Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force emblem
Active 28 December 1941
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Part of Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General James T. Rubeor [1]

Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.

In the event of mobilization, some of the Twenty-Second Air Force subordinate units would come under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command's (AMC) 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, headquartered at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey$3.

Contents

Mission

22 AF is responsible for recruiting and training reservists and for maintaining subordinate units at the highest level of combat readiness. A by-product of training is to coordinate daily support of the active duty air force.

22 AF's wartime mission is to provide combat-ready airlift and support units and augments personnel requirements to Air Mobility Command in the United States.

Twenty-Second Air Force manages more than 25,000 Reservists and has 149 unit-equipped aircraft. Reserve crews fly C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster IIIs, C5A/B Galaxies, and KC-10 Extenders, which are located at fifteen different Reserve wings. The 24 flying squadrons and more than 225 support units are spread throughout fourteen states – from New York to Mississippi$3, and from Massachusetts$3 to Minnesota$3, with its western most wing in Colorado Springs, Colorado$3.

Units

Dobbins ARB, Georgia
Peterson AFB, Colorado$3
Charleston AFB, South Carolina$3
Keesler AFB, Mississippi$3
Westover ARB, Massachusetts$3
Pope Army Air Field, North Carolina$3
Dover AFB, Delaware$3
McGuire AFB, New Jersey$3
Maxwell AFB, Alabama$3
Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station, Ohio$3
Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania$3
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York
Minneapolis St Paul ARS, Minnesota$3

History

Established as the Domestic Division, Air Corps Transport Command in the early days of World War II, the organization's mission was the transport of newly-produced aircraft from points within the United States to Ports of Embarkation for shipment to Britain and our other overseas Allies. In 1946, the organization was transferred to Air Transport Command and became, in essence, a military airline its Continental Division, managing transport routes within the United States.

When the USAF was created as a separate service in 1947, Military Air Transport Service was established to support the new Department of Defense, with responsibility for its support falling to the Department of the Air Force. Redesignated Western Transport Air Force (WESTAF), the organization managed all MATS operations from the Mississippi River west to the east coast of Africa until MATS was replaced by the Military Airlift Command in 1966. When MATS became MAC, WESTAF was redesignated 22d AF, with headquarters at Travis AFB, CA.

During the 1960s, Twenty-Second Air Force transports flew missions worldwide, supporting the efforts of the United States in Southeast Asia, Europe and other places around the world. In December 1974, the Twenty-Second Air Force absorbed Tactical Air Command's Twelfth Air Force C-130 Hercules tactical airlift operations.

On 29 March 1979, the Twenty-Second Air Force assumed responsibility for managing Military Airlift Command resources in the Pacific. For this mission, the unit provided a single commander for MAC airlift units in the Pacific theater; command and control of theater-assigned airlift forces for Pacific Air Forces; theater tactical airlift war planning and Pacific exercise planning; and aerial ports in the Pacific area to support the air movement of personnel, cargo, equipment, patients, and mail. The division participated in tactical exercises such as Team Spirit, Ulchi Focus Lens, and Capstan Dragon.

The unit was relieved from assignment to Military Airlift Command and assigned to Air Mobility Command on 1 June 1992. Activated the same day at Dobbins ARB, GA, with a change in assignment to the Air Force Reserve. It is under the peacetime command of Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, GA.

Lineage

Redesignated: Domestic Wing, ACFC, on 26 February 1942
Redesignated: Ferrying Division, AAFFC, 20 June 1942
Redesignated: Continental Division, ATC, 28 February 1946
Discontinued on 31 October 1946
Redesignated: Western Transport Air Force, 1 July 1958
Redesignated: Twenty-Second Air Force, 8 January 1966
Inactivated 1 July 1993
Activated 1 July 1993

Assignments

Components

World War II

Sectors

New Castle Army Air Field, Delaware
Redesignated: 2 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 552 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 31 Dec 1945
Wayne County Airport, Michigan
Redesignated: 3 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 553 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 15 Jan 1946
Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee
Redesignated: 4 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 554 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944-c. Dec 1945
Hensley Field, Texas
Redesignated: 5 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 555 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 9 Aug 1946
Long Beach Municipal Airport, California
Redesignated: 6 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 556 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 1 Dec 1946
Boeing Field, Washington
Redesignated: 7 Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Redesignated: 557 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 14 Dec 1945

Wings

Presque Isle Army Airfield, Maine
Redesignated: North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 1 Sep 1943
Atkinson Field, Georgetown, British Guiana
Redesignated: South Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 9 Oct 1943
Hamilton Field, California
Redesignated: South Pacific Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 30 Sep 1943
Payne Airfield, Cairo, Egypt
Redesignated: Africa Middle East Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 30 Sep 1943
Morrision Field, Florida
Redesignated: Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 16 Oct 1943

Groups/Base Units

Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee
Redesignated: 558 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 9 Apr 1946
Palm Springs Army Airfield, California
Redesignated: 560 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 20 May 1946
Fairfax Field, Kansas
Redesignated: 569 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 15 Apr 1945

United States Air Force

Divisions

Wings

Groups

Squadrons

Stations

References

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal
World War II portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links