations, the COMAFFOR will also serve as the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC).
Commander, Air Force Forces
The Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) is the senior USAF officer responsible for the employment of air power in support of JFC objectives. The COMAFFOR has a special staff and an A-Staff to ensure assigned or attached forces are properly organized, equipped, and trained to support the operational mission.
Air Operations Center
The Air Operations Center (AOC) is the JFACC's Command and Control (C²) center. This center is responsible for planning and executing air power missions in support of JFC objectives.
Air Expeditionary Wings/Groups/Squadrons
The AETF generates air power to support COCOM objectives from Air Expeditionary Wings (AEW) or Air Expeditionary Groups (AEG). These units are responsible for receiving combat forces from Air Force MAJCOMs, preparing these forces for operational missions, launching and recovering these forces, and eventually returning forces to the MAJCOMs. Theater Air Control Systems control employment of forces during these missions.
Personnel
The classification of any USAF job is the Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC). They range from flight combat operations such as a gunner, to working in a dining facility to ensure that members are properly fed. There are many different jobs in fields such as computer specialties, mechanic specialties, enlisted aircrew, communication systems, avionics technicians, medical specialties, civil engineering, public affairs, hospitality, law, drug counseling, mail operations, security forces, and search and rescue specialties.[33]
Perhaps the most dangerous USAF jobs are Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Combat rescue officer, Pararescue, Security Forces, Combat Control, Combat Weather and Tactical Air Control Party, who deploy with infantry and special operations units who disarm bombs, rescue downed or isolated personnel, call in air strikes and set up landing zones in forward locations. Most of these are enlisted positions. Other jobs have seen increasing combat, including engineers, vehicle operators, and OSI.
Nearly all enlisted jobs are "entry level," meaning that the USAF provides all training. Some enlistees are able to choose a particular job, or at least a field before actually joining, while others are assigned an AFSC at Basic Military Training (BMT). After BMT, new airmen attend a technical training school where they learn their particular AFSC. Second Air Force, a part of Air Education and Training Command, is responsible for nearly all technical training.
Training programs vary in length; for example, 3M0X1 (Services) has 31 days of tech school training, while 3E8X1 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is one year of training with a preliminary school and a main school consisting of over 10 separate divisions, sometimes taking students close to two years to complete.
USAF rank is divided between enlisted airmen, non-commissioned officers, and commissioned officers, and ranges from the enlisted Airman Basic (E-1) to the commissioned rank of General (O-10). Enlisted promotions are granted based on a combination of test scores, years of experience, and selection board approval while officer promotions are based on time-in-grade and a promotion board. Promotions among enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers are generally designated by increasing numbers of insignia chevrons. Commissioned officer rank is designated by bars, oak leaves, a silver eagle, and anywhere from one to five (only in war-time) stars.
Commissioned officers
Main article: United States Air Force officer rank insignia
The commissioned officer ranks of the USAF are divided into three sections: company grade, field grade, and general officers. Company grade officers are those officers in pay grades O-1 to O-3, while field grade officers are those in pay grades O-4 to O-6, and general officers are those in pay grades of O-7 and above.
Currently, promotion from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant is virtually guaranteed after two years of satisfactory service. The promotion from First Lieutenant to Captain is competitive after successfully completing another two years of service. Promotion to Major and above is through a board process. An officer's record is reviewed by a selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. This process occurs approximately between the seven- and ten-year mark, where a certain percentage of Captains will be selected for Major. This process will repeat at the 11-14 year mark for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, and then around the eighteen-year mark for promotion to Colonel.
| Pay grade | O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 | O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 | Special1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia |  |
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| Title | Second Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Captain | Major | Lieutenant Colonel | Colonel | Brigadier General | Major General | Lieutenant General | General | General of the Air Force |
| Abbreviation2 | 2d Lt | 1st Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig Gen | Maj Gen | Lt Gen | Gen | GOAF |
| NATO Code | OF-1 | OF-2 | OF-3 | OF-4 | OF-5 | OF-6 | OF-7 | OF-8 | OF-9 | OF-10 | |
|
1 Awarded as an honorary rank or during periods of a declared war. |
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Enlisted airmen
Main article: United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia
Enlisted members of the USAF have pay grades from E-1 (entry level) to E-9 (senior enlisted). While all USAF military personnel are referred to as Airmen, the term also refers to the pay grades of E-1 through E-4, which are below the level of non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Above the pay grade of E-4 (i.e., pay grades E-5 through E-9) all ranks fall into the category of NCO and are further subdivided into NCOs (pay grades E-5 and E-6) and Senior NCOs (pay grades E-7 through E-9); the term Junior NCO is sometimes used to refer to staff sergeants and technical sergeants (pay grades E-5 and E-6).[34]
The USAF is the only of the five branches of the United States military where NCO status is not achieved until an airman reaches the pay grade of E-5. In all other branches, NCO status is generally achieved at the pay grade of E-4 (e.g., a Corporal in the Army and Marine Corps, Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy and Coast Guard). However, E-4s in the Army with the rank of Specialist are not considered NCOs. The Air Force mirrored the Army from 1976 to 1991 with an E-4 being either a Senior Airman wearing three stripes without a star or a Sergeant (referred to as "Buck Sergeant"), which was noted by the presence of the central star and considered an NCO. Despite not being an NCO, a Senior Airman who has completed Airman Leadership School can be a supervisor.
| US DoD Pay grade | E-1 | E-2 | E-3 | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | E-8 | E-9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | No Insignia |  |
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| Title | Airman Basic | Airman | Airman First Class | Senior Airman | Staff Sergeant | Technical Sergeant | Master Sergeant¹ | Senior Master Sergeant¹ | Chief Master Sergeant¹ | Command Chief Master Sergeant | Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | |||
| Abbreviation | AB | Amn | A1C | SrA | SSgt | TSgt | MSgt | SMSgt | CMSgt | CCM | CMSAF | |||
| NATO Code | OR-1 | OR-2 | OR-3 | OR-4 | OR-5 | OR-6 | OR-7 | OR-8 | OR-9 | OR-9 | OR-9 | |||
|
¹ The USAF does not have a separate First Sergeant rank; it is instead a duty denoted by a diamond within the upper field. |
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Uniforms
Main article: United States Air Force uniform
USAF personnel wear uniforms that are distinct from those of the other branches of the United States armed forces. The first USAF dress uniform, in 1947, was dubbed and patented "Uxbridge Blue" after "Uxbridge 1683 Blue", developed at the former Bachman-Uxbridge Worsted Company.[35] The current Service Dress Uniform, which was adopted in 1993 and standardized in 1995, consists of a three-button, pocketless coat, similar to that of a men's "sport jacket" (with silver "U.S." pins on the lapels), matching trousers, and either a service cap or flight cap, all in Shade 1620, "Air Force Blue" (a darker purplish-blue). This is worn with a light blue shirt (Shade 1550) and Shade 1620 herringbone patterned necktie. Enlisted members wear sleeve insignia on both the jacket and shirt, while officers wear metal rank insignia pinned onto the coat, and Air Force Blue slide-on epaulet loops on the shirt. USAF personnel assigned to Base Honor Guard duties wear, for certain occasions, a modified version of the standard service dress uniform, but with silver trim on the sleeves and trousers, with the addition of a ceremonial belt (if necessary), wheel cap with silver trim and Hap Arnold Device, and a silver aiguillete placed on the left shoulder seam and all devices and accouterment.
The current utility uniform is called the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU). The previous utility uniform called the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is still authorized for wear but is becoming less common. The ABU is scheduled to completely replace the BDU by 1 October 2011 (Fiscal Year 2012).
Awards and badges
In addition to basic uniform clothing, various badges are used by the USAF to indicate a job assignment or qualification-level for a given assignment. Badges can also be used as merit-based or service-based awards. Over time, various badges have been discontinued and are no longer distributed. Authorized badges include the Shields of USAF Fire Protection, and Security Forces, and the Missile badge, which is given after working on a missile system for over a year.
Training
All non-prior service enlisted Airmen must undergo basic military training (BMT), which takes place at Lackland AFB, Texas. All officers are commissioned through the United States Air Force Academy, Officer Training School or the AFROTC program.Civil Air Patrol Cadets that make it to Cadet 2nd Lt. may join the USAF as an E-3(Airman First Class)
Air Force Fitness Test
Main article: United States Air Force Fitness Test
The US Air Force Fitness Test (AFFT) is designed to test the body composition, muscular strength/endurance and cardiovascular respiratory fitness of airmen in the USAF. As part of the Fit to Fight program, the USAF adopted a more stringent physical fitness assessment; the new fitness program was established on 1 January 2004, and replaces the annual ergo-cycle test that the USAF had used for several years. In the AFFT, airmen are given a score based on performance consisting of four components: waist circumference, the crunch, the push-up, and a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) run. Airmen can potentially earn a score of 100; while a passing score is 75 points.
Equipment
Main article: Equipment of the United States Air Force
| Munitions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Versions | Picture | Name | Type | Versions | Picture |
| Bombs | Missiles | ||||||
| BLU-109 | Penetration bomb | AGM-65 | Air-to-surface |
 |
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| BLU-116 | Penetration bomb | AGM-158 | Air-to-surface cruise missile |
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| CBU-87 | Cluster bomb |
 |
AIM-9 | Short-range Air-to-air missile |
 |
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| CBU-89 | Cluster bomb |
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AIM-120 | Medium-range Air-to-air missile |
 |
||
| CBU-97 | Cluster bomb | ||||||
| GBU-12 | laser-guided bomb |
 |
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| GBU-24 | laser-guided bomb |
 |
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| GBU-27 | laser-guided bomb |
 |
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| GBU-28 | laser-guided bomb |
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| Weapons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Type | Versions | Ammunition | Used by | Picture | ||
| Aircraft guns | |||||||
| GAU-8 Avenger | Seven-barrelled Gatling gun | 30 mm | A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II |
 |
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| M61 | Six-barrelled Gatling gun | 20 mm | F-15 Eagle F-16 Fighting Falcon F-22 Raptor |
 |
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| GAU-16 | 12.7 mm | UH-1 Iroquois | |||||
| GAU-17 | Six-barrelled Gatling gun | 7.62 mm | HH-60 Pave Hawk UH-1 Iroquois |
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| M240 | 7.62 mm | UH-1 Iroquois | |||||
| Small arms | |||||||
| M4 carbine |
 |
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| M9 pistol |
 |
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Culture
The culture of the United States Air Force is primarily driven by pilots and so the pilots of various aircraft types have driven its priorities over the years. At first there was a focus on bombers, followed by a focus on fighters.[40]
In response to the 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident the leadership of the USAF was changed, and for the first time a Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force was chosen who did not have a background as a fighter or bomber pilot.[41]
Daniel L. Magruder, Jr defines USAF culture as a combination of the rigorous application of advanced technology, individualism and progressive airpower theory.[42] Major General Charles J. Dunlap, Jr. adds that Air Force culture includes an egalitarianism bred from officers as warriors who work with small groups of enlisted airmen either as the service crew or onboard crew of their aircraft.[43]
The 21st Century saw another culture shock for the Air Force as "Lone Wolf" pilots were reassigned as Unmanned Aerial System(UAS) operators.[44]
Slogans & creeds
The United States Air Force has had numerous recruiting slogans including "No One Comes Close" and "Uno Ab Alto". For many years, the U.S. Air Force used "Aim High" as its recruiting slogan; more recently, they have used "Cross into the Blue", "We've been waiting for you" and "Do Something Amazing",[45] and the newest one, "Above All".[46] Each wing, group, or squadron usually has its own slogan(s). Information and logos can usually be found on the wing, group, or squadron websites.[47]
The Airman's Creed is a statement introduced in the spring of 2007 to summarize the culture of the Air Force. The Air Force Core Values are: "Integrity First", "Service Before Self", "Excellence In All We Do".[48]
To help further knowledge of their mission and functions, the Air Force has also produced videos, such as "Setting the Conditions for Victory" and "How We Fight",[49] to outline the Air Force role in the war on terrorism and how the service succeeds in its domains of air, space, and cyberspace. The Above All campaign continues to support the message of "air, space and cyberspace" dominance.
See also
- Air Force Association
- Air Force Combat Ammunition Center
- Air Force Knowledge Now
- Civil Air Patrol
- Company Grade Officers' Council
- List of Famous Airmen
- List of U.S. Air Force acronyms and expressions
- List of U.S. Air Force bases
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Project Blue Book - USAF's UFO investigation (1947-1969)
- U.S. Air Force Band
- U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
References
- ^ a b c United States Air Force (September 2009). "The U.S. Air Force". United States Air Force website. Washington, DC: self-published. http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ "The Air Force Flag". Air Force Historical Research Agency. United States Air Force. 24 March 2007. http://www.lackland.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070324-002.pdf. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
- ^ UNITED STATES AIR FORCE POSTURE STATEMENT 2009
- ^ "2009 Air Force Almanac", AIR FORCE Magazine, May 2009, p. 48.
- ^ "Gallery of USAF Weapons, 2009 Air Force Almanac". AIR FORCE Magazine, May 2009, pp. 137-138. USAF plans to retire all 460 AGM-129, and all but 528 ALCM by 2012.
- ^ "2009 Air Force Almanac - Facts and Figures". AIR FORCE Magazine, May 2009, p. 34. The foreign hire figure is 6,595 persons.
- ^ 10 USC 8062
- ^ Air Force Link, (2008). [1]. Retrieved 21 September 2008.
- ^ National Search and Rescue Plan (USA) 2007
- ^ [2]
- ^ U.S. Air National Guard Struggles With Fighter Gap
- ^ Air Force Chief Calls for Collaboration Between Guard, Active Duty
- ^ Questions On U.S. Air Sovereignty Mission
- ^ Air Force urged to consider Navy F-18s
- ^ ANG chief discusses air sovereignty missions with Congress
- ^ GAO-09-612T Homeland Defense: Actions Needed to Address Management of Air Sovereignty Alert Operations to Protect U.S. Airspace
- ^ Air Force Doctrine Document 2-3
- ^ AF Mulls COIN Wing, New Planes
- ^ U.S. Intelligence Community (October 2004). National Security Act of 1947. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
- ^ U.S. Department of State(2006). National Security Act of 1947. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
- ^ a b Needed: 200 New Aircraft a Year, Air Force Magazine, October 2008.
- ^ "2008 USAF Almanac: People" (pdf). AIR FORCE Magazine. http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2008/May%202008/0508facts_figs.pdf. 1991: 510,000; 2007: 328,600
- ^ 2008/0108scarce.aspx Scarce Flying Hours
- ^ "Washington watch", AIR FORCE Magazine, July 2008, Vol. 91 No. 7, pp. 8.
- ^ Chavanne, Bettina H. "USAF Creates Global Strike Command". Aviation Week, 24 October 2008.
- ^ Plan reshapes U.S. air power
- ^ Unmanned aircraft take on increased importance
- ^ http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/1007_defense_prioirties_chat.aspx
- ^ a b "Air Force Pamphlet 36-2241". USAF, 1 July 2007.
- ^ The primary source for the humanitarian operations of the USAF is the United States Air Force Supervisory Examination Study Guide (2005)
- ^ "2007 USAF Almanac: Major Commands" (PDF). AIR FORCE Magazine. http://www.afa.org/magazine/may2007/0507majcoms.pdf. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
- ^ "2007 USAF Almanac: USAF Squadrons By Mission Type" (PDF). AIR FORCE Magazine. http://www.afa.org/magazine/may2007/0507structure.pdf. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
- ^ [3] Air Force Specialty Code Information, United States Air Force, July 2008.
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/enlisted.html
- ^ "Getting the Blues, by Tech. Sgt. Pat McKenna". Air Force Link. http://www.af.mil/news/airman/1296/duds.htm. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
- ^ Aviation Week & Space Technology 2009, 26 JAN 2009 240. Web.28 Aug 2009. <http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/sourcebook/content.jsp?channelName=pro&story=xml/sourcebook_xml/2009/01/26/AW_01_26_2009_p0240-112924-158.xml&headline=World%20Military%20Aircraft%20Inventory%20-%20United+States>.
- ^ http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=81
- ^ http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=83
- ^ GPS Wing Reaches GPS III IBR Milestone in InsideGNSS November 10, 2008
- ^ Air Force Culture and Conventional Strategic Airpower
- ^ A different type of Air Force leader
- ^ The US Air Force and Irregular Warfare: Success as a Hurdle
- ^ Understanding Airmen: A primer for soldiers
- ^ Charting a new Course: Air Force sees culture shift as drone mission gains momentum
- ^ "Do Something Amazing" web site
- ^ "Air Force rolls out new advertising campaign", Airforcetimes.com, 2 March 2008.
- ^ US Air Force Mottos. Military-quotes.com, Retrieved 4 June 2006.
- ^ Our Mission - Learn About The U.S. Air Force. AirForce.com.
- ^ "'Setting the Conditions for Victory' video premieres online". USAF, 3 October 2007
References to U.S. Army predecessors of today's U.S. Air Force are cited under their respective articles.
External links
Find more about United States Air Force on Wikipedia's sister projects:
Definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity- Official USAF website
- Official USAF Recruiting site
- DoSomethingAmazing.com Official USAF media-based recruiting site
- AirForceBlueTube
- Official blog: Air Force Live
- Searchable database of Air Force historical reports
- USAF emblems
- USAF Communications Troops
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