United States Air Forces Central is the direct descendant organization of Ninth Air Force, established in 1941. AFCENT was formed as the United States Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) under
Tactical Air Command (TAC). CENTAF initially consisted of designated United States Air Force elements of the
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) which was inactivated and reformed as USCENTCOM in 1983. On 1 March 2008 USCENTAF was redesignated USAFCENT. It shared its commander with Ninth Air Force until August 2009. Ninth Air Force was redesignated USAFCENT on 5 August 2009. A new Ninth Air Force was established that date for command and control of CONUS-based Air Combat Command units formerly assigned to the previous Ninth Air Force.
World War II Establishment In the summer of 1941
General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ AF) decided to establish commands to direct its
air support mission in each of its
numbered air forces, plus one additional command that would report directly to GHQ AF. These commands were manned from inactivating
wings, and would initially control only observation squadrons, which would be transferred from the control of the corps and divisions, although they would remain attached to these ground units. GHQ AF organized
5th Air Support Command at
Bowman Field, Kentucky in September 1941, drawing its personnel and equipment from the
16th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously inactivated. On 28 June 1942, Major General
Lewis H. Brereton arrived at Cairo to command the U.S. Army Middle East Air Force (USAMEAF), which was activated immediately. USAMEAF comprised the former Halverson Project now the 1st Provisional Bombardment Group, Brereton's detachment (
9th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) and other personnel which Brereton brought from India), and the Air Section of the U.S. Military North African Mission. Several USAAF units were sent to join USAMEAF during next weeks in the destruction of Rommel's Afrika Korps by support to ground troops and secure sea and air communications in the Mediterranean. In September 1942,
RAF Middle East Command's Senior Air Staff Officer, Air Commodore
Philip. Wigglesworth was authorized by Air Chief Marshal
Sir Arthur Tedder to select targets for all U.S. heavy bombers. In the
Second Battle of El Alamein under General
Bernard Montgomery attacks by British troops depleted the Axis tanks and Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel began the withdrawal from Egypti. Ninth Air Force had been first constituted as V Air Support Command, part of
Air Force Combat Command, at
Bowman Field,
Kentucky on 11 September 1941. Its responsibility was to direct and coordinate the training activities of National Guard observation squadrons inducted into federal service with those of light bomber units training with the
Army Ground Forces. However a lack of unity of command in the organizational set-up led to an early discontinuation of the "air support commands" and V Air Support Command was redesignated as Ninth Air Force in April 1942. It moved to
Bolling Field,
Washington, D.C., on 22 July and transferred without personnel or equipment to
Cairo,
Egypt on 12 November 1942. The Ninth Air Force mission comprised: (1) Gain air superiority; (2) Deny the enemy the ability to replenish or replace losses, and (3) Offer ground forces close support in North-East Africa. On 12 November 1942, the US Army Middle East Air Force was dissolved and replaced by HQ Ninth Air Force, commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton. At that time, the Ninth Air Force consisted of: •
IX Bomber Command (Brigadier General
Patrick W Timberlake) at Ismailia, Egypt, •
IX Fighter Command (Colonel John C Kilborn) en route to Egypt, •
IX Air Service Command (Brigadier General Elmer E Adler). By the end of 1942 a total of 370 aircraft had been ferried to the Ninth Air Force. While the great majority were P-40s,
Consolidated B-24 Liberators (The original
Halverson Detachment (HALPRO), 98th Bombardment Group, 376th Bombardment Group, and RAF units), and B-25 Mitchells (12th) and
340th Bombardment Groups), there were also more than 50 twin-engine transports (
316th Troop Carrier Group), which made it possible to build an effective local air transport service. Ninth Air Force P-40F fighters (
57th,
79th, and
324th Fighter Groups) supported the
British Eighth Army's drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations. Other targets attacked were shipping and harbor installations in Libya,
Tunisia,
Sicily, Italy,
Crete, and Greece to cut enemy supply lines to Africa. The
Palm Sunday Massacre was one noteworthy mission by the P-40 and Spitfire groups. After an Allied air forces command reorganisation effective 18 February 1943, the Ninth Air Force began to report to
RAF Middle East Command (RAFME) under Air Chief Marshal
Sir Sholto Douglas. Additionally, the Ninth's 57th, 79th, and 324th Fighter Groups and its 12th and 340th Bombardment Groups were transferred to the operational control of the
Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Sir
Arthur Coningham. The Ninth's 316th Troop Carrier Group flew its missions with the
Northwest African Troop Carrier Command (NATCC). In February 1943, after the
Afrika Korps had been driven into
Tunisia, the Germans took the offensive and
pushed through the Kasserine Pass before being stopped with the help of both Ninth and Twelfth Air Force units in the battle. The Allies drove the enemy back into a pocket around
Bizerte and
Tunis, where Axis forces surrendered in May. Thus, Tunisia became available for launching attacks on Pantelleria (
Operation Corkscrew), Sicily (
Operation Husky), and
mainland Italy. At the time of
Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943, Ninth Air Force Headquarters was still based at Cairo in Egypt while the Headquarters of Ninth Fighter Command and IX Bomber Command were stationed at Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya, respectively. During this critical period of World War II when the
Allied forces finally left North Africa for Europe, the groups of the Ninth Air Force consisted of: • 12th Bombardment Group at Sfax el Mau, Tunisia with B-25 Mitchells (81st, 82d, 83d, & 434th Bombardment Squadrons) • 340th Bombardment Group at Sfax South, Tunisia with B-25 Mitchells (486th, 487th, 488th, & 489th Bombardment Squadrons) • 57th Fighter Group at Hani Main, Tunisia with P-40F Warhawks (64th, 65th, & 66th Fighter Squadrons) • 79th Fighter Group at Causeway Landing Ground, Tunisia with P-40F Warhawks (85th, 86th, & 87th Fighter Squadrons) • 324th Fighter Group with P-40F Warhawks (314th Squadron at Hani Main, 315th Squadron at Kabrit, Egypt, & 316th Squadron at Causeway). • 98th Bombardment Group with B-24D Liberators (343rd & 344th Squadrons at Lete, Libya; 345th & 415th Squadrons at Benina, Libya) • 376th Bombardment Group at Berka, Tunisia with B-24D Liberators (512th, 513th, 514th, & 515th Bombardment Squadrons) • 316th Troop Carrier Group at Deversoir, Egypt with C-47s, C-53s and DC3s (36th, 37th, & 44th Squadrons at Deversoir, Egypt; 45th Squadron at
Castel Benito, Libya). During most of 1943, the Ninth Air Force was officially assigned to RAF Middle East Command of the
Mediterranean Air Command. However, the Ninth's 12th and 340th Bombardment Groups were assigned to the
Tactical Bomber Force, the 57th and 79th Fighter Groups were assigned to the
Desert Air Force, and the 324th Fighter Group was surprisingly assigned to
XII Air Support Command. The Tactical Bomber Force under Air Commodore
Laurence Sinclair, the Desert Air Force under Air Vice Marshal
Harry Broadhurst, and XII Air Support Command under Major General
Edwin House were sub-commands of the
Northwest African Tactical Air Force (NATAF) under Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham. NATAF was one of the three major sub-commands of the
Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under Lieutenant General
Carl Spaatz. NATAF,
Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) and
Northwest African Coastal Air Force (NACAF), formed the classic
tri-force, the basis for the creation of NAAF in February 1943. Ninth Air Force groups attacked airfields and rail facilities in Sicily and took part in Operation Husky, carried paratroopers, and flew reinforcements to ground units on the island. The heavy bombardment groups (B-24s) of the Ninth also participated in the
low-level assault of the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania on 1 August 1943. On 22 August 1943 the following groups were transferred from the Ninth Air Force to the Twelfth Air Force: • 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) at Gerbini, Sicily with B-25s • 57th Fighter Group on Sicily with P-40s • 79th Fighter Group on Sicily with P-40s • 324th Fighter Group at El Haouaria, Tunisia with P-40s and • 340th Bombardment Group (Medium) at Comiso, Sicily with B-25s The 316th Troop Carrier Group was operating under
Northwest African Troop Carrier Command with C-47 Dakotas and CG4A Waco Gliders.
Ninth Air Force 1943 to June 1944 Concurrently with the reassignment of Ninth Air Force formations in the Mediterranean to Twelfth Air Force, plans were afoot in Britain to move
Eighth Air Force's medium bomber units to a separate command. This command was offered to Brereton, who accepted, and the force was constituted, also as Ninth Air Force, on 16 October 1943. During the winter of 1943–1944 Ninth Air Force expanded at an extraordinary rate, so that by the end of May, its complement ran to 45 flying groups operating some 5,000 aircraft. With the necessary ground support units, the total number of personnel assigned to Ninth Air Force would be more than 200,000, a total greater than that of Eighth Air Force. HQ Ninth Air Force extended IX Bomber Command's choice of targets considerably, although first priority for
Operation Pointblank [the
Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) of US and RAF air forces against the Luftwaffe and German aircraft industry] and next priority for
Operation Crossbow (codename for operations against German V-weapon sites) targets was maintained. U.S. and British Air Forces aimed to defeat the German
Luftwaffe in the air and on the ground, to bring about complete air supremacy prior to the
invasion of Normandy. Operational missions involved attacks on rail marshaling yards, railroads, airfields, industrial plants, military installations, and other enemy targets in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Other targets were German
Atlantic Wall defenses along the
English Channel coast of France. On 4 January 1944 XIX Air Support Command was activated at
RAF Middle Wallop to support Patton's Third Army in Europe. In February 1944 the Ninth Air Force underwent a reorganization and several troop carrier groups relocated headquarters. Major General
Otto P. Weyland became commanding general of XIX Air Support Command, replacing Major General Elwood R Quesada. The latter assumed dual command of both IX Fighter Command and the IX Air Support Command, which took control of all its fighter and reconnaissance units. HQ IX Air Support Command changed from Aldermaston Court to Middle Wallop. Major General
Paul L. Williams, who had commanded the troop carrier operations in Sicily and Italy, replaced Giles in command of IX Troop Carrier Command. The IX TCC command and staff officers were an excellent mix of combat veterans from those earlier assaults, and a few key officers were held over for continuity. The groups assigned were a mixture of experience, but training would be needed to confront the expected massive movements of troops of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. On 18 April 1944, the IX and XIX Air Support Commands were redesignated, respectively, as
IX Tactical Air Command and
XIX Tactical Air Command. Between 1 May and the invasion on 6 June, the Ninth flew approximately 35,000 sorties, attacking targets such as airfields, railroad yards, and coastal gun positions. By the end of May 1944, the IX TCC had available 1,207 C-47 Skytrain troop carrier airplanes and was one-third overstrength, creating a strong reserve. Three-quarters of the aircraft were less than one year old on D-Day, and all were in excellent condition. Gliders were incorporated, Over 2,100 CG-4 Waco gliders had been sent to the UK, and after attrition during training operations, 1,118 were available for operations, along with 301 larger
Airspeed Horsa gliders received from the British.
Order of battle, 6 June 1944 •
IX Bomber Command •
97th Bombardment Wing (Light) •
409th Bombardment Group (
A-20) • 640th Bombardment Squadron (W5) • 641st Bombardment Squadron (7G) • 642d Bombardment Squadron (D6) • 643d Bombardment Squadron (5I) •
410th Bombardment Group (A-20) • 644th Bombardment Squadron (5Q) • 645th Bombardment Squadron (7X) • 646th Bombardment Squadron (8U) • 647th Bombardment Squadron (6Q) •
416th Bombardment Group (A-20) • 668th Bombardment Squadron (5H) • 669th Bombardment Squadron (2A) • 670th Bombardment Squadron (F6) • 671st Bombardment Squadron (5C) •
98th Bombardment Wing (Medium) •
323d Bombardment Group (
B-26) • 453d Bombardment Squadron (VT) • 454th Bombardment Squadron (RJ) • 455th Bombardment Squadron (YU) • 456th Bombardment Squadron (WT) •
387th Bombardment Group (B-26) • 556th Bombardment Squadron (FW) • 557th Bombardment Squadron (KS) • 558th Bombardment Squadron (KX) • 559th Bombardment Squadron (TQ) •
394th Bombardment Group (B-26) • 584th Bombardment Squadron (K5) • 585th Bombardment Squadron (4T) • 586th Bombardment Squadron (H9) • 587th Bombardment Squadron (5W) •
397th Bombardment Group (B-26) • 596th Bombardment Squadron (X2) • 597th Bombardment Squadron (9F) • 598th Bombardment Squadron (U2 • 599th Bombardment Squadron (6B) • 99th Bombardment Wing (Medium) •
322d Bombardment Group (B-26) • 449th Bombardment Squadron (PN) • 450th Bombardment Squadron (ER) • 451st Bombardment Squadron (SS) • 452nd Bombardment Squadron (DR) •
344th Bombardment Group (B-26) • 494th Bombardment Squadron (K9) • 495th Bombardment Squadron (Y5) • 496th Bombardment Squadron (N3) • 497th Bombardment Squadron (7L) • 1st Pathfinder Squadron (Provisional) •
386th Bombardment Group (B-26) • 552d Bombardment Squadron (RG) • 553d Bombardment Squadron (AN) • 554th Bombardment Squadron (RU) • 555th Bombardment Squadron (YA) •
391st Bombardment Group (B-26) • 572d Bombardment Squadron (P2) • 573d Bombardment Squadron (T6) • 574th Bombardment Squadron (4L) • 575th Bombardment Squadron (O8) •
IX Fighter Command •
IX Tactical Air Command •
70th Fighter Wing •
48th Fighter Group (
P-47) • 492d Fighter Squadron (F4) • 493d Fighter Squadron (I7) • 494th Fighter Squadron (6M) •
367th Fighter Group (
P-38) • 392d Fighter Squadron (H5) • 393d Fighter Squadron (8L) • 394th Fighter Squadron (4N) •
371st Fighter Group (P-47) • 404th Fighter Squadron (9Q) • 405th Fighter Squadron (8N) • 406th Fighter Squadron (4W) •
474th Fighter Group (P-38) • 428th Fighter Squadron (F5) • 429th Fighter Squadron (7Y) • 430th Fighter Squadron (K6) •
71st Fighter Wing •
366th Fighter Group (P-47) • 389th Fighter Squadron (A6) • 390th Fighter Squadron (B2) • 391st Fighter Squadron (A8) •
368th Fighter Group (P-47) • 359th Fighter Squadron (A7) • 396th Fighter Squadron (C2) • 397th Fighter Squadron (D3) •
370th Fighter Group (P-38) • 401st Fighter Squadron (9D) • 402nd Fighter Squadron (E6) • 485th Fighter Squadron (7F) •
84th Fighter Wing •
50th Fighter Group (P-47) • 10th Fighter Squadron (T5) • 81st Fighter Squadron (2N) • 313th Fighter Squadron (W3) •
365th Fighter Group (P-47) • 386th Fighter Squadron (D5) • 387th Fighter Squadron (B4) • 388th Fighter Squadron (C4) •
404th Fighter Group (P-47) • 506th Fighter Squadron (4K) • 507th Fighter Squadron (Y8) • 508th Fighter Squadron (7J) •
405th Fighter Group (P-47) • 509th Fighter Squadron (G9) • 510th Fighter Squadron (2Z) • 511th Fighter Squadron (K4) •
XIX Tactical Air Command •
100th Fighter Wing •
354th Fighter Group (
P-51) • 353d Fighter Squadron (FT) • 354th Fighter Squadron (GQ) • 355th Fighter Squadron (AJ) •
358th Fighter Group (P-47) • 365th Fighter Squadron (CH) • 366th Fighter Squadron (IA) • 367th Fighter Squadron (CP) •
362d Fighter Group (P-47) • 377th Fighter Squadron (E4) • 378th Fighter Squadron (G8) • 379th Fighter Squadron (B8) •
363d Fighter Group (P-51) • 380th Fighter Squadron (A9) • 381st Fighter Squadron (B3) • 382d Fighter Squadron (C3) •
303d Fighter Wing •
36th Fighter Group (P-47) • 22d Fighter Squadron (3T) • 23d Fighter Squadron (7U) • 53d Fighter Squadron (6V) •
373d Fighter Group (P-47) • 410th Fighter Squadron (R3) • 411th Fighter Squadron (U9) • 412th Fighter Squadron (V5) •
406th Fighter Group (P-47) • 512th Fighter Squadron (L3) • 513th Fighter Squadron (4P) • 514th Fighter Squadron (O7) •
10th Photo Reconnaissance Group (F-3/F-5/F-6) •
30th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron •
31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron •
33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron •
34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron •
155th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron •
IX Troop Carrier Command • 1st Pathfinder Group (Provisional) •
50th Troop Carrier Wing •
439th Troop Carrier Group (
C-47/C-53) • 91st Troop Carrier Squadron (L4) • 92d Troop Carrier Squadron (J8) • 93d Troop Carrier Squadron (3B) • 94th Troop Carrier Squadron (D8) •
440th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 95th Troop Carrier Squadron (9X) • 96th Troop Carrier Squadron (6Z) • 97th Troop Carrier Squadron (W6) • 98th Troop Carrier Squadron (8Y) •
441st Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 99th Troop Carrier Squadron (3J) • 100th Troop Carrier Squadron (8C) • 301st Troop Carrier Squadron (Z4) • 302d Troop Carrier Squadron (2L) •
442d Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 303d Troop Carrier Squadron (J7) • 304th Troop Carrier Squadron (V4) • 305th Troop Carrier Squadron (4J) • 306th Troop Carrier Squadron (7H) •
52d Troop Carrier Wing •
61st Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 14th Troop Carrier Squadron (3I) • 15th Troop Carrier Squadron (Y9) • 53d Troop Carrier Squadron (3A) • 59th Troop Carrier Squadron (X5) •
313th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 29th Troop Carrier Squadron (5X) • 47th Troop Carrier Squadron (N3) • 48th Troop Carrier Squadron (Z7) • 49th Troop Carrier Squadron (H2) •
314th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 32nd Troop Carrier Squadron (S2) • 50th Troop Carrier Squadron (2R) • 61st Troop Carrier Squadron (Q9) • 62d Troop Carrier Squadron (E5) •
315th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 34th Troop Carrier Squadron (NM) • 43d Troop Carrier Squadron (UA) • 309th Troop Carrier Squadron (M6) • 310th Troop Carrier Squadron (4A) •
316th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 36th Troop Carrier Squadron (6E) • 37th Troop Carrier Squadron (W7) • 44th Troop Carrier Squadron (4C) • 45th Troop Carrier Squadron (T3) •
53d Troop Carrier Wing •
434th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 71st Troop Carrier Squadron (CJ) • 72d Troop Carrier Squadron (CU) • 73d Troop Carrier Squadron (CN) • 74th Troop Carrier Squadron (ID) •
435th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 75th Troop Carrier Squadron (SH) • 76th Troop Carrier Squadron (CW) • 77th Troop Carrier Squadron (IB) • 78th Troop Carrier Squadron (CM) •
436th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 79th Troop Carrier Squadron (S6) • 80th Troop Carrier Squadron (7D) • 81st Troop Carrier Squadron (U5) • 82d Troop Carrier Squadron (3D) •
437th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 83d Troop Carrier Squadron (T2) • 84th Troop Carrier Squadron (Z8) • 85th Troop Carrier Squadron (9O) • 86th Troop Carrier Squadron (5K) •
438th Troop Carrier Group (C-47/C-53) • 87th Troop Carrier Squadron (3X) • 88th Troop Carrier Squadron (M2) • 89th Troop Carrier Squadron (4U) • 90th Troop Carrier Squadron (Q7) •
IX Air Force Service Command • 1st Advanced Air Depot Area • 1st Tactical Air Depot • 2d Tactical Air Depot • 3d Tactical Air Depot • 2d Advanced Air Depot Area • 4th Tactical Air Depot • 5th Tactical Air Depot • 6th Tactical Air Depot • 1585th Quartermaster Truck Regiment • 31st Transport Group • IX Air Force Intransit Depot Group • 13th Replacement Control Depot • 20th Replacement Control Depot • Signal Battalion (HC) •
IX Engineer Command • 922d Engineer Aviation Regiment • 924th Engineer Aviation Regiment • 925th Engineer Aviation Regiment • 926th Engineer Aviation Regiment •
IX Air Defense Command • 1/8 Antiaircraft Group • 51st Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade • 52d Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade
Operations in Europe 1944–1945 Ground-Air command team in April 1945 with Eisenhower, Spaatz, and Bedell Smith On D-Day, IX Troop Carrier Command units flew over 2000 sorties conducting combat parachute jumps and glider landings as part of
American airborne landings in Normandy of Operation Neptune. Other Ninth Air Force units carried out massive air attacks with
P-51 Mustang,
P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers,
North American B-25 Mitchell and
Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers. Air cover during the morning amphibious assault by Allied forces on the beaches of France was flown by
P-38 Lightnings. With the beaches secure, its tactical air units then provided the air power for the Allied break-out from the Normandy beachhead in the summer of 1944 during the
Battle of Cherbourg,
Battle for Caen, and the ultimate breakout from the beachhead,
Operation Cobra. Unlike Eighth Air Force, whose units stayed in the United Kingdom, Ninth Air Force units were very mobile, first deploying to France on 16 June 1944, ten days after the Normandy invasion by moving P-47 Thunderbolts to a beach-head landing strip. Because of their short range, operational combat units would have to move to quickly prepared bases close to the front as soon as the Allied ground forces advanced. The bases were called "
Advanced Landing Grounds" or "ALGs". On the continent, many ALGs were built either from scratch or from captured enemy airfields throughout France, the Low Countries and Germany. Ninth Air Force units moved frequently from one ALG to another. By early August most Ninth Air Force operational fighter and bomber groups were transferred to bases in France and assigned to the
U. S. Twelfth Army Group. These groups were then assigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC) organizations which supported Army ground units. XXIX Tactical Air Command (XXIX TAC) was activated in France on 15 September 1944, commanded by Brig. Gen.
Richard E. Nugent, to support operations of the
U.S. Ninth Army. XXIX TAC supported the Ninth Army in the north; IX TAC supported the First Army in the center; and XIX TAC supported the Third Army in the south. Air cover over Allied-controlled areas on the continent was performed by the IX Air Defense Command. Ninth Air Force groups made numerous moves within France, the
Low Countries and western Germany to keep within range of the advancing battle front before the end of hostilities in May 1945. During
Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, two Ninth fighter groups were transferred to the provisional United States/Free French 1st Tactical Air Force supporting the invasion force's drive north. As part of
Operation Market-Garden, the Ninth Air Force transferred its entire IX Troop Carrier Command with its fourteen
C-47 groups to the
1st Allied Airborne Army in September 1944. Those troop carrier groups flew many of the C-47s and towed
CG-4 Waco gliders for the Allied airborne unit drops—
Operation Market Garden—to take the bridges northwest of
Eindhoven at Son (mun. Son en Breugel),
Veghel,
Grave,
Nijmegen and
Arnhem in the Netherlands. In December 1944 through January 1945, Ninth Air Force fighters and bombers were critical in defeating the
Wehrmacht during the
Battle of the Bulge. Initially American, British, and Canadian air power was grounded by very bad winter weather, but then the bad weather broke, freeing the tactical air forces to help break the back of the Wehrmacht attack. The long smash across France, Belgium, and
Luxembourg was the highlight of the existence of the 9th Air Force. In the spring of 1945, Ninth Air Force troop carrier units flew airborne parachute and glider units again during
Operation Varsity, the Allied assault over the
Rhine River on 24 March 1945. Operation Varsity was the single largest airborne drop in history. The operation saw the first use of the
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando transport in Europe, operating with the reliable C-47 Skytrain of previous airborne operations, an experiment which ended with the catastrophic loss of 28% of the C-46s participating.
Postwar demobilization Ninth Air Force tactical air support operations were flown over western Germany until the end of hostilities on 7 May. However, once the victory had been gained, the United States plunged into demobilization, just as it had done at the end of the
First World War. Most officers and men were sent back to the United States and their units inactivated. Others were assigned to the new
United States Air Forces in Europe and were moved to captured Luftwaffe airfields to perform occupation duties. Some transport units relocated to France. Finally, with the mission completed, on 2 December 1945 the Ninth Air Force was inactivated at USAFE Headquarters at
Wiesbaden Germany.
Cold War :
see also: Nineteenth Air Force Following
World War II, Ninth Air Force was reactivated on 28 March 1946 at
Biggs AAF, Texas. After several relocations, on 20 August 1954, Ninth Air Force Headquarters was assigned to
Shaw Air Force Base,
South Carolina, where it remains today. The postwar Numbered Air Forces were components of the new major command structure of the
United States Air Force, and Ninth Air Force became one of the tactical air forces of the new
Tactical Air Command. Ninth Air Force commanded TAC Wings east of the
Mississippi River. Initially being equipped with propeller-driven F-51, F-47 and
F-82 aircraft during the postwar years, in the 1950s, Ninth Air Force units received the jet-powered
F/RF-80 Shooting Star,
F-84G/F Thunderjet,
F-86D/H Sabre, and
F-100 Super Sabre aircraft. Ninth Air Force squadrons and wings were frequently deployed to
NATO during the 1950s and 1960s as "Dual-Based"
USAFE units, and reinforcing NATO forces in West Germany and France during the
Lebanon crisis of 1958 and the 1961
Berlin Wall Crisis. During the 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis, Ninth Air Force units went on war alert, deploying to bases in Florida, being able to respond to the crisis on a moment's notice. During the
Vietnam War, detached Ninth Air Force units engaged in combat operations over
Vietnam,
Cambodia and
Laos. The practice of stripping away squadrons and aircraft from their home Tactical Air Command Wings and attaching them indefinitely to a new wing under
Pacific Air Forces was the method used for long-term deployments to the
South Vietnam and
Thailand air bases engaged in combat operations. In addition to these operational deployments, Ninth Air Force units performed a "backfilling" role in Japan and South Korea for PACAF as well as in Italy and Spain for
USAFE to replace units whose aircraft and personnel were deployed to Southeast Asia. With the end of American involvement during the early 1970s, these units were returned in large part to their home Ninth Air Force units in the United States. During the remainder of the 1970s, NATO deployments resumed supporting the COMET, CORONET and CRESTED CAP exercises. These deployments were designed to exercise CONUS based Air Force squadrons long range deployment capabilities and to familiarize the personnel with the European theatre of operations. During these NATO deployments, exercises with Army infantry and armored units were conducted to enhance the Close Air Support role in Europe. Ninth Air Force Wings in 1979 were: •
1st Tactical Fighter Wing (F-15A/B) (FF)
Langley Air Force Base,
Virginia •
4th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-4E) (SJ)
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
North Carolina •
23d Tactical Fighter Wing (A-7D) (EL)
England Air Force Base,
Louisiana •
31st Tactical Fighter Wing (F-4D) (ZE/HS)
Homestead Air Force Base,
Florida •
33d Tactical Fighter Wing (F-15A/B) (EG)
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida •
56th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-4D/E) (MC)
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida •
347th Tactical Fighter Wing (F-4E) (MY)
Moody Air Force Base,
Georgia •
354th Tactical Fighter Wing (A/OA-10A) (MB)
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base,
South Carolina •
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (RF-4C) (JO)
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina During the 1980s, Ninth Air Force wings upgraded from the Vietnam-Era F-4s and A-7s to newer F-15s, F-16 and A-10 aircraft. First-generation F-15A/B models were later sent to
Air National Guard fighter units while Regular Air Force units upgraded to the higher-capability F-15C/Ds and the new F-15E replaced the F-4E in the 4th TFW. With the end of the
Cold War in the early 1990s, the 1991
Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) reductions meant the closing of Myrtle Beach AFB and England AFB. MacDill AFB was realigned under
Air Combat Command as the headquarters of
United States Central Command and
United States Special Operations Command, but minus tactical aircraft operations with the reassignment of the
56th Fighter Wing to
Air Education and Training Command and relocation to
Luke AFB, Arizona. The restructuring of USAF CONUS forces by the inactivation of
Tactical Air Command and subsequent creation of
Air Combat Command realigned Ninth Air Force with new units and new missions. In addition, the effects of
Hurricane Andrew at Homestead AFB on 24 August 1992 essentially destroyed the facility. Although both
George H. W. Bush and
President Clinton promised to rebuild Homestead, the BRAC designated the installation for realignment to the
Air Force Reserve, and on 1 April 1994, Headquarters, ACC inactivated its base support units and transferred base support responsibility to the
Air Force Reserve Command and AFRC's
482d Fighter Wing, effectively ending ACC ownership of the base. Concurrently, ACC also transferred responsibility for MacDill AFB to
Air Mobility Command following the arrival of an air refueling unit and redesignation of the host air base wing as an air refueling wing (later redesignated as an air mobility wing).
CENTAF and the 1991 Gulf War In 1980, Ninth Air Force units were allocated to the new
Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF). In 1983, the RDJTF became a separate unified command known as the
United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), focusing on the Middle East. Ninth Air Force provided the aircraft, personnel and materiel to form
United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF), the USAF air power of CENTCOM, which was also headquartered at Shaw AFB. Starting in 1981, Ninth Air Force aircraft and personnel were deployed to Egypt for
Exercise Bright Star. During
Operation Desert Shield and
Operation Desert Storm, Ninth Air Force units deployed to the Middle East, and flew combat missions over
Kuwait and
Iraq. After the end of hostilities, units from the Ninth flew air missions over Iraq as part of
Operation Deny Flight,
Operation Northern Watch and
Operation Southern Watch. From 1991, the
4404th Composite Wing (Provisional) served as a forward force, for most of that period flying from
King Abdul Aziz AB, Saudi Arabia. Despite the boring nature of the quasi-peacetime patrols over both the northern and southern "no-fly zones," the years after 1991 were not entirely without hostile action. Time and time again Iraqi air defense radars came on line and "illuminated" American aircraft. There were also numerous cases where Iraqi anti-aircraft guns and missiles engaged American aircraft. In each case, the U.S. military aircraft would retaliate and in most cases, eliminate the offending air defense site(s). Among the deployed units were the 4th Air Expeditionary Wing, Camp Doha, Qatar (June 1996 and February 1997 in Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) Rotations III and IV respectively), the 347th Air Expeditionary Wing, Shaikh Isa AB,
Bahrain, and the
363d Air Expeditionary Wing at
Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia. During this "phony war," American pilots gained invaluable experience in air-to-ground tactics that could not be duplicated in practice missions back at home. Combat missions briefly resumed in 1998 during
Operation Desert Fox.
Iraq and Afghanistan Ninth Air Force units, flying as USCENTAF, flew operational missions during the 2002
Operation Enduring Freedom—Afghanistan (OEF-A) and the
2003 invasion of Iraq,
Operation Iraqi Freedom; the operations against ISI/Daesh from 2014; and the
Iran War (2026). Units are routinely engaged in combat operations. U.S. Airmen are increasingly on the ground in Iraq: "They drive in convoys and even work with detainees. The main aerial hub in Iraq has 1,500 airmen doing convoy operations in and 1,000 working with detainees. The USAF is also involved in training Iraqis and performing other activities not usually associated with the Air Force. The dangers of the Air Force's new role were highlighted when the expeditionary wing lost its first female member in the line of duty in Iraq. A1C Elizabeth Jacobson, 21, was killed in a roadside bombing while performing convoy security near the U.S. detention center at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq." "More and more Air Force are doing Army jobs," said Senior Master Sgt. Matt Rossoni, 46, of San Francisco. "It's nothing bad about the Army. They're just tapped out." "
Air Force Security Forces are traditionally associated with base defense, however, now they provide security for patrols and to deliver supplies." The Air Force also kept up with its traditional duties. In November, the
386th Air Expeditionary Wing delivered its one millionth passenger to Iraq since October 2003. USAF missions included transporting troops, casualties and cargo flights. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps flew thousands of missions in support of U.S. ground troops in Iraq this fall, including attacks by unmanned Predator aircraft armed with Hellfire missiles, military records show. American and allied refueling, transport and surveillance planes also are in the air. Airstrikes have been largely in areas where the insurgency is strongest, like Balad, Ramadi and in the vicinity of Baghdad. By the end of the 2000s, US and allied air forces were controlled by air component coordination elements (ACCEs), a brigadier general with a small staff team. Yet they felt underutilized. In response, in late 2010, the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force was established, to supervise two task forces which replaced the ACCEs. The two Air Expeditionary Task Force commanders had statutory authority, rather than just coordination inputs, over U.S. and allied air forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan, in early 2014, comprised the 438th,
451st, and
455th Air Expeditionary Wings, the
466th Air Expeditionary Group and the
504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group. ==Components==