Fourth Air Force

Fourth Air Force
Unit name	Fourth Air Force
Caption	Emblem of Fourth Air Force
Dates	1940–present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Numbered Air Force
Role	Aerospace defense, training, readiness
Garrison	March Air Reserve Base
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation

Fourth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command headquartered at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. It commands reserve units involved in air mobility, air refueling, and fighter operations, supporting continental defense and expeditionary operations coordinated with North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Northern Command, and Pacific Air Forces. Established during the pre‑World War II expansion of the United States Army Air Corps, it played major roles in air defense, training, and logistics across the continental United States and the Pacific Theater.

History

Activated in 1940 amid rapid expansion of the United States Army Air Corps and the mobilization that followed the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Fourth Air Force initially focused on continental air defense and training for bomber and fighter crews. During World War II it supervised air defense of the West Coast of the United States and operated training centers that prepared units for campaigns such as the Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of Midway, and operations in the Aleutian Islands Campaign. Postwar restructuring placed it under Strategic Air Command before reassignment to reserve components and roles in tactical and strategic airlift. During the Cold War Fourth Air Force supported alert forces during crises including the Berlin Airlift aftermath and coordinated with Continental Air Command for continental defense exercises. In the post‑Vietnam era and after the establishment of the independent United States Air Force in 1947, Fourth Air Force transitioned to a reserve command role within Air Force Reserve Command, contributing personnel and units to operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mission and Organization

The primary mission supports operational readiness, training, and mobilization of reserve wings and groups to execute aerial refueling, strategic airlift, and fighter missions in support of United States Northern Command and United States Transportation Command taskings. The command structure includes numbered wings and geographically separated units reporting through Fourth Air Force to Air Force Reserve Command headquarters at Robins Air Force Base. It maintains coordination with joint entities including North American Aerospace Defense Command and integrates with active‑duty formations from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces to ensure interoperability for contingency operations, homeland defense, and humanitarian assistance tasks such as responses to Hurricane Katrina and Pacific basin relief efforts.

Units and Assignments

Fourth Air Force oversees multiple reserve units including air refueling wings equipped with the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, airlift wings flying the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, and fighter wings operating the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and earlier types. Key subordinate wings have included units at Travis Air Force Base, March Air Reserve Base, McChord Field, Davis‑Monthan Air Force Base, and other installations across the western United States. Assignments have shifted over time among major commands including Air Defense Command, Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and Air Mobility Command as missions evolved from interceptor defense to strategic lift and reserve augmentation.

Aircraft and Equipment

Throughout its history Fourth Air Force units operated a wide array of aircraft: early warfighters such as the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and Lockheed P-38 Lightning for air defense and training; medium and heavy bombers including the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, and Boeing B-29 Superfortress for training pipelines; postwar strategic platforms like the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress under Strategic Air Command assignment; and modern airlift and tanker types including the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, and newer KC-46 Pegasus. Support equipment and systems incorporated navigation suites such as AN/ARN-12 and defensive countermeasures suites used on transport and tanker airframes, plus ground systems for command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence tied to Joint Tactical Information Distribution System standards during joint operations.

Operations and Deployments

Fourth Air Force units have mobilized for major operations and contingencies worldwide. Reserve wings under its command provided airlift and air refueling for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, strategic sustainment for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and tactical support for NATO exercises such as Exercise Cobra Gold and Red Flag. Domestically, Fourth Air Force elements participated in homeland missions coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency and state authorities during natural disasters like Northridge earthquake relief and hurricane response. The wing deployments often integrated with active duty formations from Air Mobility Command and multinational partners including forces from United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Japan for combined operations.

Notable Personnel and Awards

Notable leaders and aviators associated with Fourth Air Force and its subordinate units include commanders who later held senior posts in United States Air Force leadership, decorated reservists awarded honors such as the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Legion of Merit, and aircrews recognized with unit citations for combat and humanitarian missions. The command and its wings have received awards including the Distinguished Unit Citation for World War II era performance and later commendations from Air Force Outstanding Unit Award citations for exemplary reserve mobilization during Operation Desert Storm and humanitarian operations. Distinguished alumni have included pilots who served in major campaigns and later contributed to aerospace industry leadership and national defense policy at institutions like the National War College.

Category:United States Air Force Numbered Air Forces Category:Military units and formations established in 1940