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===Major Components===
===Major Components===
'''Commands'''
* 1 Ground Air Support
: (later, I Air Support; I Tactical Air Division; III Tactical Air Division; III Reconnaissance)
:12 Aug 1942-21 Mar 1946
: II Air Support (later, II Tactical Air Division): 25 Jan 1943-25 Oct 1945.
: 3 Air Force Service (later, 3 Air Force Base): 1 Oct 1941-19 May 1942
: 3 Air Support: 1 Sep 1941-16 Mar 1942
: 3 Bomber (later, III Bomber): 5 Sep 1941-21 Mar 1946
: 3 Interceptor (later, III Interceptor; III Fighter): 17 Jun 1941-21 Mar 1946
: III Ground Air Support (later, III Air Support; III Reconnaissance; III Tactical Air)
: 27 May 1942-24 Oct 1945.

'''Division'''
* [[49th Air Division|49 Air]]: 5 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1956.


===Operational History===
===Operational History===

Revision as of 18:30, 8 September 2008

Third Air Force
Third Air Force emblem
Active19 December 1940-Present
CountryUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Air Force
Part ofUnited States Air Forces in Europe
Garrison/HQRamstein Air Base
Commanders
Current
commander		Lieutenant General Philip M. Breedlove[1]

Third Air Force is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As Air Forces Europe (AFEUR), it serves as the Air Force Component of the United States European Command.

Mission

The command was reactivated 1 December 2006, after being deactivated in 2005.

The Third Air Force plans combat and humanitarian operations in the USAFE area of responsibility and conducts conduct day-to-day operations for USAFE and European Command to organize, train and equip Airmen for the functions they could be called upon to accomplish around the world. It is composed of more than 25,000 military people, and more than 35,000 family members. Third Air Force is assigned more than 200 aircraft, while tasked to provide support servicing to thousands of other transient aircraft that visit its bases each year.

Units

Major operational units under Third Air Force are:

In addition, there are numerous minor units assigned to Third Air Force by HQ USAFE.

  • 603d Air and Space Operations Center
  • 603d Support Group
  • 4th Air Support Operations Group

Among others.

History

Lineage

  • Established as Southeast Air District on 19 Oct 1940
Activated on 18 Dec 1940
Redesignated: 3 Air Force on 26 Mar 1941
Redesignated: Third Air Force on 18 Sep 1942
Inactivated on 1 Nov 1946
  • Activated and organized on 1 May 1951
Inactivated on 1 Nov 2005
  • Redesignated Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) on 29 Nov 2006
Activated on 1 Dec 2006.

Assignments

  • General Headquarters Air Force
(later, Air Force Combat Command), 18 Dec 1940

Stations

(later, U.S. Air Base, South Ruislip; South Ruislip Air Station), England, 1 May 1951
Ramstein AB, Germany, 1 Dec 2006-.

Major Components

Commands

  • 1 Ground Air Support
(later, I Air Support; I Tactical Air Division; III Tactical Air Division; III Reconnaissance)
12 Aug 1942-21 Mar 1946
II Air Support (later, II Tactical Air Division): 25 Jan 1943-25 Oct 1945.
3 Air Force Service (later, 3 Air Force Base): 1 Oct 1941-19 May 1942
3 Air Support: 1 Sep 1941-16 Mar 1942
3 Bomber (later, III Bomber): 5 Sep 1941-21 Mar 1946
3 Interceptor (later, III Interceptor; III Fighter): 17 Jun 1941-21 Mar 1946
III Ground Air Support (later, III Air Support; III Reconnaissance; III Tactical Air)
27 May 1942-24 Oct 1945.

Division

  • 49 Air: 5 Jun 1952-1 Jul 1956.

Operational History

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

World War II

Headquartered at MacDill Army Airfield, Florida during World War II, 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 and Gulf of Mexico from after Pearl Harbor until October 1942. In addition, the command performed training through Army Air Forces Training Command of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.

After October 1942, the antisubmarine patrols were turned over to the Coast Guard and other agencies and the command was engaged primarily in training replacements for combat units.

In 1944, the majority of the Numbered Air Forces of the USAAF were fighting in various parts of the world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe and the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific. They were supported by four numbered air forces located within the United States (known as the Zone of the Interior, or "ZI".) On 13 December 1944, First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all were placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces, the predecessor of the later established Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and Air Defense Command, which were all established in 1946.

Postwar Era

The command was assigned on 21 March 1946 to Tactical Air Command to serve as a troop carrier organization. It was headquartered at Greenville AAF, South Carolina. It was inactivated on 1 November 1946.

Cold War

Third Air Force was reactivated on 1 May 1951, being assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. It was headquartered at South Ruislip Air Station near London. Its initial mission was to oversee tactical air operations from the United Kingdom and provide logistics and support to Strategic Air Command's Seventh Air Division. Third Air Force carried out that mission basically unchanged through 1966, when SAC's Seventh Air Division was inactivated.

Lockheed-Marietta B-47E-65-LM Stratojet Serial 53-1904 on SAC Reflex alert pad - RAF Brize Norton, 1954
File:F-84g-51-988-77tfs-rafw.jpg
F-84Gs of the 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron, RAF Wethersfield
File:F-100s-20ftw-weth.jpg
North American F-100D Super Sabres, Serial numbers 55-2805 and 56-3204 of the 79th Tactical Fighrer Squadron, RAF Woodbridge
McDonnell F-4D-28-MC Phantom Serial 65-0738 at RAF Bentwaters, Sep 1972.
Northrop F-5E Tiger II Serials 73-0953, 0956 and 0985 of the 527th TFTAS in formation at RAF Alconbury, 1977
A-10A Serial 81-0991 at RAF Bentwaters.
F-15C Serial 80-082, 53d Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base

The first tactical unit to come to England under Third Air Force was the 81st Fighter Bomber Wing based at RAF Bentwaters on 6 September 1951. The next assigned unit was the 20th Fighter Bomber Wing, going to RAF Wethersfield. These Republic F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderchief and North American F-86 Sabre units worked with Royal Air Force Fighter Command providing air defense for England.

With the Korean War and the growing threat of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and UK agreed to an even greater U.S. military presence in the United Kingdom. By 1955, American military forces in Britain reached 45,900, and adding the dependents, the total U.S. military presence in the UK was over 80,000.

Throughout the 1950s, Strategic Air Command bomber units deployed on a regular rotational basis from the United States to the United Kingdom. The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was a familiar sight in the skies over RAF Mildenhall and RAF Upper Heyford at this time, as entire wings deployed on 90-day "Reflex" rotations, Even the massive Convair B-36 deployed to UK bases.

In 1958, the U.S. and UK reached agreement about basing intermediate range PGM-17 Thor missiles, and four strategic missile squadrons deployed to East Anglia. Thor missiles remained in the United Kingdom five years, until 1963, when long range Intercontinental ballistic missiles based in the U.S. superseded the intermediate range Thor. Overseas deployment of the Thor was no longer needed.

The 1960s saw continuous fluctuations in the U.S. Air Force presence in the United Kingdom. In 1961, some bases were returned and numbered air force activities merged. Support squadrons were eliminated at South Ruislip, West Ruislip, Bovingdon, Bushy Park, and Denham. In 1963, project Clearwater halted large scale rotational bomber deployments to Britain. RAF Fairford, RAF Chelveston, RAF Greenham Common, and RAF Sculthorpe were returned to the Air Ministry.

During the 1960s, Third Air Force has 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, and McDonnell 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 U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein 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 to RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom.

In 1979, NATO ministers decided to deploy BGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise and Pershing II IRBM missiles to counter the growing Soviet SS-20 intermediate range ballistic missile threat. RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth were selected as the beddown sites for the GLCM. The 501st Tactical Missile Wing (TMW) was activated at RAF Greenham Common in July 1982 and the 303d 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 at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Upper Heyford were launched against suspected terrorist targets in Libya, as part of Operation Eldorado Canyon.

With the signing of the Intermediate-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.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait 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.

Post Cold War

The end of the Cold War with the former Soviet 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.

Recognizing that the threat to NATO was significantly reduced with the end of the Cold War, 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 British Ministry 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 of Seventeenth Air Force at Sembach Air Base Germany, transferring its responsibility for overseeing all U.S. Air Force units north of the Alps to Third Air Force. As a result of the changes, Third Air Force grew substantially, taking on two main operating bases, Ramstein Air Base and Spangdahlem 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.

On 1 November 2005 Third Air Force was inactivated by HQ USAFE as part of a larger U.S. Strategic Theater Transformation.

See also

References

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

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