Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and it is the direct successor to

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langl ...

. Air Combat Command is headquartered at

Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1 ...

, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, United States. ACC directly operates 1,110 fighter, attack,

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

combat search and rescue Combat search and rescue (CSAR) are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones. A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, aerial refueling t ...

, 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. Air Combat Command consists of approximately 74,240

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service. India The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one ...

Airmen and 10,610 Department of the Air Force Civilians. When mobilized, more than 49,000 additional Airmen of the

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...

and the

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the te ...

, along with over 700 additional aircraft, are operationally-gained and assigned to ACC, bringing total aircraft to more than 1,800 and number of Airmen to 123,240.

Mission

Air Combat Command's mission is to provide air combat forces to the geographic

Unified Combatant Command A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, ...

s. ACC organizes, trains, equips, and maintains combat-ready units for rapid deployment abroad while also ensuring

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

of the United States is strong enough for both peacetime and wartime needs. ACC

Numbered Air Force A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force that is subordinate to a major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational units such as wings, squadrons, and groups.

s serve as the air components for

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint T ...

, United States Southern Command, and

United States Northern Command United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protect ...

. ACC augments the forces of the

United States European Command The United States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Russi ...

United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U ...

United States Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...

, and

United States Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deter ...

History

Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the

(TAC),

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missil ...

(SAC) and

Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of t ...

(MAC). Upon activation, ACC assumed control of all former-TAC fighters, all

bombers A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an aircr ...

, reconnaissance platforms, battle management resources, and

Intercontinental ballistic missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

s (ICBMs). Furthermore, ACC had some

KC-135 The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter, C-135 Strat ...

and KC-10 aerial refueling tankers and

C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...

tactical airlift aircraft in its composite, reconnaissance, and other combat wings. In 1993, control of the ICBM force was transferred to the

Air Force Space Command The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing fo ...

(AFSPC) until transferred again to

Air Force Global Strike Command Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global st ...

(AFGSC) on 1 December 2009. Following the inactivation of SAC at

Offutt AFB Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the A ...

, Nebraska, a new unified command, the

, was activated at Offutt, created to manage the combined strategic nuclear forces belonging to both the U.S. Air Force and the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. Historically, Combat Command was an earlier air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the tactical air units of the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British ...

, 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 The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, effective 9 March 1942, which created the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

as a major command of the Army, which functioned as a ''de facto'' independent service branch of the Armed Forces.

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

(CSAR) mission from

Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from eleme ...

to ACC. With the realigning of search and rescue units, ACC gained additional resources, as well as a new mission. The formal transfer took place on 1 February 1993, when the Air Rescue Service (ARS) was assigned to ACC. On 2 July of the same year, the ARS was disestablished and rescue units became fully integrated in the same manner as other ACC units reporting to numbered air forces. The USAF Combat Rescue School was subsequently assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

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

Air Education and Training Command Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training ...

(AETC). Concurrently, Luke AFB, Arizona, and Tyndall AFB, Florida, for which those respective wings were the host units, also moved from ACC to AETC ownership. However, on 1 October 2012, both Tyndall AFB and the 325th Fighter Wing returned to the control of ACC.

Tanker and airlift

The next major organizational change resulted from a fine-tuning of

aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft ...

and

airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...

resources. From its activation, Air Combat Command had assumed ownership of some

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

theater airlift assets and KC-10 Extender and

KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpor ...

s. Just as ownership of overseas C-130 resources had already been transferred to USAFE and PACAF commanders, it was decided that all C-130s based in the CONUS would be under the control of ACC, while at the same time, almost all KC-135 tankers would be assigned to

. There was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command. During the earliest days of

(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 The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and the United States Air Forc ...

, later redesignated

(the precursor of today's

) 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

(MAC). MAC gained the overseas units from theater commands on 31 March 1975. On 1 October 1993, all Air Mobility Command C-130s with the exception of those permanently under

United States Air Forces in Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(USAFE) and

Pacific Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (f ...

(PACAF) regions were transferred to ACC, while USAFE and PACAF assumed control of the C-130 permanently based in their respective geographic regions. Concurrently, all KC-10 tankers and all KC-135 tankers except those at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, which supported the fighter and bomber aircraft of the composite wing stationed there, transferred to AMC. ACC also retained two KC-135s at

Nebraska and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota under ACC control until transferring them to AMC on 1 October 1993. McConnell AFB, Kansas;

Fairchild AFB Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base, located in the northwest United States in eastern Washington, approximately southwest of Spokane. The host unit at Fairchild is the 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) assigne ...

, Washington; and their respective air refueling wings were also transferred to AMC in January 1994 and July 1994, respectively. 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

and CONUS-based

. USAFE and PACAF C-130 assets remained in those respective MAJCOMs to include PACAF's operational claimancy for Alaska Air National Guard C-130 and HC-130 assets.

Operational deployments

In Southwest Asia, Air Combat Command provided active duty and reserve component forces for the follow-on to Operation Desert Storm and the establishment of Operation Southern Watch to deter Iraqi aggression. In October 1994, ACC also demonstrated its ability to react quickly to the buildup of Iraqi troops near the border of Kuwait. In addition, ACC, from its inception, has provided indispensable support to counter-drug operations, including

Airborne Warning and Control System Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

(AWACS),

and

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...

, as well as

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, ...

and connectivity assets. Participation in humanitarian operations has also been a recurring theme. Air Combat Command supported the humanitarian efforts of the

(USAFE), deploying active duty and air reserve component forces to Provide Promise and Deny Flight in Eastern Europe and Operation Provide Comfort out of Incirlik AB, Turkey. Provide Promise offered humanitarian relief airlift support to the city of

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajev ...

, while Deny Flight enforced the "no-fly" zone against Serb air attacks on Bosnian civilians. Operation Provide Comfort, another humanitarian operation, also provided relief to Kurdish inhabitants of northern Iraq who had undergone fierce repression by the Iraqi government. 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

humanitarian operation intended to provide food for Somalia. Also, ACC regular and ACC-gained

C-130 units deployed to Uganda and Kenya to participate in Operation Support Hope. This operation, conducted by the

, comprised part of the United Nations effort to provide humanitarian relief to victims of the civil war in Rwanda. 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

B-1 Lancer The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with ...

aircraft of the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, set a B-1 flying time record on the first leg of their round-the-world flight, 11–13 August 1993. The following year, two

B-52 The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

s from the 2d Bomb Wing,

Barksdale AFB Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale ...

, Louisiana, circumnavigated the globe in 47.2 hours, the longest jet aircraft flight in history.

Global war on terrorism

Air Combat Command units flew operational missions during the 2002

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

– Afghanistan (OEF-A) and the 2003 invasion of Iraq,

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. 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

Global War on Terrorism The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...

has made such an effort significantly difficult. The USAF seeks to improve operational security (OPSEC) and to deceive potential enemies as to the extent of American operations, therefore a listing of which units deploying where and when is unavailable. 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

;

2d Bomb Wing The 2nd Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command and the Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The wing is also the host unit at Barksdale. The wing was ...

:: Barksdale AFB, LA :

5th Bomb Wing The 5th Bomb Wing (5 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. The wing is also the host unit at Minot. The 5 BW is one of only ...

:: Minot AFB, ND :

7th Bomb Wing The 7th Bomb Wing (7 BW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Global Strike Command Eighth Air Force. It is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it is also the host unit. The 7 BW is one of only two B-1B Lancer strat ...

:: Carswell AFB, TX (Xfer to Dyess AFB, TX on 1 October 1993) : 9th Reconnaissance Wing :: Beale AFB, CA : 28th Bomb Wing :: Ellsworth AFB, SD : 42d Bomb Wing :: Loring AFB, ME (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 30 September 1994) : 44th Missile Wing :: Ellsworth AFB, SD (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993) : 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing :: Offut AFB NE : 90th Missile Wing :: F E Warren AFB, WY (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993) : 91st Missile Wing :: Minot AFB, ND (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993 : 92d Bomb Wing :: Fairchild AFB WA (Xfer to Air Mobility Command, 1 July 1994) : 93d Wing :: Castle AFB, CA (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 30 September 1995) : 96th Wing :: Dyess AFB, TX (Wing only BRAC Inactivated, 1 October 1993) : 319th Bombardment Wing :: Grand Forks AFB, ND (Xfer to Air Mobility Command as 319 ARW, 1 October 1993) : 321st Missile Wing :: Grand Forks AFB, ND (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993) : 341st Missile Wing :: Malmstrom AFB, MT (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993) : 351st Missile Wing :: Whiteman AFB, MO (Xfer to Air Force Space Command, 1 July 1993) : 379th Wing :: Wurtsmith AFB, MI (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 15 June 1993) : 384th Bomb Wing :: McConnell AFB, KS (Wing only BRAC Inactivated; xfer to 384th Bomb Group, 1 October 1994) : 410th Wing :: K. I. Sawyer AFB, MI (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 30 September 1995) : 416th Wing :: Griffiss AFB, NY (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 30 September 1995) : 509th Bombardment Wing :: Whiteman AFB, MO ;

: 314th Airlift Wing :: Little Rock AFB, AR ;

: 1st Fighter Wing :: Langley AFB, VA :

4th Fighter Wing The 4th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, where it is also the host unit. The wing is one of two Air Force un ...

:: Seymour Johnson AFB, NC : 23d Fighter Wing :: Base and wing BRAC Inactivated at England AFB, LA; reactivated as 23d Wing, Pope AFB, NC) : 27th Fighter Wing :: Cannon AFB, NM : 31st Fighter Wing :: Homestead AFB, FL (Moved WOPEWOPE – Without Personnel or Equipment to Aviano AB Italy on 1 April 1994 and assigned to USAFE) : 33d Fighter Wing :: Eglin AFB, FL : 35th Fighter Wing :: George AFB, CA (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 15 December 1992) : 37th Fighter Wing :: Tonopah AP, NV (Wing Inactivated 8 July 1992; F-117s xfer to 49 FW, Holloman AFB, NM) :

49th Fighter Wing "Thank God for Mississippi" is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states. Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings ...

:: Holloman AFB, NM : 53d Wing :: Eglin AFB, FL :

56th Fighter Wing The 56th Fighter Wing is a fighter wing in the United States Air Force. It is the world’s largest Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II wing and one of two Air Force F-35 training locations. Additionally, it is one of two active-duty F-16 trainin ...

:: MacDill AFB, FL (Moved WOPE to Luke AFB, AZ on 1 April 1994; reassigned to AETC) : 57th Fighter Wing :: Nellis AFB, NV : 58th Fighter Wing :: Luke AFB, AZ (Moved WOPE to Kirtland AFB, NM on 1 April 1994 :: Reassigned to AETC as 58th Special Operations Wing) : 67th Reconnaissance Wing :: Bergstrom AFB, TX (Base and wing BRAC Inactivated, 30 September 1993) : 85th Wing :: NAS Keflavik, Iceland (Wing only BRAC Inactivated, 31 May 1993) : 325th Fighter Wing :: Tyndall AFB, FL (Reassigned to AETC 1 July 1993; rejoined ACC 1 October 2012) : 347th Fighter Wing :: Moody AFB, GA (Reassigned to AFSOC as 347 RQW 1 October 2003; merged into ACC 23 WG, 1 October 2006) : 354th Fighter Wing :: Myrtle Beach AFB, SC (BRAC Inactivated, 31 March 1993) : 355th Fighter Wing :: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ : 363d Fighter Wing :: Shaw AFB, SC (Inactivated 30 December 1993; replaced by 20th Fighter Wing, 30 December 1993) : 366th Fighter Wing :: Mountain Home AFB, ID : 388th Fighter Wing :: Hill AFB, UT : 475th Weapons Evaluation Group :: Tyndall AFB, FL : 507th Air Control Wing :: Shaw AFB, SC (Wing only BRAC Inactivated, 12 June 1993) : 552d Air Control Wing :: Tinker AFB OK : 602d Air Control Wing :: Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (Wing only BRAC Inactivated, 15 June 1992)

Wings and groups

, Air Combat Command consisted of the following units: * United States Air Force Warfare Center (USAFWC) :: HQ: Nellis AFB, Nevada : 53d Wing,

Eglin AFB Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in the western Florida Panhandle, located about southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County. The host unit at Eglin is the 96th Test Wing (formerly the 96th Air Base Wing). The ...

, Florida :: Includes 53d Test and Evaluation Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada :: and 53d Weapons Evaluation Group, Tyndall AFB, Florida :

57th Wing The 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the United States Air Force (USAF) United States Air Force Warfare Center, Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well ...

, Nellis AFB, Nevada : Nevada Test and Training Range, Nellis AFB, Nevada : Utah Test and Training Range, Hill AFB, Utah : 99th Air Base Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada : 505th Command and Control Wing,

Hurlburt Field Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Spe ...

, Florida * First Air Force (AFNORTH) :: HQ: Tyndall AFB, Florida : Eastern Air Defense Sector,

Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, which li ...

(former Griffiss AFB) : Western Air Defense Sector, McChord AFB, Washington : 701st Air Defense Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida : 702d Computer Systems Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida : 722d Air Control Squadron, North Bay (CFB North Bay), Canada * Ninth Air Force (AFCENT) :: HQ: Shaw AFB, South Carolina * Twelfth Air Force (AFSOUTH) :: HQ: Davis–Monthan AFB, Arizona *

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Forc ...

:: HQ: Shaw AFB, South Carolina : 1st Fighter Wing (F-22A, T-38A),

Langley AFB Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 19 ...

, Virginia :

(F-15E), Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina : 20th Fighter Wing (F-16C/D), Shaw AFB, South Carolina :: Includes Poinsett Electronic Combat Range, South Carolina : 23d Wing (HH-60, HC-130J, A/OA-10C), Moody AFB, Georgia :: Includes Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida : 93d Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia : 325th Fighter Wing (F-22A, T-38A), Tyndall AFB, Florida : 355th Fighter Wing (A/OA-10C), Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona : 366th Fighter Wing (F-15E), Mountain Home AFB, Idaho : 388th Fighter Wing (F-35A), Hill AFB, Utah :

432d Wing The 432nd Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command at Creech Air Force Base near Indian Springs, Nevada. It flies General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned aerial vehicles. The group operates unmanne ...

(MQ-1, MQ-9), Creech AFB, Nevada : 461st Air Control Wing (E-8C), Robins AFB, Georgia : 552d Air Control Wing (E-3B/C), Tinker AFB, Oklahoma : 633d Air Base Wing,

, Virginia : 495th Fighter Group, Shaw AFB, South Carolina *

Sixteenth Air Force The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and ele ...

:: HQ:

Lackland AFB Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of S ...

, Texas : 9th Reconnaissance Wing (U-2S, RQ-4, MC-12), Beale AFB, California : 55th Wing (EC/OC/WC/RC-135),

, Nebraska :: Includes

55th Electronic Combat Group The 55th Electronic Combat Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, provides combat-ready EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to combatant commanders. The group is a Geographically Separated Unit (GSU) that ...

(EC-130H), Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona : 67th Cyberspace Wing,

, Texas :: Includes 567th Cyberspace Operations Group, Scott AFB, Illinois : 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing,

Fort Meade Fort George G. Meade is a United States Army installation located in Maryland, that includes the Defense Information School, the Defense Media Activity, the United States military bands#Army Field Band, United States Army Field Band, and the head ...

, Maryland : 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota : 363d Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia : 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia : 557th Weather Wing,

, Nebraska :

624th Operations Center The 624th Operations Center (624 OC) is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was inactivated on 16 March 2020 and last located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, with its responsibilities transferred to the newly activated 616th O ...

, Texas : 688th Cyberspace Wing,

, Texas :: Includes 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins AFB, Georgia :: Also includes 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma : Air Force Technical Applications Center,

Patrick Space Force Base Patrick Space Force Base is a United States Space Force installation located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick, USAAC. It is home to Spa ...

, Florida In 2009, responsibility for nuclear-capable bombers, specifically the

B-2 Spirit The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low-observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses. A subsonic flying ...

and the

B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

, along with their associated units, bases and personnel, were transferred from ACC to the newly established

( AFGSC). On 1 February 2010, the

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces ...

transferred to the

. The

Dyess Air Force Base Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas. The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command Ei ...

, and the 28th Bomb Wing at

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assigned to the Global Str ...

also transferred to AFGSC on 1 October 2015, thus, ending 23 years of operational bomber service in ACC. In October 2019 units from Twenty-Fourth Air Force and Twenty-Fifth Air Force were merged into the reactivated

. Sixteenth Air Force headquarters is based at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. In August 2020 units from Ninth Air Force and Twelfth Air Force were realigned under the reactivated

. Fifteenth Air Force headquarters is based at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In addition, units from

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commi ...

Tenth Air Force The Tenth Air Force (10 AF) is a unit of the U.S. Air Force, specifically a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). 10 AF is headquartered at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base/Carswell Field (formerly Carswell ...

, and numerous other state and District of Columbia

units are allocated to Air Combat Command when activated to federal service.

Aircraft

: * Attack ** Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II **

General Atomics MQ-1 Predator The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (often referred to as the predator drone) is an American remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) built by General Atomics that was used primarily by the United States Air Force (USAF) and Central Intelligence Agency ( ...

** General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper * Fighters ** McDonnell Douglas F-15C/D Eagle **

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without rely ...

** General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon ** Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor ** Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II * Combat Search and Rescue ** Lockheed HC-130P Combat King and HC-130J Combat King II * Command and Control ** Boeing E-3B/C Sentry ** Boeing E-8C Joint STARS * Reconnaissance ** Boeing OC-135;RC-135S/U/V/W;TC-135;WC-135 **

Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft of the 1990s–2020s. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical (now part of Northrop Grumman), and known as Tier II+ during development. Th ...

** Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady ** Beechcraft MC-12 Liberty **

Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel The Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While the USAF has released few details ...

* Helicopter ** Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk * Trainer ** Northrop T-38A, AT-38B and T-38C Talon

Lineage

* Constituted as Air Combat Command and activated on 1 June 1992 * Consolidated with Tactical Air Command on 26 September 2016

Assignments

* Headquarters, United States Air Force, 1 June 1992 – present

Stations

, Hampton, Virginia, 1 June 1992 – presentActive 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

Major components

; Air Forces :

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Cont ...

: 1 June 1992 – present :

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defended ...

: 1 June 1992 – 1 July 1993 :: Transferred to Air Education and Training Command :

: 1 June 1992 – 2009 :: Transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command, 2009 :

Ninth Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint D ...

: 1 June 1992 – present :

Twelfth Air Force The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The command is the air component to ...

: 1 June 1992 – present :

: 20 August 2020 – present :

: 11 October 2019 – present :

Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...

: 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). : 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

List of commanders

References

External links

Air Combat Command website

Air National Guard website

Tenth Air Force website
{{Authority control Major commands of the United States Air Force Military units and formations in Virginia Military units and formations established in 1992