Fourth Air Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Fourth Air Force


caption= Fourth Air Force emblem
dates= 18 December, 1940
country= United States of America
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branch= United States Air Force
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command_structure= Air Force Reserve Command
current_commander=
garrison= March Air Reserve Base, CA
ceremonial_chief=
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nickname=
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Fourth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and is located at March Air Reserve Base, Riverside, California. It is an intermediate echelon responsible primarily for all Air Mobility Command (AMC) gained AFRC air refueling units in the United States and AMC gained AFRC strategic airlift units in the western United States.

Current structure

: "Section source: USAF-AFRC" [ [http://www.afreserve.com/whatwedo_popup.html Air Force Reserve Command] Official site.]
*Beale Air Force Base
*Grissom Air Reserve Base
*Lackland Air Force Base
*March Air Reserve Base
*McChord Air Force Base
*Scott Air Force Base
*Tinker Air Force Base
*Travis Air Force Base
*Wright Patterson Air Force Base

History

Lineage

* Established as Southwest Air District on 19 Oct 1940: Activated on 18 Dec 1940: Redesignated: 4 Air Force on 26 Mar 1941: Redesignated; Fourth Air Force on 18 Sep 1942: Discontinued, and inactivated on 1 Sep 1960
* Activated on 20 Jan 1966: Organized on 1 Apr 1966: Inactivated on 30 Sep 1969
* Redesignated Fourth Air Force (Reserve) on 24 Sep 1976: Activated in the Reserve on 8 Oct 1976: Redesignated Fourth Air Force on 1 Dec 1985.

Assignments

* General Headquarters Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command), 18 Dec 1940
* Western Defense Command, 11 Dec 1941
* United States Army Air Forces, 10 Sep 1943
* Continental Air Forces, 13 Dec 1944
* Air Defense Command, 21 Mar 1946
* Continental Air Command, 1 Dec 1948-1 Sep 1960
* Air (later, Aerospace) Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966-30 Sep 1969
* Air Force Reserve (later, Air Force Reserve Command), 8 Oct 1976-.

tations

* March Fld, California, 18 Dec 1940
* Riverside, California, 20 Jan 1941
* Hamilton Fld, California, 7 Dec 1941
* San Francisco, California, 5 Jan 1942
* Hamilton Fld (later, AFB), CA, : 19 Jun 1946-1 Sep 1960: 1 Apr 1966-30 Sep 1969
* McClellan AFB, California, 8 Oct 1976
* March ARB, California, 1 Apr 1998-

Components

Commands
* I Staging: 19 Nov 1945-3 Apr 1946
* 4 Air Force Service (later, 4 Air Force Base; IV Air Force Base): 1 Oct 1941-31 Mar 1942
* 4 Air Support (later, IV Air Support; IV Ground Air Support): 3 Sep 1941-17 Aug 1942
* 4 Antiaircraft: 1 May 1944-6 Feb 1946
* Bomber Command, 4 Air Force (later, 4 Bomber): 11 Apr-19 Sep 1941.
* 4 (later, IV) Bomber: 19 Sep 1941-31 Mar 1944
* Interceptor Command, 4 Air Force (later, 4 Interceptor): 22 Apr-8 Jul 1941.
* 4 Interceptor (later, IV Interceptor; IV Fighter): 8 Jul 1941-31 Mar 1944.
* IV Emergency Rescue (Provisional): 30 Dec 1943-22 Jan 1944.
* Antiaircraft Artillery (Provisional): 27 Dec 1943-30 Apr 1944.

Divisions
* 25 Air Defense (later, 25 Air): 25 Oct 1948-1 Apr 1949; 8 Jul 1949-1 Aug 1950 :(detached 10 Nov 1949-1 Aug 1950); 1 Apr 1966-15 Sep 1969.
* 26 Air: 1 Apr 1966-30 Sep 1969.
* 27 Air: 1 Apr 1966-15 Sep 1969
* 28 Air: 8 Dec 1949-1 Aug 1950 (detached 1 Jan-1 Aug 1950).

Operational History

World War II

During World War II Fourth Air Force was the primary air defense command for the West Coast. The command also flew antisubmarine patrols along coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico from after Pearl Harbor until October 1942.

After October 1942, the antisubmarine patrols were turned over to the Coast Guard and other agencies and the command was engaged primarily in training replacements for combat units. It supported Army Air Forces Training Command's mission of traning of units, crews, and individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations.

In 1944, the majority of the Numbered Air Forces of the USAAF were fighting in various parts of the world, such as the Eighth Air Force in Europe and the Twentieth Air Force in the Pacific. They were supported by four numbered air forces located within the United States (known as the Zone of the Interior, or "ZI".) On 13 December 1944, First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all were placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces, the predecessor of the later established Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and Air Defense Command, which were all established in 1946.

Post World War II

After World War II, Fourth Air Force was assigned to the reestablished Air Defense Command, later to Continental Air Command, and back to Air Defense Command. From September 1960 to January 1966 the organization was inactive. It was deactivated again in September 1969. In October 1976 Fourth Air Force reactivated as a part of the Air Force Reserves (AFRES).

ee also

*March Field Air Museum [ [http://www.marchairmuseum.com/links.php March Field Air Museum] Official site] ] The Museum is located off the grounds of the Base and displays in its aircraft collection examples bombers, fighters, cargo, refueling and reconnaissance aircraft, many of which served at March Field, March AFB and/or March ARB.

References

External Links