The Twelfth Air Force (12 AF; Air Forces Southern, (AFSOUTH)) is a

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.

of 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 Signa ...

Air Combat Command Air Combat Command (ACC) is one of nine Major Commands (MAJCOMs) in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at the Pentagon. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and i ...

(ACC). It is headquartered at

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) as ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

. The command is the air component to United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) conducting security cooperation and providing air, space, and cyberspace capabilities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Established on 20 August 1942 at Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 12th Air Force was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of World War II. It engaged in operations in North Africa, the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

, and Western Europe. During the Cold War, 12 AF was one of the Numbered Air Forces of the

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 later Tactical Air Command (TAC), Its units engaged in combat operations during the Vietnam War, as well as Operation Desert Storm. As a result of the

War on Terror 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 ...

, most Twelfth Air Force units have operated in the United States Central Command AOR. Since 1987, Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) trains, equips, and prepares assigned units from Air Combat Command and also serves as the air and space component to United States Southern Command.

Mission

The Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) headquarters is located at

. It reports to

, a major command of the US Air Force. As the air and space component to US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), Air Forces Southern conducts security cooperation and provides air, space, and

cyberspace Cyberspace is a concept describing a widespread interconnected digital technology. "The expression dates back from the first decade of the diffusion of the internet. It refers to the online world as a world 'apart', as distinct from everyday re ...

capabilities throughout its area of responsibility, covering Latin America and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. To fulfil these responsibilities it employs a range of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), intra-theatre

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 ...

and information assets. In addition the 612th Air Operations Center (612th AOC) is responsible for developing strategy and plans to execute air operations in support of US Southern Command objectives. The 612th AOC also provides command and control of all Air Forces Southern assets in its area of responsibility. Air Forces Southern does not have its own assets, but draws on forces provided to it by US Southern Command. Currently, AFSOUTH manages four rotational

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 ...

and

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 ter ...

C-130s based out of Muñiz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico.

Component units

The following units are subordinate to the Twelfth Air Force.

Direct Reporting Units

*612th Air Communications Squadron (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) * 612th Air Operations Center (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) *612th Theater Operations Group (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona)

Organizations

* System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces () (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) *Inter-American Air Forces Academy ( Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas)

History

Established in the United States during World War II to be the Army Air Forces air component of

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – 16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while al ...

in 1942, Twelfth Air Force initially moved to England for training, then participated in the invasion of North Africa. It engaged in tactical operations for the remainder of the war in the

. Since World War II, Twelfth Air Force has subsequently served both in Europe and later the United States. The Twelfth Air Force serves as the Air Force component to the United States Southern Command.

Lineage

* Established as Twelfth Air Force, and activated, on 20 August 1942 : Inactivated on 31 August 1945 * Activated on 17 May 1946 : Discontinued on 1 July 1950 * Organized and activated on 21 January 1951 : Redesignated as Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) on 29 February 2008

Assignments

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 ...

, 20 August 1942 – 31 August 1945 * Tactical Air Command, 17 May 1946 – 1 December 1948 *

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary aug ...

, 1 December 1948 – 1 July 1950 *

, 21 January 1951 – 1 January 1958 * Tactical Air Command, 1 January 1958 – 1 June 1992 *

, 1 June 1992 – present

Major components

World War Two Units

USAF Air Divisions

* 42d Air Division, 1–8 January 1958 * 44th Air Division, 12 January – 27 June 1949 * 307th Air Division, 12 January – 27 June 1949 * 309th Air Division, 12 January – 27 June 1949 * 310th Air Division, 12 January – 27 June 1949 * USAF Southern Air Division, 1 January 1976 – 1 January 1989 : Redesignated: 830th Air Division, 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991 : Redesignated:

Air Forces Panama Air Forces Panama is an inactive United States Air Force (USAF) headquarters. It was assigned to Tactical Air Command, most recently to Twelfth Air Force. Its headquarters were located at Albrook Air Force Station and Howard Air Force Base in t ...

, 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992 * 831st Air Division, 1 January 1958 – 20 April 1971; 1 December 1980 – 31 March 1991 * 832d Air Division, 1 January 1958 – 20 April 1971; 1 December 1980 – 31 March 1991 * 833d Air Division, 1 December 1980 – 15 November 1991 * 834th Air Division, 1 January 1958 – 1 April 1959; 31 January 1972 – 1 December 1974 * 835th Air Division, 23 July 1964 – 30 June 1971 * 836th Air Division, 1 January 1981 – 1 May 1992 * 838th Air Division, 1 July 1963 – 24 December 1969 * 839th Air Division, 1 July 1963 – 9 November 1964

Stations

* Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., 20–28 August 1942 * England, 12 September – 22 October 1942 *

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, 9 November 1942 *

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, 10 August 1943 * Italy, 5 December 1943 – 31 August 1945 * March Field, California, 17 May 1946 * Brooks AFB, San Antonio, Texas, 1 January 1949 – 1 July 1950 * Wiesbaden AB,

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, 21 January 1951 * Ramstein AB,

, 27 April 1953 * Connally AFB, Waco, Texas, 1 January 1958 * Bergstrom AFB, Austin, Texas August 1968 * Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona, 1 October 1992 – present

World War II

The origins of Twelfth Air Force are traced back to a series of mid-1942 Allied planners' meetings to develop a strategy for the North African invasion or "

Operation TORCH Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – 16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while al ...

". Because this extensive operation required a new organization to provide enough manpower and equipment, activation plans were prepared simultaneously with the invasion strategy. On 20 August 1942, Twelfth Air Force was activated at Bolling AAF,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. On 23 September 1942, Brigadier General Jimmy Doolittle formally assumed 12th AF command with Colonel Hoyt S. Vandenberg as chief of staff. Barely four months after it was conceived, 12th AF made its first contributions to World War II. When D-Day for the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) arrived on 8 November 1942, 12th AF was organized as shown in the table below: Initially, 12th AF was a composite organization containing both strategic heavy bombardment groups; and tactical light and medium bombardment, fighter-bomber, and fighter groups. Based in French Morocco and Algeria after Operation Torch, it became very important for 12th AF to coordinate and cooperate with the Royal Air Force which had been fighting in North Africa for two years. Such Allied cooperation was a major concern of American President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As th ...

, British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

, and their staffs at the

Casablanca Conference The Casablanca Conference (codenamed SYMBOL) or Anfa Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, French Morocco, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War II. In attendance were ...

in January 1943 where they created the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as Air Commander-in-Chief. For planning of the

Tunisian campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. The ...

, Tedder's MAC headquarters were adjacent to those of his immediate superior, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower at Algiers, Algeria soon after the new Allied air force reorganization took effect on 18 February 1943. The Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under Lieutenant General

Carl Spaatz Carl Andrew Spaatz (born Spatz; June 28, 1891 – July 14, 1974), nicknamed "Tooey", was an American World War II general. As commander of Strategic Air Forces in Europe in 1944, he successfully pressed for the bombing of the enemy's oil produc ...

was the largest component of MAC and its organization was based on the ''tri-force'' model ( No. 205 Group ''strategic'', No. 201 Group ''coastal'', and Air Headquarters Western Desert ''tactical'') indicated above. Thus the three major combat commands of NAAF were: * Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) under former 12th AF Commander Major General James Doolittle * Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF) under Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd * Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) under Arthur Coningham. In keeping with the MAC priority of encouraging USAAF-RAF cooperation, Air Vice-Marshal James Robb was named Spaatz's deputy commander of NAAF and he handled operations. Additionally, the following new units were assigned to NAAF: * Northwest African Air Service Command (NAASC) under Major General Delmar H. Dunton * Northwest African Training Command (NATC) under Brigadier General John K. Cannon * Northwest African Photographic Reconnaissance Wing (NAPRW) under the president's son, Colonel Elliott Roosevelt * Northwest African Troop Carrier Command (NATCC) initially under Colonel Ray Dunn and later under Brigadier General Paul Williams. Lieutenant General Lewis Brereton's

9th 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 ...

was assigned to RAF Middle East although its 12th Bombardment (B-25Cs) and 57th Fighter (P-40Fs) Groups formed a Desert Air Task Force detached to NATAF's Western Desert Air Force under Air Vice-Marshal Harry Broadhurst who replaced Coningham when he was promoted to NATAF commander. The 12th AF, the largest air force ever assembled soon after its inception several months earlier, ceased to exist in the new MAC organizational structure. As an operational organization, the 12th AF simply disappeared when its groups were distributed among the various new NAAF commands listed above. The only remaining reference to the 12th AF among these commands was Major General Edwin House's XII Air Support Command which along with Broadhurst's Western Desert Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Sir Laurence Sinclair's Tactical Bomber Force, and Air Vice-Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross' No. 242 Group, became part of Coningham's NATAF. Later, XII Air Support Command became even less obvious when it was detached to No. 242 Group. The curious status of the 12th AF in February 1943 is illustrated by the quotation below taken from Craven and Cate, Eds., The United States Army Air Forces in WWII, Volume 2, Europe: Torch to Pointblank, Chapter 6, Climax in Tunisia, p 167, 1949.

"One of the admittedly minor problems of the reorganization concerned the status of the Twelfth Air Force. Its units, personnel, and equipment having been transferred entirely to NAAF on February 18, both on paper and in actuality the Twelfth seemed to have vanished. At his last staff meeting, on February 22, Doolittle expressed the opinion that once such matters as courts-martial had been wound up, the "skeleton" of the Twelfth--"the name only"--would have either to be returned to the States for a reincarnation or be decently interred by War Department order. Spaatz put the question to Eisenhower and, receiving answer that Headquarters, Twelfth Air Force, would be continued as the administrative headquarters for the U.S. Army elements of NAAF, he took command of the Twelfth on March 1. As commander, however, he had no staff as such, it being assumed that AAF officers named to the NAAF staff had been automatically placed in equivalent positions in the Twelfth. Actually, all administrative functions were carried on by NAAF and the half-existence of the Twelfth served mainly to mystify all but a few headquarters experts."

Although the 12th AF was essentially unrecognized in the official Allied air force organization (MAC), it was of course, still a major entity in the USAAF. But even the U.S. Army Air Forces World War II Combat Chronology 1941–1945,Carter & Mueller recorded its daily chronology entries under "NAAF" rather than "12th AF" between 1 March and 1 September 1943. Ironically, the U.S.

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 ...

retained its identity in MAC (and in the USAAF Combat Chronology) even though it was officially a sub-command of RAF Middle East Command and most of its groups were assigned to other operational commands such as NATAF after the February reorganization of the Allied air forces. On 22 August 1943, the Ninth Air Force's 12th and 340th Bombardment Groups, and its 57th, 79th, and 324th Fighter Groups were transferred to the 12th AF. This change coincided with the transfer of the 9th AF from the MTO to the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground ...

(ETO). On 1 September 1943 all administrative functions of USAAF elements of NAAF were transferred to the appropriate Twelfth AF organizations: HQ NAAF to HQ Twelfth AF, NASAF to XII Bomber Command, NATAF to XII Air Support Command, NACAF to XII Fighter Command, NAASC to XII AFSC, NAAF TCC to XII Troop Carrier Command (Provisional), NWPRW to Photographic Reconnaissance Wing (Provisional), and NATC to XII Training Command (Provisional) but ''operational'' control remained with NAAF. On 10 December 1943 MAC was disbanded and reorganized as the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as Air Commander-in-Chief. In mid-January 1944, Lieutenant General

Ira Eaker General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker (April 13, 1896 – August 6, 1987) was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form an ...

took over MAAF when Eisenhower chose Tedder to oversee air operations and planning for the

Normandy Landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

. The new MAAF organization retained the original tri-force model adopted by the Casablanca Conference in creating MAC nearly one year earlier: * Mediterranean Allied Strategic Air Force (MASAF) under Major General Nathan Twining * Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force (MACAF) under Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Lloyd * Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force (MATAF) under Major General John K. Cannon. Components of the 12th AF, also under Cannon, were assigned to his various MATAF sub-commands after the 12th's heavy bomb groups (and three B-26 medium bomb groups that were eventually returned to the 12th) were transferred to the newly created

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 For ...

(1 November 1943; briefly under Doolittle and then Twining) as part of MASAF. In January 1944, Doolittle took over the 8th AF in England which along with the 15th AF in Italy, formed the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) under former 12th AF, NAAF, and 8th AF commander Spaatz. Organization of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force January 1944

Organization of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force January 1944

As the U.S. tactical air force in the Mediterranean, the 12th AF primarily provided close tactical support to U.S. ground forces in Italy and Southern France and targeted lines of transportation and communication, particularly roads, railroads, and bridges until the end of the war. 12th AF operated in the

French Morocco The French protectorate in Morocco (french: Protectorat français au Maroc; ar, الحماية الفرنسية في المغرب), also known as French Morocco, was the period of French colonial rule in Morocco between 1912 to 1956. The prote ...

, Algeria,

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, Greece, Italy, Southern France,

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, Albania,

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, an ...

, and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ci ...

. By

V-E Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

, 12th AF had flown 430,681 sorties, dropped 217,156 tons of bombs, claimed destruction of 2,857 enemy aircraft, and lost 2,667 of its own aircraft. When hostilities ended, Twelfth Air Force was inactivated at

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico a ...

, Italy, on 31 August 1945. 12th Air Force Stations: *Bolling Field, D.C., 20 to 28 August 1942 *England, 12 September to 22 October 1942 *Algeria, 9 November 1942 *Tunisia, 10 August 1943 *Italy, 5 December 1943 to 31 August 1945. 12th Air Force Commanders: *Lt. Col. Roger J. Browne, 26 August 1942 *Lt. Col. Harold L. Neely, 28 August 1942 *Maj. Gen. James H. Doolittle, 23 September 1942 *Lt. Gen.

, 1 March 1943 *Lt. Gen. John K. Cannon, 21 December 1943 *Maj. Gen. Benjamin W. Chidlaw, 2 April 1945 *Brig. Gen. Charles T. Myers, 26 May to 31 August 1945. 12th Air Force Campaigns: Air Combat, EAME Theater; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley.

Commands

=XII Tactical Air Command

= XII Tactical Air Command was constituted as XII Ground Air Support Command on 10 September 1942 and activated on 17 September. It was assigned to Twelfth Air Force and redesignated as XII Air Support Command, and later redesignated as XII Tactical Air Command in April 1944. The command was moved to

on 9 November 1942 as part of the

landings in North Africa. XII Tactical Air Command served in combat in the

and European theaters until May 1945. Known units were: * 5th Bombardment Wing (1942) : (Groups transferred to XII Bomber Command) * 64th Fighter Wing (1943–1945)
Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy : 27th Fighter Group (June 1943 – May 1945) (A-36) :

31st Fighter Group 31 (thirty-one) is the natural number following 30 and preceding 32. It is a prime number. In mathematics 31 is the 11th prime number. It is a superprime and a self prime (after 3, 5, and 7), as no integer added up to its base 10 digits ...

(November 1942 – April 1944) (Spitfire) :

33d Fighter Group ''033'' or ''Zero Three Three'' is a 2010 Bengali film directed by Birsa Dasgupta in a directorial debut and produced by Moxie Entertainments. It stars Rudranil Ghosh and Parambrato Chattopadhyay. 033 is the STD code for Kolkata city, and ...

(November 1942 – February 1944) (P-39) : 86th Fighter Group (July 1943 – April 1945) (A-36, P-40, P-47) : 324th Fighter Group (October 1943 – May 1945) (P-47) * 57th Bombardment Wing (1943) : Transferred from

:: (Groups transferred to XII Bomber Command) * 87th Fighter Wing (April–September 1944)
Algeria, Italy, Corsica : 57th Fighter Group (1944) (P-47) : 86th Fighter Group (1944) (P-47) 31fg-spitfire

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Demas T. Craw and Major Pierpont M. Hamilton were awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. T ...

for heroism during the invasion of Algeria-French Morocco (

). When the Allies landed at Mehdia,

on 8 November 1942, both men volunteered to go behind enemy lines and meet with the French commander near Port Lyautey,

, to broker a cease fire. After landing on the beach under hostile fire, Craw, his interpreter Major Pierpont M. Hamilton, and their driver Private Orris Correy approached the French headquarters in a light truck. They came under machine gun fire, leaving Craw dead. Hamilton and Correy were captured. Although imprisoned, Major Hamilton succeeded in persuading the French to surrender and was awarded the Medal of Honor on 19 February 1943. Private Correy was promoted to Sergeant and Pierpont Hamilton, a descendant of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charles ...

, became an intelligence officer in the Northwest African Tactical Air Force a subordinate command of the newly created Northwest African Air Forces under Lieutenant General

who also assumed administrative command of the Twelfth Air Force on 1 March 1943. Colonel Demas Craw was awarded his Medal of Honor posthumously on 4 March 1943 and the United States Navy named their air base at Port Lyautey, French Morocco Craw Field in his honor on 12 January 1944. The only member of the Twelfth Air Force to be awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in the air was Lt. Raymond L. Knight of the 350th Fighter Group.

=XII Bomber Command

= XII Bomber Command was constituted on 26 February 1942 and activated on 13 March at MacDill AAF Florida. It was assigned to Twelfth Air Force in August and transferred, without personnel and equipment, to

High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...

England where the command was re-formed. XII Bomber Command was moved to Tafaraoui,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

on 22 November 1942 as part of the

landings in North Africa. XII Bomber Command served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until 1 November 1943 when most of the personnel were withdrawn. The command was restaffed in January 1944 and served in combat until 1 March. It was disbanded in

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

on 10 June 1944. Known XII Bomber Command units were: * 5th Bombardment Wing (November 1942 – November 1943) : Units transferred from XII Tactical Air Command : Reassigned to

, November 1943 : Located in:

, Algeria,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, Italy : 2d Bombardment Group (March–November 1943) (B-17) :

47th Bombardment Group 47th may refer to: Chicago Transit Authority stations * 47th station (CTA Green Line), on the Green Line * 47th station (CTA Red Line), on the Red Line See also

* {{Disambig ...

(November 1942 – November 1943) ( A-20, A-26) :: 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) (November 1942) (RAF Douglas A-20C Havoc Boston III)** : 97th Bombardment Group (November 1942 – November 1943) (B-17) :: Transferred from

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 ...

: 98th Bombardment Group (September–November 1943) (B-24) :: Transferred from

: 99th Bombardment Group (February–November 1943) (B-17) : 301st Bombardment Group (December 1942 – November 1943) (B-17) :: Transferred from

: 376th Bombardment Group (September–November 1943) (B-24) :: Transferred from

: 1st Fighter Group (November 1942 – November 1943) (P-38) : 14th Fighter Group (November 1942 – November 1943) (P-38) :: Transferred from

: 325th Fighter Group (February–November 1943) (P-40) : 68th Reconnaissance Group (November 1942 – November 1943) :: (P-38, P-39, P-40, P-51, A-20, A-36, B-17, B-24) .** Survivors of Australian-based 27th Bomb Group transferred to 12th AF.
Absorbed into 47th BG * 42d Bombardment Wing (July 1943 – October 1945) : Reassigned to XII Tactical Air Command May 1945 : Located in:

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, Sardinia, Corsica, France : 17th Bombardment Group (January 1944 – October 1945) (B-26) : 319th Bombardment Group (July 1943 – January 1945) (B-25, B-26) : 320th Bombardment Group (July 1943 – July 1945) (B-26) : 1st Fighter Group (July–November 1943) (P-38) : 325th Fighter Group (July–December 1943) (P-40) * 47th Bombardment Wing (November 1942 – November 1943) : Reassigned to 15th Air Force November 1943 : Located in:

, Algeria,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

: 17th Bombardment Group (December 1942 – November 1943) (B-26) : 98th Bombardment Group (September–November 1943) (B-24) :: Transferred from

310th Bombardment Group 31 may refer to: * 31 (number) Years * 31 BC * AD 31 * 1931 CE ('31) * 2031 CE ('31) Music * ''Thirty One'' (Jana Kramer album), 2015 * ''Thirty One'' (Jarryd James album), 2015 * "Thirty One", a song by Karma to Burn from the album ''Wild, ...

(December 1942 – November 1943) (B-25) : 319th Bombardment Group (December 1942 – November 1943) (B-26) : 320th Bombardment Group (December 1942 – November 1943) (B-26) : 321st Bombardment Group (December 1942 – November 1943) (B-25) : 376th Bombardment Group (September–November 1943) (B-24) :: Transferred from

(November 1942 – November 1943) (P-40) :

81st Fighter Group 081 may refer to: Telephony * 081, the telephone dialing code for the City of Naples and surroundings in Italy * 081, a former dialling code for London, UK (1990–1995) * 081, a telephone area code for mobile operators in Lebanon * 081, a mobi ...

(January–November 1943) (P-40) : 82d Fighter Group (November 1942 – November 1943) (P-38) : 325th Fighter Group (January–November 1943) (P-40) * 57th Bombardment Wing (August 1943 – September 1945) : Units transferred from XII Tactical Air Command : Inactivated in Italy September 1945 : Located in:

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, Sicily, Italy,

: 12th Bombardment Group (August 1943 – February 1944) (B-25) :: Transferred to

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 ...

47th Bombardment Group 47th may refer to: Chicago Transit Authority stations * 47th station (CTA Green Line), on the Green Line * 47th station (CTA Red Line), on the Red Line See also

* {{Disambig ...

(1943–1944) (A-20, A-26) :

(1944) (B-25) : 319th Bombardment Group (1944) (B-25) : 321st Bombardment Group (1943–1944) (B-25) : 340th Bombardment Group (1943–1944) (B-25) : 57th Fighter Group (August 1943 – September 1945) (P-40, P-47) : 79th Fighter Group (August 1943 – September 1945) (P-40, P-47)

=XXII Tactical Air Command

= XXII Tactical Air Command was constituted on 26 February 1942 and activated on 5 March. It was redesignated as XII Fighter Command in May 1942, and XXII Tactical Air Command in November 1944. The command was assigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1942 and was moved to

RAF Wattisham Royal Air Force Station Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham is a former Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major fro ...

England in September, then on to Tafaraoui,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

on 8 November 1942 as part of the

landings in North Africa. XXII Tactical Air Command served in combat in the Mediterranean theater until the end of the war. It was inactivated at Pomigliano Italy on 4 October 1945. Known XXII Tactical Air Command units were: * 63d Fighter Wing (July 1943 – November 1944) : Located in:

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, Corsica, Italy, France : 52d Fighter Group (Spitfire) (1943–1944) : 350th Fighter Group (P-38, P-39, P-47, P-400) (1943–1944) : 412th Night Fighter Squadron (January 1943 – October 1945) (P-61) * 87th Fighter Wing (April–September 1944) : Located in:

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, Italy,

: 57th Fighter Group (P-47) (1944) : 79th Fighter Group (P-47) (1944) : 86th Fighter Group (P-47, A-36) (1944) * 64th Fighter Wing (July 1943 – November 1944) : Located in:

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, France : 27th Fighter Group (A-36) (1943) :

(P-51, Spitfire) (1943) :

(P-38) (1943) : 86th Fighter Group (P-47, A-36) (1943) : 324th Fighter Group (P-40) (1943) : 415th Night Fighter Squadron (February 1943 – October 1945) (P-61)

=XII Troop Carrier Command (Provisional)

= * 51st Troop Carrier Wing (C-47) (November 1942 – May 1945)
Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy ** 60th Troop Carrier Group ** 62d Troop Carrier Group ** 64th Troop Carrier Group * 52d Troop Carrier Wing (C-47) (April 1943 – February 1944)
French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily ** 313th Troop Carrier Group ** 314th Troop Carrier Group ** 316th Troop Carrier Group

Postwar era

With the end of combat in the Mediterranean and European theaters in 1945, Twelfth Air Force was inactivated. However XII Tactical Air Command was reassigned as part of the occupation force in Germany of the

. The groups operated P-47 or P-51 aircraft. Units assigned for occupation duty were: * 27th Fighter Group (1945)
Inactivated on 7 November 1945. * 36th Fighter Group (1945–1946)
Transferred to the United States in February 1946. * 86th Fighter Group (1945–1946)
Transferred to the United States in February 1946. * 324th Fighter Group (1945)
Inactivated October 1945. * 406th Fighter-Bomber Group (1945–1946)
Inactivated 20 August 1946. * 52d Fighter Group (1945)
Inactivated 7 November 1945. *

354th Fighter Group The 354th Fighter Group was an element of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Ninth Air Force during World War II. The unit was known as the Pioneer Mustang Group and was the first to fly the P-51B Mustang in combat. The group served as bombe ...

(1945–1946)
Inactivated 31 March 1946. * 355th Fighter Group (1945–1946)
Transferred to the United States on 1 August 1946. XII Tactical Air Command was inactivated at

Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which be ...

, Germany, on 10 November 1947.

Cold War

Twelfth Air Force was reactivated at March Field, California, on 17 May 1946, and assigned to Tactical Air Command with training responsibilities. In the late 1940s, following several assignments and inactivations, 12 AF reactivated on 21 January 1951 at Wiesbaden AB,

, assigned to

. Twelfth Air Force became the first USAFE formation to be declared available to

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two Nort ...

. Along with French and Canadian air units, 12 AF was part of the Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force, itself part of NATO's Allied Air Forces Central Europe. It included the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing, located in France, and the 85th Air Depot Wing at Erding in Germany. On 1 January 1958, Twelfth Air Force relocated to Waco, Texas adjacent to James Connally Air Force Base, Texas, and assigned to Tactical Air Command. During its 10 years at Connally AFB its mission began to focus on training tactical air crews to a state of combat readiness capable of conducting joint air operations. In September 1968, Twelfth Air Force moved to Bergstrom AFB, Texas. During the Vietnam War, the Twelfth was a primary source for tactical fighter, reconnaissance, and airlift forces deployed to the war zone in Southeast Asia. In 1987, the Twelfth Air Force commander took on the United States Air Force Southern Command responsibility. As such, 12 AF manages all Air Force personnel and assets in the United States Southern Command area of responsibility-- Central and South America. During the

United States invasion of Panama The United States invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, lasted over a month between mid-December 1989 and late January 1990. It occurred during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and ten years after the Torrijos� ...

in 1989, for example, 12 AF and other Air Force units deployed in support of U.S. forces, returning democracy to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a List of transcontinental countries#North America and South America, transcontinental country spanning the Central America, southern ...

. In 1994, 12 AF managed and orchestrated

Operation Uphold Democracy Operation Uphold Democracy was a military intervention designed to remove the military regime installed by the 1991 Haitian coup d'état that overthrew the elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The operation was effectively authorized by ...

's air operations, the mission to restore Haitian democracy while at the same time supporting U.S. Southern Command's Operation Safe Haven for Cuban refugees.

Post Cold War

On 13 July 1993, Headquarters Twelfth Air Force officially moved from Bergstrom AFB to Davis-Monthan AFB,

. Since then, 12 AF personnel and units have participated in operations in many other parts of the world: SOUTHERN WATCH, PROVIDE COMFORT, DENY FLIGHT, PROVIDE PROMISE, RESTORE HOPE, and JOINT ENDEAVOR. During Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM 12 AF provided fighter and reconnaissance aircraft to support U.S. Central Command Air Forces. Since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) has worked closely with Caribbean, Central, and South American countries in the Global War on Terrorism. The command has supported efforts to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. and neighboring countries. 12 AF has also provided forces to Operations ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, IRAQI FREEDOM, and NOBLE GUARDIAN in the U.S. Today 12 AF directs six combat wings, five Direct Reporting Units, as well as 12 AF gained Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units. The Twelfth Air Force served as a USAF headquarters responsible for the combat readiness of six active-duty wings and one direct reporting unit for contingency operations, and oversaw 21 gained units from

and the

, totalling more than 630 aircraft with more than 42,000 personnel. On 20 August 2020, Twelfth Air Force's fighter jets, battle management aircraft, strike drones, and combat search-and-rescue forces were transferred to the newly reformed Fifteenth Air Force. The change is expected to allow Twelfth Air Force to better focus on its mission as air component to US Southern Command. The following units were subordinate to the Twelfth Air Force prior to their transfer to the

. Active Duty * 355th Wing ( Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) – A-10C Thunderbolt II, HC-130J Combat King II,

HH-60G Pave Hawk The Sikorsky MH-60G/HH-60G Pave Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It is a derivative of the UH-60 Black Hawk and incorporates the US Air Force PAVE electronic systems ...

366th Fighter Wing (" Fortune Favors the Bold") , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , battles= World War II Vietnam War Desert Storm Operation Enduring FreedomOperation Iraqi Freedom , anniversaries= , decorations= DUC PUC AFOUA w/ V Device RV ...

( Mountain Home AFB, Idaho) –

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 relyi ...

388th Fighter Wing The 388th Fighter Wing (388FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Units 388th Operations Group (388 OG) * 4th Fighter Squadron (4 FS) : ...

(

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...

AFB, Utah) – F-35A Lighting II * 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing ( Creech AFB, Nevada) – MQ-9A Reaper, RQ-170A Sentinel * 474th Air Expeditionary Group (Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona) * 552nd Air Control Wing (

Tinker AFB Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, surrounded by Del City, Oklahoma City, and Midwest City. The base, origina ...

, Oklahoma) – E-3B/C/G Sentry Air Force Reserve *

301st Fighter Wing The 301st Fighter Wing (301 FW) is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the Tenth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Carswell Field, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Te ...

( NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas) – F-16C/D Fighting Falcon * 419th Fighter Wing (

AFB, Utah) – F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Air National Guard * 114th Fighter Wing ( Joe Foss Field ANGS, South Dakota) – F-16C/D Fighting Falcon * 115th Fighter Wing ( Truax Field ANGB, Wisconsin) – F-16C Fighting Falcon and RC-26B Condor * 124th Fighter Wing ( Gowen Field ANGB, Idaho) – A-10C Thunderbolt II * 129th Rescue Wing (

Moffett Federal Airfield Moffett Federal Airfield , also known as Moffett Field, is a joint civil-military airport located in an unincorporated part of Santa Clara County, California, United States, between northern Mountain View and northern Sunnyvale. On November 10 ...

, California) – HC-130J Combat King II and HH-60G Pave Hawk * 132nd Wing ( Des Moines ANGB, Iowa) – MQ-9A Reaper * 138th Fighter Wing ( Tulsa ANGB, Oklahoma) – F-16C/D Fighting Falcon * 140th Wing (

Buckley Space Force Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space F ...

, Colorado) – F-16C Fighting Falcon * 142nd Fighter Wing ( Portland ANGB, Oregon) – F-15C/D Eagle *

144th Fighter Wing The 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) is a unit of the California Air National Guard, stationed at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California. As part of the Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force, the wing is operationally gained by t ...

( Fresno ANGB, California) – F-15C/D Eagle * 148th Fighter Wing ( Duluth ANGB, Minnesota) – F-16C Fighting Falcon * 163rd Attack Wing ( March ARB, California) – MQ-9A Reaper * 183rd Fighter Wing ( Capital Airport ANGS), Illinois) Direct Reporting Units * 820th RED HORSE Squadron ( Nellis AFB, Nevada)

List of commanders

References

Notes

Bibliography

* This article includes content fro
United States Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) website
a work of the U.S. Government in the public domain. * * Coles, Harry C. Participation of the Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign (USAAF Historical Study, No. 37). Air Force Historical Research Agency, 1945. * * Craven, Wesley F. and James L. Cate. The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vols. 2–3. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago University Press, 1948/51 (Reprinted 1983, ). * Larson, John W. ''History of the Twelfth Air Force''.

Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...

, West-Germany: Heinz Rohr Verlag, 1956. * MacCloskey, Brig. Gen. Monro. Torch and the Twelfth Air Force''. New York: Richard Rosen Press, 1971. . * * Mayock, Thomas J. ''The Twelfth AIr Force in the North African Winter Campaign, 11 November to the Reorganization of 11 February 1943 (USAAF Historical Study No.114)''. Air Force Historical Research Agency, 1946. * * Richardson, Harold W. ''A New Home for the Twelfth Air Force''. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1955. * Rust, Kenn C. ''Twelfth Air Force Story...in World War II''. Temple City, California: Historical Aviation Album, 1975 (republishished in 1992 by Sunshine House of Terre Haute, Indiana). . * Weatherill, David. ''Aces, Pilots & Aircraft of the 9th, 12th & 15th USAAF''. Melbourne, Australia: Kookaburra Technical Publications Pty Ltd., 1978. .

External links

Twelfth Air Force History
*

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