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| United States Tenth Air Force | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Tenth Air Force |
| Caption | Emblem of the Tenth Air Force |
| Dates | 1942–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Numbered air force |
| Role | Operational command and control |
| Garrison | Naval Air Station Jacksonville |
| Nickname | "10 AF" |
| Motto | "Strategic Support" |
| Decorations | Distinguished Unit Citation, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
United States Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force assigned to Air Force Reserve Command and headquartered at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. Activated during World War II in 1942, it has conducted combat operations in the China Burma India Theater, supported Strategic Air Command and Air Combat Command missions, and presently oversees reserve units performing airlift, air refueling, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and rescue tasks. The command has been associated with major campaigns such as the Burma Campaign 1944–45, the China Defensive Campaign, and post‑Cold War operations including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Tenth Air Force was constituted in 1942 amid the Japanese invasion of Burma and activated to coordinate aerial operations in the China Burma India Theater, working alongside the Tenth Army and Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom). During World War II, it integrated units from the XX Bomber Command, 14th Air Force, and liaison elements supporting Chindits and British Indian Army offensives across Assam, Imphal, and Rangoon. Postwar reorganization reassigned the unit to the Air Defense Command before Cold War shifts placed components under Strategic Air Command and later Tactical Air Command. In 1970s–1990s reorganizations, Tenth Air Force transitioned toward reserve oversight, becoming a numbered air force within Air Force Reserve Command that managed wings participating in Operation Just Cause, Operation Provide Comfort, and Operation Northern Watch. Since 2000, it has deployed personnel and assets to support Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, cooperating with United States Northern Command, United States Central Command, and allied forces such as Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force units during multinational exercises.
Tenth Air Force comprises multiple reserve wings and groups including airlift, air refueling, fighter, rescue, and reconnaissance units drawn from bases like Dobbins Air Reserve Base, March Air Reserve Base, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Holloman Air Force Base, and Will Rogers World Airport. Its headquarters staff interfaces with Air Reserve Personnel Center, Air Force Reserve Command, and the Air Staff to coordinate mobilization, training, and readiness. Subordinate formations have included the 442d Fighter Wing, 311th Fighter Squadron, 434th Air Refueling Wing, 445th Airlift Wing, 403d Wing, 512th Airlift Wing, 926th Wing, and the 920th Rescue Wing, each maintaining readiness to support U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Central Command taskings. The numbered air force also liaises with the Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for operational integration.
Tenth Air Force executes reserve component missions across airlift, air refueling, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), and close air support through assigned wings and squadrons. It provides trained personnel and ready units for mobilization under Title 10 of the United States Code and supports homeland defense missions with NORAD partners during contingencies such as Hurricane Katrina relief and Homeland Security surge operations. The command contributes to global power projection by supporting Operation Enduring Freedom logistics chains, enforcing no-fly zones like those during Operation Southern Watch, and augmenting Combined Air and Space Operations Center staffing for Operation Iraqi Freedom and subsequent stability operations.
During World War II Tenth Air Force conducted tactical bombing, reconnaissance, and transport support across the China Burma India Theater, participating in campaigns to reopen the Burma Road and support Chinese Expeditionary Force operations. Cold War era deployments included rotational alert duties with Strategic Air Command and participation in NATO exercises such as Operation Reforger. In the post‑Cold War period, reserve units under Tenth Air Force mobilized for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, humanitarian relief for Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy, and enforcement of United Nations sanctions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Persian Gulf. From 2001 onward, Tenth Air Force personnel and aircraft supported Operation Enduring Freedom sustainment, Operation Iraqi Freedom airlift and tanker operations, Operation Unified Protector liaison elements, and Operation Odyssey Dawn logistics, while conducting rotational deployments to Al Udeid Air Base, Bagram Airfield, Ramstein Air Base, and Kandahar Airfield.
Historically, Tenth Air Force units operated aircraft such as the B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress, P-51 Mustang, C-47 Skytrain, and later Cold War types including the KC-135 Stratotanker, C-130 Hercules, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. Contemporary reserve wings under Tenth Air Force employ platforms like the C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135R Stratotanker, KC-46A Pegasus, HH-60 Pave Hawk, and unmanned systems such as the MQ-9 Reaper and ISR sensor suites. Support equipment includes air refueling drogues and booms, tactical datalinks like Link 16, precision navigation systems using Global Positioning System, and aerial port handling assets for strategic sealift integration.
Notable commanders have included leaders with backgrounds in Fourteenth Air Force, Strategic Air Command, and Air Force Reserve Command staff such as generals who previously served at Air Mobility Command and the Air Force Reserve Command headquarters. Commanders typically rotate from senior reserve and active‑duty ranks with prior commands at numbered air forces, wings, or major commands including Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces.
Tenth Air Force and its subordinate units have received unit awards and campaign honors including the Distinguished Unit Citation for World War II actions in the China Burma India Theater, multiple Presidential Unit Citation entitlements for contingency operations, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award recognitions for sustained peacetime and wartime excellence. Individual wings and squadrons have earned campaign streamers for participation in China Defensive Campaign, Burma Campaign 1944–45, Southwest Asia Service Medal operations, and Global War on Terrorism service.
Category:United States Air Force numbered air forces