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First Air Force (Air Forces Northern)
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing begin to roll into position for a rapid descent during an Operation Noble Eagle training patrol over San Francisco.



An F-15 Eagle from the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102d Fighter Wing flies a combat air patrol mission
Active18 December 1940
Country United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Size2,300
Part of  Air Combat Command
United States Northern Command
Garrison/HQTyndall Air Force Base, Florida
Engagements
World War II American Theater
Decorations
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (8x)
Commanders
Current
commander		Lieutenant General William H. Etter
Insignia
Emblem of First Air Force
Emblem of CONR-AFNORTH

The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) (1 AF-AFNORTH) is one of the original four numbered air forces of the United States Air Force. Assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC), it is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

It is an integral part of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), controlling Air National Guard units as part of the atmospheric defense of North America jointly with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

First Air Force was established on 19 October 1940 to provide air defense. During World War II it also conducted anti-submarine operations, and trained personnel of newly formed combat units that were deploying overseas as well as replacement personnel.

1 AF is commanded by Lieutenant General William H. Etter. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sgt. Ronald C. Anderson Jr..

Overview

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The command has sole responsibility for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the Contiguous United States (CONUS), United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As the CONUS Region (CONR) for NORAD, the bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command, CONR provides air defense in the form of airspace surveillance and airspace control.[1]

1AF (AFNORTH) is also the designated air component for the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). USNORTHCOM's area of responsibility includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada and Mexico, and its air, land and maritime approaches.[1]

The command is unique in both its mission and composition. With the transfer of responsibility for continental air defense from the active duty component of the Air Force to the Air National Guard, 1 AF became the first numbered air force to be made up primarily of citizen airmen.[1]

Components

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First Air Force has been an Air Combat Command organization since 1 June 1992. Its subordinate units are located throughout the continental United States. Units aligned under First Air Force/AFNORTH include:[1]

Additionally, First Air Force provides operational control of alert Air National Guard air defense fighter units:[1]

Detachment 1, 119 FW, Langley AFB, Virginia
Detachment 1, 144 FW, March ARB, California

Non-flying units

History

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World War II

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First Air Force region of the United States, World War II

Originally the GHQ Air Force was so small a command that its headquarters could directly work through three wings (1st, 2d, 3d Wing) to manage its subordinate groups.[2]

However, at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in January 1939 the Air Corps doubled in size from 15 to 30 groups by the end of 1940. The need for close control of the details of the expansion program made new territorial sub-commands essential. The First Air Force's origins begin with an order by the GHQ Air Force that inactivated the three wings and established four Air Districts (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest) set up on a geographical basis on 18 December 1940 to manage this expansion. [2]

On 26 March 1941 as the Army Air Corps grew in size the standard large-scale combat organization became the numbered air force, divided functionally into commands-bomber, fighter, air service, etc. The four air districts were elevated to the Air Force level pursuant to new plans for continental defense under the re-designated GHQ Air Force (now called Air Force Combat Command)**. The jurisdiction of the new air forces coincided approximately with the geographic territories of the former air districts. The First Air Force, with headquarters at Mitchel Field in New York, deployed its units in the northeastern part of the country.[2]

From Pearl Harbor to September 1943 First Air Force had to straddle two conflicting missions. Air defense operations required maintenance of strong fighter forces plus an organization for supervision of the air warning machinery.[2] In March 1942 the Office, Chief of Air Corps and the Air Force Combat Command were both abolished, their functions being assumed by Amy Air Forces Headquarters. Defense commands on the east and west coasts had been activated as theaters of operations, and the First and Fourth Air Forces had been assigned, respectively to their control.[2]

** Three additional overseas Air Forces were established by the Air Corps before the United States entry into World War II. These were the Fifth Air Force, established as the Philippine Department Air Force on 16 August 1941; the Sixth Air Force, established as Panama Canal Air Force on 19 October 1940, and the Seventh Air Force, established as Hawaiian Air Force on 19 October 1940.

Operational mission

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see also: Air Defense of the United States during World War II, Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command

The major responsibilities of the continental air forces during the war years were air defense and training. First Air Force depended for the performance of their defensive missions chiefly upon interceptors, a designation abandoned by the AAF in May 1942 in favor of the term “fighter.” [2]

As part of the Air Defense Mission under the Army Eastern Defense Command, I Interceptor Command had the job of preparing for air defense. Along the Atlantic Coast an Air Warfare Network (AWN) series of radar stations (then called “derax”) had to be located and their equipment installed for early warning of an enemy’s approach by sea. Volunteer observers had to be recruited, organized, and trained by the thousands for tracking the movement of planes over land. Information centers to receive and filter the reports from radar and observation posts had to be provided, with facilities equal also to the needs of an air force controller who would issue the necessary orders to alert all defense agencies, both passive and active. There were Anti-Aircraft, Barrage Balloon and smoke generating units controlled by the Army.[2]

In addition, Air Defense Wings were established in August 1942, charged with responsibility for both tactical and administrative activities; tactical units were attached and reassigned without disturbing the continuity of organization. Four wings were assigned to the east coast: at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk. [2]

During the initial months after the Pearl Harbor Attack, First Air Force organized what would eventually become the core of the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFSC), obtaining most of its forces from I Bomber Command to combat the German U-Boat threat along the Atlantic Coast. AAFSC would eventually expand that mission to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean until the antisubmarine mission was taken over completely by the Navy in mid-1943.[2]

Training mission

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On 10 September 1943 the AAF recovered complete control of First Air Force with its release from the defense command assignment. Thereafter its main assignment was training. That mission was given to I Fighter Command upon its relief from the air defense mission.[2]

The responsibility of the First Air Force became chiefly the training of fighter units, both Operational unit training (OTU) as well as individualized personnel replacement training (RTU). It received graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command flight schools and various technical schools, organized them into newly activated combat groups and squadrons, and provided operational unit training (OTU) and replacement training (RTU) to prepare groups and replacements for deployment overseas to combat theaters. Most P-47 Thunderbolt fighter groups were trained by I Fighter Command, along with P-39/P-63 Airacobra groups.[2]

However, in 1944 the scope of responsibility of each Air Force changed when Second Air Force was assigned the B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment OTU/RTU training mission. In order to accommodate this, Third Air Force transferred medium and light bomber RTUs along the Atlantic coast to the First Air Force when it took over some of the B-17/B-24 RTU training formerly performed by Second Air Force. The light bomber RTUs were assigned to a re-activated I Bomber Command.[2]

By 1944, the vast majority of the USAAF was engaged in combat operations in various parts of the world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe and the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific. The training units located within the United States (known as the Zone of the Interior, or "ZI".) under First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all were placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces (CAF) on 13 December 1944, with the Numbered Air Forces becoming subordinate commands of CAF.[2]

World War II bases

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United States Air Force

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Air Defense Command

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In March 1946, USAAF Chief General Carl Spaatz had undertaken a major re-organization of the postwar USAAF that had included the establishment of Major Commands (MAJCOM), who would report directly to HQ United States Army Air Forces. Continental Air Forces was inactivated, and First Air Force was assigned to the postwar Air Defense Command in March 1946 and subsequently to Continental Air Command (ConAC) in December 1948 being primarily concerned with air defense.[13]

The command was originally assigned the region of the New England states, along with New York and New Jersey. With the inactivation of the ADC Eleventh Air Force on 1 July 1948 due to budget restrictions, command's region of responsibility was increased to include the upper Midwest states of Michigan and Ohio, along with the Mid-Atlantic region south to the North Carolina/Virginia Border.[13]

In 1949 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units were placed under First Air Force command, with its active-duty units being reassigned to Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) or to the 30th, 32d or 26th Air Divisions.[13]

The command was inactivated on 23 June 1958 for budgetary reasons, its assigned units being reorganized under ConAC.[13]

First Air Force was reactivated at Stewart Air Force Base, Newburgh, N.Y., on 20 January 1966 due to the inactivation of the ADC Air Defense Sectors. First Air Force assumed responsibility for the ADC 21st, 33d, 34th, 35th, and 36th Air Divisions, primarily located in the northeast and upper Midwest regions of the United States. It also was responsible for the air defense of Greenland, Iceland and parts of Canada. By July 1968, First Air Force had again assumed total responsibility for the air defense of the eastern seaboard, just as it had during World War II.[13]

On 16 January 1968 Air Defense Command was re-designated Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) as part of a restructuring of USAF air defense forces. First Air Force's second period of service was short lived, however, and the command was again inactivated as the result of a major ADCOM reorganization on 31 December 1969 of the First, Fourth, Tenth Air Forces and several Air Divisions. This reorganization was the result of the need to eliminate intermediate levels of command in ADCOM driven by budget reductions and a perceived lessening of the need for continental air defense against attacking Soviet aircraft.[13]

ADCOM reassigned the units under the inactivated First Air Force were reassigned primarily to the 20th, 21st or 23d Air Divisions.[13]

Air Defense, Tactical Air Command

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As part of realignment of military assets. ADCOM was reorganized on 1 October 1979. The atmospheric defense resources (interceptors and warning radars) of ADCOM were reassigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC). With this move many Air National Guard units that had an air defense mission also came under the control of TAC, which established a component called Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), at the level of an Air Division.[13]

On 6 December 1985 HQ USAF reactivated First Air Force at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and assigned it to Tactical Air Command (TAC). First Air Force was given the mission to provide, train and equip ADTAC combat ready forces for the air defense of the North American continent.[13]

Upon its reactivation, First Air Force was composed of units of the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Because of its unique mission and its binational responsibilities, First Air Force works closely with the Canadian Forces. Canadian personnel are stationed at First Air Force Headquarters at Tyndall Air Force Base Florida, and at the various regional air defense sectors located throughout the United States.[13]

Activation of the Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Regions on 1 October 1986, resulted in a new structure for the 30-year-old, binational North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Although the U.S. Air Force had already inactivated Aerospace Defense Command, the continental U.S. region, along with Alaskan and Canadian regions provided an improved command and operational system for North American air defense.[13]

Air National Guard

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In the years since its third activation, more of the responsibility for the defense of American air sovereignty has shifted to the Air National Guard. Also, reorganization of the command structure of the U.S. Air Force saw the assignment of air defense to Tactical Air Command and later, its successor, Air Combat Command.[14]

In the 1970s and 1980s, the role of the Air National Guard in the defense of North America increased. As this role changed, discussions between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard commenced concerning roles and responsibilities.[14]

As the Cold War began to wind down and budgetary constraints became realities, more and more of the missions previously carried out by active duty forces began to be transferred into the reserve components. By the 1990s, 90 percent of the air defense mission was being handled by the Air National Guard.[14]

In October 1997, First Air Force became a primarily Air National Guard numbered air force charged with the air defense of the North American continent. Today, First Air Force consists primarily of members of the Air National Guard. Its headquarters is located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It comprises 10 Air National Guard fighter wings and two air defense sectors for the East and Western regions of the country.[14]

Lineage

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  • Established as Northeast Air District on 19 October 1940
Activated on 18 December 1940.
Re-designated: 1 Air Force on 26 March 1941
Re-designated: First Air Force on 18 September 1942
Discontinued on 23 June 1958
  • Activated on 20 January 1966
Organized on 1 April 1966
Inactivated on 31 December 1969
Re-designated First Air Force (ANG) on 1 October 1995
Re-designated First Air Force (Air Forces Northern) on 1 November 2007.[15]

Assignments

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Major components

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  • 15 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron: 3 February 1946.
  • 1 Sea Search Attack Group (Medium): November 1943-10 April 1944.[15]

Commands

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  • XVI Air Force Service: 27 December 1946 – 1 April 1949
  • XVII Air Force Service: 1 July 1948 – 23 February 1949
  • XIX Air Force Service: 13 August 1948 – 23 February 1949.[15]

Forces

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Air Divisions

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Districts

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  • 1 Air Reserve District: 1 Dec 1951 – 1 Apr 1954[15]

Centers

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  • 1 Airborne Engineer Aviation Unit Training Center: 1 Apr 1943 – 10 Apr 1944
  • Combined Air Defense Training Center: 4 Aug 1943 – 15 Jul 1944
  • Eastern Signal Aviation Unit Training Center: 12 Mar 1943 – 12 Feb 1944
  • USAF Air Defense Weapons Center: 6 Dec 1985 – 12 Sep 1991
  • 601 Air and Space Operations Center: 1 Nov 2007 – present
  • Air Force Rescue Coordination Center: 27 Apr 2007 – present[15]

Sectors

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Wings

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Headquarters

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e First Air Force USAF Factsheet
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Part I Organization & Its Responsibilities, Chapter 2, "The AAF"; Craven and Cate, The AAF in World War II
  3. ^ www.accident-report.com Baltimore AAF
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  5. ^ www.accident-report.com Bluethenthal Field
  6. ^ www.accident-report.com Bradley Field
  7. ^ www.accident-report.com Bridgeport AAF
  8. ^ www.accident-report.com Camp Springs AAF
  9. ^ www.accident-report.com Dover AAF
  10. ^ www.accident-report.com Farmingdale AAF
  11. ^ www.accident-report.com Grenier AAF
  12. ^ www.accident-report.com Groton AAF
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
  14. ^ a b c d Rosenfeld, Susan and Gross, Charles J (2007), Air National Guard at 60: A History. Air National Guard history program AFD-080527-040
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l AFHRA Lineage and History, First Air Force

References

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
  • A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
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01 01 Category:American Theater of World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1942 Category:Military units and formations in Florida Category:United States Air National Guard

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