Sixteenth Air Force
Encyclopedia
The 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force (16 AETF) is a provisional United States Air Force
unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
. It was last activated at Izmir Air Base
, Turkey on 1 December 2006, and inactivated on 30 April 2008
The 16 AETF may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Formerly designated as Sixteenth Air Force, the command was the first newly established Numbered Air Force (NAF) by the USAF after World War II, It was activated in 1954 as a Joint Military Group to provide command and control of USAF activities in Spain, being designated a NAF in 1956. In 1957 16th AF was realigned under Strategic Air Command
to provide command and control of SAC bases and B-47 Stratojet
rotational units assigned and deployed to Spain and Morocco
.
In 1966 after SAC withdrew its forces from Europe, 16th AF became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
, providing command and control of USAFE forces initially in Spain and North Africa, and later in Italy
and Turkey
until 2006. It later became a provisional Air Expeditionary Task Force under USAFE as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
Wings
Sixteenth Air Force served both Strategic Air Command
and United States Air Forces in Europe
. Established as Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), on 20 May 1954. Activated on 20 May 1954 at Madrid, Spain, it was attached to the Joint U.S. Military Group, which oversaw implementation of the 1953 Spanish-American Defense Cooperation Agreement.
In 1956, the administration was re-designated as Headquarters, 16th AF, and aligned directly under Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. Existing Spanish air force bases were expanded near Madrid
, Sevilla and Zaragoza
. In 1957, 16th AF was realigned under the Strategic Air Command. Main operating bases in Spain were used for SAC B-47 rotational alert aircraft until April 1965.
16th AF also operated SAC bases in Morocco
from 1958 through 1963. In 1966, a year after SAC withdrew its B-47 alert force from Spain, 16th AF was reassigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The 401st Tactical Fighter Wing
, with three squadrons of F-100Ds, moved from the United States to Torrejon Air Base
, Spain. The wing later converted to F-4 Phantoms, and in 1983, to F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The 401st FW moved from Spain to Aviano AB, Italy, in May 1992 and was re-designated as the 31st FW in April 1994. It has two squadrons of F-16C/Ds. Headquarters, 16th AF moved to Aviano AB in August 1992. During its time at Aviano AB, Sixteenth Air Force was the operational air force for USAF combat operations in the Balkans
, supporting Operation Deny Flight, enforcing the U.N. ordered no-fly zone over Bosnia.
Throughout 1994, 16th AF supported Operation Deny Flight, enforcing the U.N. ordered no-fly zone over Bosnia. Sixteenth Air Force aircraft participated in the raid on the Bosnian-Serb held airfield at Ubdina in November 1994. In the fall of 1995, 16th AF supported Operation Deliberate Force, the U.N.-sanctioned/NATO executed attacks on Bosnian-Serb forces. In 1995, 16th AF supported Joint Endeavor, the NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, through operations in Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The years 1996 through 1998 saw continued high operations in 16th AF. It was the first Air Force organization to fully employ the expeditionary wing concept. The 16th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force, consisting of the 16th and 31st Air Expeditionary Wings, activated in support of Operation Joint Guard, and its air component, Operation Deliberate Guard, engaging air power for peace enforcement operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (These operations continue today as Operation Joint Forge, and it's air component, Operation Deliberate Forge). The 39th Air & Space Expeditionary Wing activated in support of Operation Northern Watch, engaging air power to enforce the no-fly zone over northern Iraq. These expeditionary units stand today as the models for presentation of air forces for the rest of the world.
Headquarters 16th AF formed the joint force air component command for Operation Silver Wake, the successful evacuation of Americans and allied noncombatants from Albania. The 31st Fighter Wing was the first F-16 Falcon unit to fly combat missions utilizing night vision goggles, and wing aircraft provided close air support during Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Sarajevo. Today the wing remains a major participant in support of Balkan air operations. The 39th Wing at Incirlik AB, Turkey, deployed a flying ambulance surgical team to Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia in response to the Khobar Towers terrorist attack. The wing assisted in the evacuation of nearly 6,500 pro-U.S. Kurds from northern Iraq. Today it remains a lead organization in support of no-fly zone enforcement over northern Iraq.
Beginning in March 1999, the 16th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force grew to 10 air expeditionary wings and 480 Air Force aircraft in 10 countries supporting Operation Allied Force, NATO's air campaign in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Approximately 13,200 airmen, in addition to 32,000 airmen through Europe, deployed in support of the 78-day air campaign that led to Serbian withdrawal of forces from the province of Kosovo.
In 2005, Sixteenth Air Force moved to Ramstein AB, Germany to become USAFE's new Warfighting Headquarters. Its mission was to execute aerospace operations through expeditionary force command and control in support of the U.S. European Command and NATO. Supporting this mission, 16th AF planned and executed combat air operations in southern Europe and portions of the Middle East and northern Africa as an air component or joint task force headquarters. It supported approximately 11,000 Air Force and civilian members at two main operating bases, four support bases and other sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia
, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia
, Greece, Turkey
and Israel
; and conducted peacetime engagement throughout the region
On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the Sixteenth Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base
, Turkey. It was replaced at Ramstein by the Third Air Force
. The 16th AETF was inactivated in April 2008.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
. It was last activated at Izmir Air Base
Izmir Air Base
Izmir Air Station is a United States Air Force facility in Izmir, Turkey. It is located SSW of Istanbul, on the western coast of Turkey.U.S. responsibilities in the Izmir area began on September 8, 1952 with the activation of Allied Land Forces Southeast Europe and the arrival on October 14, 1953...
, Turkey on 1 December 2006, and inactivated on 30 April 2008
The 16 AETF may be activated or inactivated at any time.
Formerly designated as Sixteenth Air Force, the command was the first newly established Numbered Air Force (NAF) by the USAF after World War II, It was activated in 1954 as a Joint Military Group to provide command and control of USAF activities in Spain, being designated a NAF in 1956. In 1957 16th AF was realigned under Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
to provide command and control of SAC bases and B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
rotational units assigned and deployed to Spain and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
In 1966 after SAC withdrew its forces from Europe, 16th AF became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, providing command and control of USAFE forces initially in Spain and North Africa, and later in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
until 2006. It later became a provisional Air Expeditionary Task Force under USAFE as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
Lineage
- Established as Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain)
- Activated on 20 May 1954
- Redesignated Sixteenth Air Force on 15 July 1956
- Inactivated 1 December 2006
- Redesignated as 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force and converted to provisional status on 1 December 2006
Assignments
- HQ, United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, 20 May 1954 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 1 July 1957 - United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 15 April 1966 – 1 December 2006
- For activation or inactivation any time after 1 December 2006
- Activated on 1 December 2006; Inactivated on 30 April 2008
Components
Air Divisions- 5th Air Division, 1 July 1957 – 15 January 1958
- 65th Air Division, 8 April 1957 – 1 July 1960
- 4310th Air Division4310th Air DivisionThe 4310th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was last assigned to the Sixteenth Air Force, and stationed at Nouasseur Air Base, Morocco...
, 15 January 1958 – 15 August 1963
Wings
- 7602nd Support Wing, 1 January – 10 May 1957
- 3977 Support Wing, 10 May 1957 – 1 April 1958
- 16th Air Expeditionary Wing16th Air Expeditionary WingThe United States Air Force's 16th Air Expeditionary Wing was an Air Expeditionary unit of the United States Air Forces in Europe until c.2005–06....
, 1 December 2006 – 30 April 2008 - 31st Fighter Wing (later Air Expeditionary Wing)31st Fighter WingThe 31st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy where it is also the host unit....
- 15 April 1994 – 1 December 2006
- 39th Air Base Group (later Air Base Wing, later Wing, later Air & Space Expeditionary Wing)39th Air Base WingThe 39th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Third Air Force. It is stationed at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey...
- 39th Air Base Group (later Air Base Wing, later Wing, later Air & Space Expeditionary Wing)
- 9 September 1970 – 15 October 1991
- 17 July 199 – 1 November 2005
- 401st Air Expeditionary Wing401st Air Expeditionary WingThe United States Air Force's 401st Air Expeditionary Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the Sixteenth Air Force, being stationed at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus...
(Dates to be determined)
- 401st Air Expeditionary Wing
Stations
- MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain, 20 May 1954 - Torrejon Air BaseTorrejon Air BaseMadrid-Torrejón Airport is a commercial airport in Spain. It is a joint-use facility between the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Works. The civil part is dedicated primarily to executive and private aviation. The airport is located northeast of Madrid, west of Alcalá de...
, Spain, 1 February 1958 - Aviano Air BaseAviano Air BaseAviano Air Base is a NATO Air Base under U.S. Air Force administration in northeastern Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It is located in Aviano municipality, at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps, or Southern Carnic Alps, about 15 kilometers from Pordenone.-Units:Aviano is hosted by the...
, Italy, 10 August 1992 – 1 December 2006 - Izmir Air BaseIzmir Air BaseIzmir Air Station is a United States Air Force facility in Izmir, Turkey. It is located SSW of Istanbul, on the western coast of Turkey.U.S. responsibilities in the Izmir area began on September 8, 1952 with the activation of Allied Land Forces Southeast Europe and the arrival on October 14, 1953...
, Turkey, 1 December 2006 – 30 April 2008
Operations
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
and United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
. Established as Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), on 20 May 1954. Activated on 20 May 1954 at Madrid, Spain, it was attached to the Joint U.S. Military Group, which oversaw implementation of the 1953 Spanish-American Defense Cooperation Agreement.
In 1956, the administration was re-designated as Headquarters, 16th AF, and aligned directly under Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. Existing Spanish air force bases were expanded near Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Sevilla and Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
. In 1957, 16th AF was realigned under the Strategic Air Command. Main operating bases in Spain were used for SAC B-47 rotational alert aircraft until April 1965.
16th AF also operated SAC bases in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
from 1958 through 1963. In 1966, a year after SAC withdrew its B-47 alert force from Spain, 16th AF was reassigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The 401st Tactical Fighter Wing
401st Air Expeditionary Wing
The United States Air Force's 401st Air Expeditionary Wing is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. Its last assignment was with the Sixteenth Air Force, being stationed at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus...
, with three squadrons of F-100Ds, moved from the United States to Torrejon Air Base
Torrejon Air Base
Madrid-Torrejón Airport is a commercial airport in Spain. It is a joint-use facility between the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Works. The civil part is dedicated primarily to executive and private aviation. The airport is located northeast of Madrid, west of Alcalá de...
, Spain. The wing later converted to F-4 Phantoms, and in 1983, to F-16 Fighting Falcons.
The 401st FW moved from Spain to Aviano AB, Italy, in May 1992 and was re-designated as the 31st FW in April 1994. It has two squadrons of F-16C/Ds. Headquarters, 16th AF moved to Aviano AB in August 1992. During its time at Aviano AB, Sixteenth Air Force was the operational air force for USAF combat operations in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, supporting Operation Deny Flight, enforcing the U.N. ordered no-fly zone over Bosnia.
Throughout 1994, 16th AF supported Operation Deny Flight, enforcing the U.N. ordered no-fly zone over Bosnia. Sixteenth Air Force aircraft participated in the raid on the Bosnian-Serb held airfield at Ubdina in November 1994. In the fall of 1995, 16th AF supported Operation Deliberate Force, the U.N.-sanctioned/NATO executed attacks on Bosnian-Serb forces. In 1995, 16th AF supported Joint Endeavor, the NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, through operations in Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The years 1996 through 1998 saw continued high operations in 16th AF. It was the first Air Force organization to fully employ the expeditionary wing concept. The 16th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force, consisting of the 16th and 31st Air Expeditionary Wings, activated in support of Operation Joint Guard, and its air component, Operation Deliberate Guard, engaging air power for peace enforcement operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (These operations continue today as Operation Joint Forge, and it's air component, Operation Deliberate Forge). The 39th Air & Space Expeditionary Wing activated in support of Operation Northern Watch, engaging air power to enforce the no-fly zone over northern Iraq. These expeditionary units stand today as the models for presentation of air forces for the rest of the world.
Headquarters 16th AF formed the joint force air component command for Operation Silver Wake, the successful evacuation of Americans and allied noncombatants from Albania. The 31st Fighter Wing was the first F-16 Falcon unit to fly combat missions utilizing night vision goggles, and wing aircraft provided close air support during Pope John Paul II's historic visit to Sarajevo. Today the wing remains a major participant in support of Balkan air operations. The 39th Wing at Incirlik AB, Turkey, deployed a flying ambulance surgical team to Dhahran AB, Saudi Arabia in response to the Khobar Towers terrorist attack. The wing assisted in the evacuation of nearly 6,500 pro-U.S. Kurds from northern Iraq. Today it remains a lead organization in support of no-fly zone enforcement over northern Iraq.
Beginning in March 1999, the 16th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force grew to 10 air expeditionary wings and 480 Air Force aircraft in 10 countries supporting Operation Allied Force, NATO's air campaign in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Approximately 13,200 airmen, in addition to 32,000 airmen through Europe, deployed in support of the 78-day air campaign that led to Serbian withdrawal of forces from the province of Kosovo.
In 2005, Sixteenth Air Force moved to Ramstein AB, Germany to become USAFE's new Warfighting Headquarters. Its mission was to execute aerospace operations through expeditionary force command and control in support of the U.S. European Command and NATO. Supporting this mission, 16th AF planned and executed combat air operations in southern Europe and portions of the Middle East and northern Africa as an air component or joint task force headquarters. It supported approximately 11,000 Air Force and civilian members at two main operating bases, four support bases and other sites in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Greece, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; and conducted peacetime engagement throughout the region
On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the Sixteenth Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base
Izmir Air Base
Izmir Air Station is a United States Air Force facility in Izmir, Turkey. It is located SSW of Istanbul, on the western coast of Turkey.U.S. responsibilities in the Izmir area began on September 8, 1952 with the activation of Allied Land Forces Southeast Europe and the arrival on October 14, 1953...
, Turkey. It was replaced at Ramstein by the Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
. The 16th AETF was inactivated in April 2008.