Tenth Air Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Tenth Air Force


caption= Tenth Air Force emblem
dates= 12 February 1942
country= United States of America
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison= Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth
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Tenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The command is one of three numbered air forces in Air Force Reserve Command, and is responsible for command supervision of fighter, bomber, rescue, airborne warning and control, special operations, flying training, combat air operations battle staff, and space units.

Mission

Tenth Air Force is responsible for managing and supervising six fighter wings, three geographically dispersed rescue units, one bomber unit, one Airborne Warning and Control (AWACs) associate unit, one special operations wing, one space wing, one Regional Support Group, and more than 120 non-flying units in logistics and support roles.

The command directs the activities of more than 13,363 reservists and 947 civilians located at 30 military installations throughout the United States. With a full time staff of 87 and 93 reservist, Tenth Air Force and the 610th Regional Support Group, monitor and provides assistance to all subordinate units to ensure they maintain readiness to supplement the nation's active Air Force units with operationally ready units on a moment's notice. If mobilized, the flying units and their support elements would be gained by Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Air Force Space Command (AFSPACOM) and Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

In addition, Tenth Air Force units fly satellites for both US SPACECOM and NOAA.

Units

Operational units of Tenth Air Force are
* Wings: 301st Fighter Wing - NAS JRB Fort Worth TX: 310th Space Wing - Schriever AFB CO: 419th Fighter Wing - Hill AFB UT: 442d Fighter Wing - Whiteman AFB MO: 482d Fighter Wing - Homestead ARB FL: 917th Wing - Barksdale AFB LA : 919th Special Operations Wing - Eglin AFB FL: 920th Rescue Wing - Patrick AFB FL : 944th Fighter Wing - Luke AFB AZ

* Groups: 340th Flying Training Group - Randolph AFB TX: 513th Air Control Group - Tinker AFB OK: 610th Regional Support Group - NAS JRB Fort Worth TX

* Squadrons: 78th Reconnaissance Squadron - Nellis Air Force Base NV: 307th Fighter Squadron - Langley Air Force Base VA

History

Tenth Air Force was created for air combat operations in India and Burma during World War II. It as assigned to the China Burma India Theater of operations. In the years since World War II, the Tenth Air Force has served the air defense and reserve training programs.

Lineage

* Established as 10th Air Force on February 4, 1942. : Activated on February 12, 1942: Redesignated Tenth Air Force on September 18, 1942: Inactivated on January 6, 1946
* Activated on May 24, 1946: Discontinued, and inactivated, on September 1, 1960
* Activated on January 20, 1966: Organized on April 1, 1966: Inactivated on December 31, 1969
* Redesignated Tenth Air Force (Reserve) on September 24, 1976: Activated on October 8, 1976: Redesignated Tenth Air Force on December 1, 1985

Assignments

* Air Force Combat Command, 4 Feb 1942
* U.S. Army Forces in China-Burma-India, Mar-May 1942
* Army Air Forces, India-Burma Sector, 21 Aug 1943
* Army Air Forces, India-Burma Theater, 27 Oct 1944
* Army Air Forces, China Theater, on 6 Jul 1943
* Continental Air Forces: Second Air Force, 5-6 Jan 1946
* Air Defense Command, 24 May 1946
* Continental Air Command, 1 Dec 1948
* Air (later, Aerospace) Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966
* Air Force Reserve (later, Air Force Reserve Command), 8 Oct 1976-Present

Components

* 20th Air Division, 1 Apr 1966 - 31 Dec 1967
* 25th Air Division, 15 Sep - 1 Dec 1969
* 26th Air Division, 19 Nov - 1 Dec 1969
* 28th Air Division, 1 Jul 1960 - 1 Apr 1966
* 29th Air Division, 1 Apr 1966 - 15 Sep 1969
* 31st Air Division, 1 Jul 1968 - 31 Dec 1969
* 30th Air Division: 16 Dec 1949 - 1 Sep 1950:: Attached to: Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 Jan - 31 Aug 1950: 1 Apr 1966-18 Sep 1968

tations

* Patterson Field, Ohio 4 Feb 1942
* New Delhi, India, Mar-May 1942
* Barrackpore, India. Oct 1943
* Belvedere Palace, Calcutta, India, Jan 1944
* Kanjikoah, India, Jun 1944
* Myitkyina, Burma, Nov 1944
* Bhamo, Burma, Feb 1945
* Piardoba, India May 1945
* Kunming, China, Jun-Jul 1945
* Liuchow, China, Aug 1945
* Kunming, China, Jun-Jul 1945
* Liuchow, China, Aug 1945
* Kunming, China, Aug 1945
* Shanghai, China, Oct 1945
* Fort Lawton, Washington, 5 Jan 1946
* Brooks Field (later, AFB), Texas, 24 May 1946
* Offut AFB, Nebraska, 1 Jul 1948
* Selfridge AFB, Michigan, Jan 1950
* Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri, 1 Apr 1966
* Bergstrom AFB, Texas, 8 Oct 1976
* Carswell ARS, Texas, 30 Jun 1996

World War II

Tenth Air Force was constituted on 4 February 1942 and activated on 12 February. The air force moved to India over a three month period from March to May 1942. It served in India, Burma, and China until March 1943 when Fourteenth Air Force was activated in China. Then the Tenth operated in India and Burma until it moved to China late in July 1945.. [http://libraryautomation.com/nymas/usaaf8.html Air Force Combat Units of World War II - Part 8] See References Maurer]

The Tenth Air Force in the China Burma India Theater gave birth to Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault's Fourteenth Air Force. The Tenth Air Force was built up around a nucleus of air force personnel newly arrived from Java and the Philippines, under the command of Maj. Gen. (later Lt. Gen.) Louis Brereton. It, too, had headquarters at New Delhi at a later date.

In these early days of theater organization, the Tenth Air Force constituted most of the American military establishment in India. In China, General Chennault's American Volunteer Group, which eventually became the Fourteenth Air Force, was still under the control of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. In July 1942, what remained of it was inducted into the United States Army Air Force as the China Air Task Force, and complement of the India Air Task Force, both of which were elements of the Tenth Air Force.

As a result of decisions which the Joint Chiefs of Staff made in Washington, DC, the Tenth Air Force expanded in 1943. It required new bases which Theater Headquarters ordered Services of Supply to build and maintain. General Chennault's China Air Task Force was later incorporated into the USAAF as the Fourteenth Air Force. The Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces constituted the major American combat forces in the theater.

Throughout the life of the China-Burma-India theater, General Chennault's air element constituted the bulk of the U.S. Forces in China-an element greatly outnumbered by the troops of the Services of Supply and the Tenth Air Force in India. The Tenth Air Force processed and trained crews for combat and transport activities.

From bases in Assam, it also supervised and protected supply flights over The Hump and prepared to support Allied ground efforts with close air support and operations against Japanese communications and supply installations in Burma.

General Chennault relinquished command of the Fourteenth Air Force in August 1945. During the last months of the year many personnel and units of the Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces were moved out of China. In December 1945 both air forces were disbanded; only units remained.

World War II Campaigns

Burma, 1942; India-Burma; China Defensive; Central Burma; China Offensive.

World War II Commanders

* Colonel Harry A Halverson, 17 February 1942;
* Major-General Lewis H Brereton, 5 March 1942;
* Brigadier-General Earl L Naiden, 26 June 1942;
* Major-General Clayton Bissell, 18 August 1942;
* Major-General Howard C Davidson, in August 1943;
* Major-General Albert F Hegenberger, 1 August 1945 - ?

World War II Headquarters

* Patterson Field, Ohio, 12 Feb-8 Mar 1942;
* New Delhi, India, 16 May 1942;
* Myitkyina, Burma, 2 Nov 1944;
* Piardoba, India, 15 May 1945;
* Kunming, China, 1 Aug 1945;
* Liuchow, China, 9 Aug-15 Dec 1945.

World War II Units

* 1st Combat Cargo Group (C-47) India, Burma
Aug 1944 - Aug 1945
Xfer to 14AF in China
* 3d Combat Cargo Group (C-47) India, Burma
Jun 1944 - Nov 1945
Xfer to 14AF in China
* 4th Combat Cargo Group (C-47) India, Burma
Nov 1944 - Nov 1945
* 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy) (B-17E, B-24) India
Reassigned from Brisbaine Australia (Far East Air Force)
Feb 1942 - Dec 1945
B-17E's Pearl Harbor Survivors, Xfer to 9AF Lydda, Palestine, Dec 1942
Re-equipped with B-24s
* 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) (B-25) India
Reassigned from Guado Airfield, Italy (12AF)
Jun 1944 - Dec 1945
* 33d Fighter Group (P-38, P-47) India, Burma
Reassigned from Cercola, Italy (12AF)
Feb 1944 - Nov 1945
TDY to 14AF in China, Apr - Sep 1944
* 80th Fighter Group (P-38, P-40, P-47) India, Burma
Jun 1943 - Nov 1945
* 311th Fighter Group (A-36, P-51) India, Burma
Jul 1943 - Jul 1944
Xfer to 14AF in China - Aug 1944
* 341st Bombardment Group (Medium) (B-25) (1943-1944)
India
Sep 1942 - Jan 1944
Xfer to 14AF in China - Jan 1944
* 443d Troop Carrier Group (c-47/c-53) India
Feb 1944 - May 1945
Xfer to 14AF in China - Jan 1944 - May 1945
* 426th Night Fighter Squadron: (P-61) India
Jan 1944
Xfer to 14AF in China
* 427th Night Fighter Squadron: (P-61) India
Transferred from Pomigliano, Italy, October 1944
Xfer to 14AF in China

Post World War II

After World War II, Tenth 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 Tenth Air Force reactivated as a part of the Air Force Reserves (AFRES).

ee also

* Objective, Burma!

Notes

References

* Maurer, Maurer " [http://libraryautomation.com/nymas/usaaf1.html Air Force Combat Units of World War II] ", Pub USAF, Reprint 1986 (first pub 1961)
* [http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/4807/units.html Second World War 10th Air Force Unit Listing]
* Jon Latimer, "Burma: The Forgotten War", London: John Murray, 2004 ISBN 0-7195-6576-6

Further reading

* [http://www.burmabridgebusters.com/ Dedicated to the members of the 341st Bomb Group China-Burma-India Theater]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/4807/history.html Second World War 10th Air Force history]
* [http://www.341stbombgroup.org/history/341_history.htm Life and Times of the 341st Bomb Group ]