Sixteenth Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 16th Air Force | |
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 Emblem of the 16th Air Force |
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| Active | 20 May 1954 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | United States Air Forces Europe |
| Garrison/HQ | Ramstein Air Base, Germany |
Sixteenth Air Force was a Numbered Air Force under the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) major command of the United States Air Force.
[edit] History
Sixteenth Air Force was originally activated on 20 May 1954 as the Joint United States Military Group, Air Administration (Spain), a seperate operating agency of the US Air Force. It became the Sixteenth Air Force on 15 July 1956. Almost a year later, on 1 July 1957, it became part of Strategic Air Command (SAC). SAC moved Sixteenth Air Force from its first home in Madrid to Torrejon AB, Spain on 1 February 1958. With SACs withdrawal from Europe, the Sixteenth Air Force was turned over to USAFE 15 April 1966.
Sixteenth Air Force remained at Torrejon AB until 10 August 1992, when it moved to Aviano AB, Italy. During its time at Aviano AB, Sixteenth Air Force was the operational air force for USAF combat operations in the Balkans.
In 2005, Sixteenth Air Force moved to Ramstein AB, Germany to become USAFE's new Warfighting Headquarters. At this time the 401st Air Expeditionary Group, responsible for ongoing US Air Force contingency support in the Balkans, was the only major unit assigned to Sixteenth Air Force in its new role. All other wings that were assigned were reassigned to HQ Air Command Europe.
On 1 December 2006, the Sixteenth Air Force was inactivated at Ramstein AB and simultaneously reconstituted as the 16th Air Expeditionary Task Force at Izmir Air Base, Turkey. It was replaced at Ramstein by the Third Air Force.
[edit] References
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| ACTIVE BASES: | RAF Alconbury (USAFE) • RAF Croughton (USAFE) • RAF Fairford (USAFE) • RAF Feltwell (USAFE) • RAF Lakenheath (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Menwith Hill (USAFE) • RAF Mildenhall (SAC/USAFE/AMC) • RAF Molesworth (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Upwood (USAFE) • RAF Welford (USAFE) |
| INACTIVE BASES: | RAF Bentwaters (USAFE) • RAF Burtonwood (AFMC) • RAF Chelveston (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Chicksands (USAFSS) • RAF Greenham Common (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Manston (USAFE) • RAF Sculthorpe (SAC) • RAF Shepherds Grove (USAFE) • RAF Upper Heyford (SAC/USAFE) • RAF Wethersfield (USAFE) • RAF Woodbridge (USAFE) |
| ACTIVE ORGANIZATIONS: | United States Air Forces in Europe • HQ Air Command Europe • 48th Fighter Wing (USAFE) • 100th Air Refueling Wing (USAFE) • 501st Combat Support Wing (USAFE) |
| PAST ORGANIZATIONS: | Third Air Force • Sixteenth Air Force |
