TheThird Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is anumbered air force of theUnited States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters isRamstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, and operations and support activities in theU.S. European Command andU.S. Africa Command'sareas of responsibility.It also has a unique mission as the U.S. military's primary liaison to the British government, which is conducted through the command's 3 AF-UK headquarters atRAF Mildenhall, England.
One of the four original pre–World War II numbered air forces, it was established on 26 March 1941, atTampa, Florida with a mission of air defense of the Southeastern United States andGulf Coast regions. During the war, its primary mission became the organization and training of combat units prior to their deployment to the overseas combat air forces.Several airfields are associated with the Third Air Force.
Major operational units under Third Air Force are:[5][6]
One of the four original numbered air forces, Third Air Force was activated as theSoutheast Air District of theGHQ Air Force on 18 December 1940 (which became Air Force Combat Command on 20 June 1941), atMacDill Field, Florida. The District was originally constituted on 19 October 1940, and that same day, the 22nd Pursuit Wing was also constituted. Activated about November 1940 atSavannah, Georgia, the Wing was assigned supervision of the50th and53d Pursuit Groups (15 January 1941), but was inactivated in October 1941.[7]
The Southeast Air District was redesignatedThird Air Force on 26 March 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Southeast and Gulf of Mexico regions of the United States. It moved to offices in downtown Tampa on 8 January 1941.
MacDill Field was one of two majorArmy Air Corps bases established in the Tampa Bay area in the buildup prior to World War II. Tampa'sDrew Field Municipal Airport, established in 1928 was leased by the Air Corps in 1940. A major expansion of the airport was initiated andDrew Army Airfield was opened in 1941. Two secondary Army Airfields,Brooksville Army Airfield andHillsborough Army Airfield were built and opened in early 1942 to support the flight operations of MacDill and Drew Fields. The Bonita Springs Auxiliary Field, located nearFort Myers provided an additional emergency landing field for MacDill. All of these airfields came under the jurisdiction of Third Air Force.III Fighter Command, the fighter arm, was headquartered at Drew Field.
Third Air Force initially provided air defense for the southeastern United States (1940–1941) and flew antisubmarine patrols along coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean andGulf of Mexico after Pearl Harbor. In January 1942, the command was withdrawn by Air Force Combat Command from theEastern Defense Command and assigned operational training of units, crews, and replacements for medium bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.
In 1942, the antisubmarine patrols were turned over to theCoast Guard and other agencies and the command was engaged primarily in training replacements for combat units and operational training of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations. It received graduates ofArmy Air Forces Training Command flight schools; navigator training; flexible gunnery schools and various technical schools, organized them into 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. Third Air Force primarily trainedB-25 Mitchell andB-26 Marauder medium bomber groups andA-20 Havoc andA-36 Apache light bomber groups. It also trained replacement fighter pilots, initially usingP-39 Airacobra andP-40 Warhawks in 1942, later withP-47 Thunderbolts andP-51 Mustangs beginning in 1943 and 1944 as they became available. Third Air Force also provided support to theArmy Air Forces School of Applied Tactics in Florida. By 1944, most of the Operational Training of groups ended, with the command concentrating on RTU training using Army Air Force Base Units (AAFBU) as training organizations at the airfields controlled by Third Air Force.
Also by 1944, the majority of theNumbered Air Forces of the AAF were fighting in various parts of the world, such as theEighth Air Force in Europe and theTwentieth Air Force in the Pacific. They were supported by four numbered air forces located within the United States. On 13 December 1944, First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all placed under the unified command of theContinental Air Forces, the predecessor of the later establishedStrategic Air Command,Tactical Air Command, andAir Defense Command, which were all established in 1946.
When the Army Air Forces reorganized in 1946,Tactical Air Command (TAC) was established as one of its three major commands. Third Air Force was reassigned to TAC to control the troop carrier units formerly part ofIX Troop Carrier Command. It was headquartered atGreenville Army Air Base,South Carolina. TheCurtiss C-46 Commando andDouglas C-47 Skytrain were the primary troop carrier aircraft, but surplusDouglas C-54 Skymasters that had been originally purchased for theAir Transport Command were made available for troop carrier use. Third Air Force was inactivated on 1 November 1946.
TAC's troop carrier mission was reassigned toNinth Air Force with its return from Europe and reassignment to Greenville AAF, which had been renamedDonaldson Air Force Base in the interim.
In August 1948, in response to theBerlin Blockade, the U.S. deployed long-rangeBoeing B-29 Superfortress strategic bombers to four UK bases in East Anglia. The3d Air Division was activated to receive, support and operationally control the B-29 units deployed in the United Kingdom. It also provided aircraft maintenance support atRAF Burtonwood forC-54 Skymaster aircraft used in theBerlin Airlift. When the Berlin Airlift ended in 1949, the division participated in theMilitary Assistance Program in the United Kingdom and began an extensive air base construction program through May 1951.
Briefly elevated to theMajor Command level from 3 January 1949 – 21 January 1951, the 3d Air Division controlled large numbers of USAF organizations based in the United Kingdom and supervised a tremendous airfield construction program.
However, with the advent of theKorean War and the growingCold War threat of theSoviet Union, the U.S. and UK agreed to an even greater U.S. military presence in the United Kingdom. The resulting growing size and complexity of the American military presence required a larger command and organizational structure that could meet the needs of the increased operations.
The 3d Air Division was discontinued on 1 May 1951, and in its place the USAFEThird Air Force was activated to oversee tactical air operations.Strategic Air Command's7th Air Division controlled deployed bombardment and reconnaissance forces with Third Air Force providing its logistical support. From its headquarters atRAF South Ruislip near London, Third Air Force carried out that mission basically unchanged through 1966, when the 7th Air Division was inactivated.
The first tactical unit to come to England under Third Air Force was the81st Fighter-Bomber Wing based atRAF Bentwaters on 6 September 1951. The next assigned unit was the20th Fighter-Bomber Wing, flying fromRAF Wethersfield. TheseRepublic F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderchief andNorth American F-86 Sabre units worked withRoyal Air Force Fighter Command providing air defense for England. In addition, the attachedTactical Air Command47th Bombardment Wing flewB-45 Tornado andB-66 Destroyer tactical bombers fromRAF Sculthorpe andRAF Alconbury.
Initially the49th Air Division functioned as the intermediate-level command authority for USAFE's wings in the UK, no operational combat groups were attached. The division supervised and participated in numerous training missions such as Quick Shot, Kingpin, and Bear Claw. It was inactivated on 1 July 1956.
During the 1960s, Third Air Force had four to five combat wings and major changes occurred in the types of aircraft deployed in the United Kingdom.North American F-100 Super Sabres,McDonnell F-101 Voodoos, andMcDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs replaced older fighter aircraft.Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers replaced older refueling aircraft.
In June 1972, daily operational control of tactical units in the United Kingdom was transferred to Headquarters USAFE atWiesbaden Air Base,West Germany. Third Air Force still retained command of the units, but as a result of the change, the headquarters was reorganized, reduced in personnel strength, and moved toRAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom.
In 1979, NATO ministers decided to deployBGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise andPershing II IRBM missiles to counter the growingSoviet SS-20 intermediate range ballistic missile threat.RAF Greenham Common andRAF Molesworth were selected as the beddown sites for the GLCM. The501st Tactical Missile Wing (TMW) was activated at RAF Greenham Common in July 1982 and the303d Tactical Missile Wing at RAF Molesworth in December 1986. In June 1987, Headquarters USAFE delegated tactical control of Third Air Force units to the Third Air Force commander.
On 15 April 1986,General Dynamics F-111 aircraft based atRAF Lakenheath andRAF Upper Heyford were launched against suspected terrorist targets in Libya, as part ofOperation Eldorado Canyon.
With the signing of theIntermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in December 1987, GLCMs deployed to RAF Molesworth were removed to the U.S. and the 303rd TMW inactivated 30 January 1989. The last GLCMs at RAF Greenham Common were removed in March 1991, and the 501st TMW inactivated 4 June 1991.
WhenIraq invadedKuwait in August 1990, Third Air Force, like many other U.S. military units, received their trial by fire. However, for Third Air Force, the scenario was not similar to any which had been practiced in the past.Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were not classic east–west confrontations in Europe that Third Air Force had been trained for. Thousands of miles removed from the Kuwait theater of operations, Third Air Force played a major support role, deploying half its combat aircraft, several thousand vehicles, approximately 50,000 tons of munitions, and many more tons of supplies and material. Third Air Force also provided 2,250 hospital beds by activating three of its contingency hospitals and was ready in the event of a large number of casualties were received.
At the end of theCold War Third Air Force consisted of the following units:
The end of theCold War with the formerSoviet Union left in its wake many new military challenges, tensions and emerging conflicts. It also drew attention to the need for American military forces to operate in ways and locations outside the traditional NATO construct. The shift in east–west relations and the increasing focus toward Eastern Europe, the southern region and the Middle East led to a changing of the focus of Third Air Force as well. The U.S. Congress mandated large reductions in the American military budget and American military troop strength based in Europe. From a Cold War high of 450,000 in the late 1980s, American troop strength in Europe was reduced to 100,000 by the mid-1990s.
During the 1990s the USAF restructured itself to meet the emerging needs of the new world order. Several Third Air Force units returned to the U.S., and several more were inactivated. Third Air Force returned many of its bases to the BritishMinistry of Defence, and scaled down operations at other places.
In March 1996, Headquarters USAFE announced a major reorganization of its numbered air forces. The announcement included news of the inactivation ofSeventeenth Air Force atSembach Air Base Germany, transferring its responsibility for overseeing all U.S. Air Force units north of theAlps to Third Air Force. As a result of the changes, Third Air Force grew substantially, taking on two main operating bases,Ramstein Air Base andSpangdahlem Air Base, both in Germany, and five geographically separated units.
With this 1996 reorganization, Third Air Force was composed of more than 25,000 military people, and more than 35,000 family members. In terms of numbers of aircraft, Third Air Force had more than 200, including KC-135 and F-15 aircraft at bases in England, and A-10, F-16, C-9, C-20, C-21 and C-130E aircraft in Germany.
In addition to a larger area of responsibility, the command reorganization also brought about a subtle change in the mission of the Third Air Force headquarters element. Third Air Force was tasked to take a more active role in the leadership of operational contingencies, and provide trained staff to lead or augment joint and combined task force headquarters elements.
In 1998, Third Air Force provided the headquarters for JTF Eagle Vista, supporting the President's trip to Africa.
In 2005, USAFE once again realigned its numbered air forces.Sixteenth Air Force was aligned as the command's new Warfighting Headquarters. Third Air Force was inactivated on 1 November, ending the unit's prestigious 50-plus year legacy in the UK.
Just over a year after inactivation, Third Air Force was reactivated on 1 December 2006, atRamstein AB, Germany, as USAFE's Air and Space Operations supporting U.S. European Command. Its new mission was to support the EUCOM commander's strategic objectives across the full range of military operations. When a joint task force is created in EUCOM, the Third Air Force commander is ready to assume the roles of Joint Forces Air Component Commander and Commander Air Force Forces, or lead the JTF as a Joint Force Commander.
Upon the inactivation of theSeventeenth Air Force in 2012, Third Air Force became the numbered air force supportingUnited States Air Forces Africa.[16]
The Third Air Force also oversees host nation support agreements for all U.S. military forces based in the United Kingdom through the command's 3 AF-UK headquarters atRAF Mildenhall. Through the NATOPartnership for Peace program, the headquarters manages military contact and assistance programs for a number of countries in Eastern Europe. Third Air Force is also responsible for contingency planning and support of American security interests in Africa.
It is composed of more than 25,000 Airmen. Third Air Force is assigned more than 200 aircraft, and provides servicing to thousands of other transient aircraft that visit its bases each year.
Commands
Division
Other components (incomplete list)
| No. | Commander[1][18] | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
| 1 |  | Bishop, RobertLieutenant General Robert D. Bishop Jr. | 1 December 2006 | 22 July 2008 | 1 year, 234 days |
| 2 |  | Breedlove, PhilipLieutenant General Philip M. Breedlove | 22 July 2008 | 24 August 2009 | 1 year, 33 days |
| 3 |  | Gorenc, FrankLieutenant General Frank Gorenc | 24 August 2009 | 30 March 2012 | 2 years, 219 days |
| 4 |  | Franklin, CraigLieutenant General Craig A. Franklin | 30 March 2012 | 31 January 2014[b] | 1 year, 307 days |
| - |  | Everhart, CarltonMajor General Carlton D. Everhart II Acting | 1 February 2014[20] | 11 June 2014 | 130 days |
| 5 |  | Roberson, DarrylLieutenant General Darryl Roberson | 11 June 2014[21] | 2 July 2015 | 1 year, 21 days |
| 6 | .jpg) | Ray, TimothyLieutenant General Timothy Ray | 2 July 2015[22] | 21 October 2016 | 1 year, 111 days |
| 7 |  | Clark, RichardLieutenant General Richard M. Clark | 21 October 2016[23] | 7 September 2018 | 1 year, 321 days |
| 8 |  | Wood, JohnMajor General John M. Wood | 7 September 2018[24] | 24 June 2020 | 1 year, 291 days |
| 9 | .jpg) | Reed, RandallMajor General Randall Reed | 24 June 2020[25] | 18 May 2022[26] | 1 year, 328 days |
| - |  | Gonzales, JohnColonel John F. Gonzales Acting | 18 May 2022 | 22 June 2022 | 35 days |
| 10 |  | France, DerekMajor General Derek C. France | 22 June 2022[27] | 3 April 2024 | 1 year, 286 days |
| 11 | .jpg) | Moga, PaulMajor General Paul D. Moga | 3 April 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 235 days |
Footnotes
Citations
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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