For the last year, the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command has aggressively pursued revamping its organization to combat increasing threats, including cyber.
Shield of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance AgencyActive20 October 1948 to 29 September 2014CountryUnited StatesBranchTypeRole, &Part ofGarrison/HQ,Motto(s)Freedom Through VigilanceCommandersCurrentcommanderThe Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency ( Air Force ISR Agency or AFISRA) was until 29 September 2014 a of the headquartered at, Texas. On that date it was redesignated and aligned as a (NAF) of the.Its primary mission was to provide (ISR) products, applications, capabilities and resources, to include cyber and geospatial forces and expertise. Additionally, it was the service cryptologic component (SCC) responsible to the and for Air Force activities.Originally called the, the Air Force ISR Agency was activated on 20 October 1948, at, Washington, D.C., with a mission of and.AFISRA was last commanded by Major General John Shanahan. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant was Chief Master Sergeant Arleen Heath. Both continued in their positions upon the creation of 25 AF.
Contents.Overview The agency organizes, trains, equips, presents, and deploys assigned forces and capabilities to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for combatant commanders and the nation. It also implements and oversees the execution of Air Force policies intended to expand ISR capabilities.The agency's 17,000 people serve at about 65 locations worldwide.On 14 July 2014, the and of the Air Force announced that the Air Force ISR Agency would be reorganized into the Twenty-Fifth Air Force ( 25 AF), a assigned to, on 1 October 2014.
Units Assigned units Two active duty wings, one group, and two centers were assigned to the Air Force ISR Agency. Wings., Maryland., VirginiaGroups., FloridaCenters., Florida., OhioSupported units AFISRA is responsible for mission management and support of signals intelligence operations for one and three wings. Numbered Air Forces., TexasWings., California., Nebraska., NevadaAir National Guard units., Massachusetts., Indiana., KansasHistory. This section relies largely or entirely on a single. Relevant discussion may be found on the. Please help by introducing to additional sources.Find sources: – ( July 2014)United States Air Force Security Service The Air Force ISR Agency was established as the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) on 20 October 1948.
The service was headquartered at, a former girls' school and the headquarters of the United States Army's (SIS) cryptography effort during. The USAFSS was tasked with the and missions of the newly formed.
The USAFSS moved to, in, Texas, in April 1949, and then to 'Security Hill' at nearby in August 1953.During the, the USAFSS personnel provided units with intelligence on the movements of major forces from to. USAFSS personnel received training at, and flew on the to relay communications to allied ground forces on the.During the early days of the, USAFSS crews flew missions on several aircraft converted for intelligence missions, including the, the, and the 's.
The USAFSS established communications stations in Germany, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Scotland, and later installed 'Elephant Cage' radar sites in Alaska, England, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, and Turkey.The USAFSS became involved in the when the asked it to establish an Air Force Special Security Office at near in 1961. By the following year, a USAFSS squadron and three subordinate detachments were operating in Vietnam and Thailand, and USAFSS personnel supported threat warning operations. USAFSS crews also flew on missions to search for aircrew shot down in North Vietnam and additional SAC RC-135s deployed to, Japan.Electronic Security Command On 1 August 1979, the Air Force redesignated the USAFSS as the Electronic Security Command (ESC), reflecting the organization's additional mission of improving the Air Force's use of technology in combat.
In 1985, the Air Force tasked ESC with computer security, in addition to its intelligence and electronic warfare missions.ESC provided intelligence support to the in 1989 and were among the first U.S. Military personnel to arrive in for the. During that conflict, ESC personnel operated at three different locations in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.Air Force Intelligence Command On 1 October 1991, the Air Force redesignated ESC as the Air Force Intelligence Command (AFIC) and consolidated Air Force intelligence functions and resources into a single command. AFIC merged ESC with the Air Force Foreign Technology Center at, Ohio, the Air Special Activities Center at, Virginia, and elements of the Air Force Intelligence Agency, Washington D.C. With the combined missions, AFIC was tasked with intelligence, security, electronic combat, foreign technology, and treaty monitoring.
Air Intelligence Agency The organization was redesignated again when it became the Air Intelligence Agency on 1 October 1993. During the 1990s, AIA personnel deployed to support operations during the and, and as part of Operations and in Southwest Asia.In February 2001, the Air Force assigned AIA to, where it provided support to combat operations in the, the, and the.Air Force ISR Agency In August 2006, General, the, directed that the Air Force intelligence efforts stress intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. AIA was eventually redesignated the Air Force ISR Agency (AFISRA) on 8 June 2007. The organization change included transforming AFISRA into a field operating agency and reassigning it from Air Combat Command to Headquarters Air Force. With the change, AFISRA reported to the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.Beginning in 2009, AFISRA personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to support aircraft as part of Project LIBERTY.25th Air Force. Main article:In July 2014 the Air Force announced that the Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency was being realigned from Headquarters Air Force as a Field Operating Agency to become part of a new operational numbered air force under Air Combat Command.
AFISRA became 25th Air Force on 29 September 2014 at a ceremony held at JBSA-Lackland.Chairman of the Senate Armed Forces committee would later call this move 'a shell game' designed to comply with a DoD requirement to cut excess staff, without actually cutting any positions or saving any money at all. Amann, Wayne (7 June 2013). Air Force ISR Agency Public Affairs (afisr.af.mil). Archived from on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
^ McCullough, Amy, 'ISR Agency Becomes 25th Air Force', Air Force Magazine: Journal of the Air Force Association, November 2014, Volume 97 No. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014. ^ Myers, Harold; Marshall, Gabriel (2009), (PDF) (5th ed.),: AF ISR Agency History Office, retrieved 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Chavana, Jarrod (14 July 2014), Air Force ISR Agency Public Affairs, retrieved 16 July 2014. Everstine, Brian (14 July 2014). Retrieved 16 July 2014. Mehta, Aaron (25 March 2015). Retrieved 27 March 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ Fletcher, Harry R.
Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. 6924th ESS, Hawaii, 19 August 2014 at the.
Retrieved 10 September 2012. 29 May 2014 at the. Retrieved 10 September 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012. ^ Mueller, Robert (1989).
Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. 11 August 2014 at the. Retrieved 10 September 2012. Willard, TSG Richard R. (1988) 1968. Location of United States Military Units in the United Kingdom, 16 July 1948 – 31 December 1967.
USAF Air Station, South Ruislip, United Kingdom: Historical Division, Office of Information, Third Air Force. See 11 August 2014 at the. Retrieved 10 September 2012External links. Aircraft Analysis Squadron. Cyber Analysis Squadron.
Electronic Analysis Squadron. Engineering Analysis Squadron. Integrated Air Defense Systems Analysis Squadron.
Foreign Materiel Exploitation Squadron. Geospatial Intelligence and Measurements and Signatures Intelligence Analysis Squadron. Imagery Analysis Squadron. Information Exploitation Squadron. Signals Analysis Squadron.
C4 Information Operations Analysis Squadron. Future Threats Analysis Squadron. Regional Threats Analysis Squadron. Ballistic Missiles Analysis Squadron. Counterspace Analysis Squadron. Special Analysis Squadron.
Detailed. 1 June 1992 – present (as Air Combat Command)21 March 1946 – 1 June 1992 (as )CountryBranch(26 September 1947 – Present)(; 21 March 1946 – 26 September 1947)TypeRoleTrain, equip, and provideSize84,850 Airmen1,110 aircraftHeadquarters, U.S.Motto(s)'Global Power for America.' EngagementsDecorationsWebsiteCommandersCommanderDeputy CommanderCommand ChiefAircraft flown,Air Combat Command ( ACC) is one of nine (MAJCOMs) in the, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force (HAF) at. It is the primary provider of air combat forces for the Air Force, and it is the direct successor to. Air Combat Command is headquartered at, Virginia, United States. Contents.Mission The mission of Air Combat Command is to be the primary force provider of air combat forces to America's warfighting commands, the geographic, specifically to, and, where ACC Numbered Air Forces serve as the air components.
In addition, ACC augments the forces of the,. ACC organizes, trains, equips, and maintains combat-ready units for rapid deployment abroad while also ensuring of the United States is strong enough for both peacetime and wartime needs.ACC directly operates 1,110, and along with (C4I) systems,Air Force ground forces, conducts, and controls Air Force Intelligence.Air Combat Command consists of approximately 74,240 Airmen and 10,610 Department of the Air Force Civilians. When mobilized, more than 49,000 additional Airmen of the and the, along with over 700 additional aircraft, are operationally-gained and assigned to ACC, bringing total aircraft to more than 1,800 and number of Airmen to 123,240.In 2009, responsibility for nuclear-capable bombers, specifically the and the, along with their associated units, bases and personnel, were transferred from ACC to the newly established. In 2015, responsibility for the bomber fleet was also transferred from ACC to AFGSC, putting the entire Air Force bomber force under AFGSC, however some B-1Bs and B-52Hs remain under the for test and evaluation. History Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the (TAC), (SAC) and (MAC). Upon activation, ACC assumed control of all former-TAC fighters, all, battle management resources, and (ICBMs).
Furthermore, ACC had some and and tactical airlift aircraft in its composite, reconnaissance, and other combat wings. In 1993, control of the ICBM force was transferred to the (AFSPC) until transferred again to (AFGSC) on 1 December 2009.Following the inactivation of SAC at, Nebraska, a new unified command, the, was activated at Offutt, created to manage the combined strategic nuclear forces belonging to both the U.S. Air Force and the.Historically, Combat Command was an earlier air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the tactical air units of the, formerly known as the GHQ Air Force, formed the Air Force Combat Command. The AFCC was dissolved in the reorganization of the, effective 9 March 1942, which created the as a major command of the Army, which functioned as a de facto independent service branch of the Armed Forces. Mission Realignments. A maintenance crew prepares an RQ-4 Global Hawk for a test at Combat search and rescue Not long after activation, ACC underwent organizational and mission changes.
The first such major change was the transfer of the (CSAR) from to ACC. With the realigning of search and rescue units, ACC gained additional resources, as well as a new mission. The formal transfer took place on 1 February 1993, when the (ARS) was assigned to ACC. On 2 July of the same year, the ARS was disestablished and rescue units became fully integrated in the same manner as other ACC units reporting to numbered air forces.
The USAF Combat Rescue School was subsequently assigned to the 57th Wing at, Nevada. Flight training One of the most significant changes for Air Combat Command resulted from an overhaul of flying training responsibilities. Following its activation, ACC was responsible for aircraft-specific aircrew training, including initial weapon system and continuation training. On 1 July 1993, the 58th and 325th Fighter Wings—F-16 and F-15 training units transferred from ACC to (AETC). Concurrently, Arizona, and, Florida, for which those respective wings were the host units, also moved from ACC to AETC ownership. However, on 1 October 2012, both Tyndall AFB and the 325th Fighter Wing returned to the control of ACC. Tanker and airlift The next major organizational change resulted from a fine-tuning of and resources.
From its activation, Air Combat Command had assumed ownership of some theater airlift assets. Just as ownership of overseas C-130 resources had already been transferred to and commanders, it was decided that all C-130s based in the CONUS would be under the control of ACC, while at the same time, almost all KC-135 tankers would be assigned to.There was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command. During the earliest days of (TAC), the command had carried out the 'tactical' or combat airborne aspect of airlift operations, leaving the 'strategic' or logistical mission to, later redesignated (the precursor of today's ) in 1966. The tactical airlift mission included logistical airlift, airborne operations, aeromedical evacuation, and air support for special operations.
This division of the airlift mission continued until 1 December 1974, when TAC transferred its CONUS-based tactical airlift units, including Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard tactical airlift units, to (MAC). MAC gained the overseas units from theater commands on 31 March 1975.On 1 October 1993, all Air Mobility Command C-130s with the exception of those permanently under (USAFE) and (PACAF) regions were transferred to ACC, while USAFE and PACAF assumed control of the C-130 permanently based in their respective geographic regions.
Concurrently, all KC-10 tankers and all KC-135 tankers except those at, Idaho, which supported the fighter and bomber aircraft of the composite wing stationed there, transferred to AMC. ACC also retained two KC-135s at Nebraska and, North Dakota under ACC control until transferring them to AMC on 1 October 1993., Kansas;, Washington; and their respective air refueling wings were also transferred to AMC in January 1994 and July 1994, respectively.In 1997, a subsequent USAF reorganization of ACC and AMC resulted in all CONUS-based C-130 theater airlift aircraft being reassigned from ACC back to AMC. This change also shifted operational claimancy for all 'slick' theater airlift mission C-130s in the and CONUS-based. And C-130 assets remained in those respective MAJCOMs to include PACAF's operational claimancy for Alaska Air National Guard C-130 and HC-130 assets.
Operational deployments In Southwest Asia, Air Combat Command provided active duty and reserve component forces for the follow-on to to deter Iraqi aggression. In October 1994, ACC also demonstrated its ability to react quickly to the buildup of Iraqi troops near the border of Kuwait. In addition, ACC, from its inception, has provided indispensable support to counter-drug operations, including (AWACS), and, as well as and connectivity assets.Participation in humanitarian operations has also been a recurring theme. Air Combat Command supported the humanitarian efforts of the (USAFE), deploying active duty and air reserve component forces to Provide Promise and Deny Flight in Eastern Europe and Operation Provide Comfort out of, Turkey.
Provide Promise offered humanitarian relief airlift support to the city of, while Deny Flight enforced the 'no-fly' zone against Serb air attacks on Bosnian civilians. Operation Provide Comfort, another humanitarian operation, also provided relief to Kurdish inhabitants of northern Iraq who had undergone fierce repression by the Iraqi government.In addition, ACC supported United States Atlantic Command's humanitarian relief to Haitian refugees associated with Operation GTMO at, Cuba. Similarly, the command supported and the processing of Cuban refugees during the latter part of the summer of 1994. Across the Atlantic, Air Combat Command units participated in Operation Restore Hope, largely an humanitarian operation intended to provide food for Somalia. Also, ACC regular and ACC-gained C-130 units deployed to Uganda and Kenya to participate in Operation Support Hope.
This operation, conducted by the, comprised part of the United Nations effort to provide humanitarian relief to victims of the civil war in Rwanda.In keeping with its global responsibilities, ACC initiated a series of 'Global Power' missions in 1993. ACC's bomber wings are required to perform out-of-CONUS training flights to demonstrate the capability to perform their 'quick reaction' worldwide mission.
On one of the global power missions, two aircraft of the 28th Bomb Wing, South Dakota, set a B-1 flying time record on the first leg of their round-the-world flight, 11–13 August 1993. The following year, two from the 2d Bomb Wing, Louisiana, circumnavigated the globe in 47.2 hours, the longest jet aircraft flight in history. Global war on terrorism Air Combat Command units flew operational missions during the 2002 – Afghanistan (OEF-A) and the 2003 invasion of Iraq,.The task of developing a comprehensive listing of ACC units present in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat areas is particularly difficult as the events of 11 September 2001 and the has made such an effort significantly difficult. The USAF seeks to improve operational security (OPSEC) and to deceive potential enemies as to the extent of American operations, therefore a listing of which units deploying where and when is unavailable.However, it is certain that ACC units are actively flying combat missions in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.Predecessor units merged into Air Combat Command 1992. From the original on 15 September 2017. ^. From the original on 4 November 2016.
(PDF). (PDF) from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017. CS1 maint: archived copy as title. ^ (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
CS1 maint: archived copy as title. Pike, John. From the original on 19 October 2017. ^.
From the original on 5 October 2018. From the original on 7 December 2017. From the original on 6 October 2017. ^. From the original on 24 January 2007.
From the original on 27 May 2017. 53d Wing. ^. Air Combat Command.
From the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016. 'Air Mobility: A Brief History of the American Experience' by Robert C. Owen; Potomac Books, Washington, DC, c2013;. From the original on 17 December 2014. ^ WOPE – Without Personnel or Equipment.
From the original on 15 February 2017. Cohen, Rachel S. (18 September 2019). Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2019. DAF/A1M Letter 694t:, Consolidation of Tactical Air Command and Air Combat Command, 7 September 2016. Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., 1989.
(PDF). Air Force Command and Control Integration Center. Archived from (PDF) on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
Bailey, Carl E. (7 October 2016). Air Force Historical Research Agency.
From the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.External links.