Seventeenth Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Seventeenth Air Force | |
|---|---|
 Seventeenth Air Force Emblem |
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| Active | 17 April 1953 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Part of | United States Air Forces in Europe |
| Garrison/HQ | Rabat-Sale, Morocco (1953-1956) Wheelus Air Base Libya (1956-1959) Ramstein Air Base West Germany (1959-1973) Sembach Air Base Germany (1973-1996) |
Seventeenth Air Force was a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service.
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[edit] History
The command was established as Seventeenth Air Force on 17 April 1953. Organized on 25 April 1953, at Rabat-Sale, French Morocco (later, Morocco), and assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. The organization's mission was a support organization for Air Force activities throughout southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Seventeenth Air Force was moved to Wheelus Air Base, Libya, on 1 August 1956 then was moved without personnel or equipment to Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, on 15 November 1959 and remanned.
At Ramstein, Seventeenth Air Force exchanged its support mission in the southern region for the defensive and offensive air mission in central Europe. It was moved to Sembach Air Base, West Germany, in October 1972.
In the 1980s, 17th Air Force saw the number of its subordinate units almost double. Its area of responsibility included three of the Ground Launched Cruise Missile sites in Europe. In 1985, for the first time ever, 17th Air Force brought together all European-based electronic warfare aircraft under a single command when it activated the 65th Air Division and the 66th Electronic Wing at Sembach. All of these units were deactivated in the early 1990s.
Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated effective 30 September 1996.
[edit] Assigned Units
- 65th Air Division - Lindsey AB, Germany
- 316th Air Division - Ramstein AB, Germany
- 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing - Zweibrucken AB, Germany
- 36th Tactical Fighter Wing - Bitburg AB, Germany
- 38th Tactical Missile Wing - Wueschheim AS, Germany
- 50th Tactical Fighter Wing - Hahn AB, Germany
- 52nd Tactical Fighter Wing - Spangdahlem AB, Germany
- 66th Electronic Combat Wing - Sembach AB, Germany
- 86th Tactical Fighter Wing - Ramstein AB, Germany
- 377th Combat Support Wing - Ramstein AB, Germany
- 486th Tactical Missile Wing - Woensdrecht AS, the Netherlands
- 601st Tactical Control Wing - Sembach AB, Germany
- 7100th Combat Support Wing - Lindsey AS, Germany
