Seventeenth Air Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Seventeenth Air Force


caption= Seventeenth Air Force emblem
dates= 17 April 1953 - 30 September 1996
Reactivated: October 1, 2008
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
type=
role=
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command_structure= United States Air Forces in Europe
current_commander=
garrison= Rabat-Sale, Morocco (1953-1956)
Wheelus Air Base Libya (1956-1959)
Ramstein Air Base West Germany (1959-1973)
Sembach Air Base Germany (1973-1996)
Ramstein Air Base Germany (2008-present)
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
anniversaries=

Seventeenth Air Force (17 AF) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during its years of active service (1953-1996). As of October 1, 2008, it is the Air Force component of United States Africa Command [ [http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/12/airforce_africom_standup_071203w/ Official: AfriCom will need Air Force aircraft - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times ] ] [http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/FC031308/Craddock_Testimony031308.pdf] , but is to remain under USAFE ordinancy until a future date when the Seventeenth Air Force, known now as the Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA), becomes a component that is autonomous of USAFE and answerable to AFRICOM.

History

Lineage

* Established as Seventeenth Air Force on 17 Apr 1953: Organized on 25 April 1953: Inactivated 30 Sep 1996
* Reactivated 1 Oct 2008

Assignments

* United States Air Forces in Europe, 17 Apr 1953 - 30 Sep 1996; 1 Oct 2008 - Present

tations

* Rabat-Sale, French Morocco (later, Morocco), 17 Apr 1953
* Wheelus Air Base, Libya, 1 Aug 1956
* Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 15 Nov 1959
* Sembach Air Base, West Germany, Oct 1972 - 30 Sep 1996
* Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, 1 Oct 2008 - Present

Major Components

Divisions
* 65th Air Division, Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany) : 1 Jun 1985 - 30 Jun 1991
* 316th Air Division, Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany) : 14 Jun 1985 - 1 May 1991
* 7217th Air Division, Ankara AS, Turkey: 7 Aug - 15 Nov 1959

Wings
* 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, : 1 Oct 1966 - 31 Jan 1973, Ramstein AB, West Germany: 31 Jan 1973 - 31 Jul 1991, Zweibrucken AB, West Germany (later Germany)
* 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron, Soesterberg AB, Netherlands: 15 Nov 1959 - 1 Sep 1966: 30 Jun 1991 - 31 Mar 1992
* 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Bitburg AB, West Germany (later Germany): 15 Nov 1959 - 1 Sep 1966: 30 Jun 1991 - 1 Oct 1991
* 38th Tactical Missile Wing: 15 Nov 1959 - 25 Sep 1966 Sembach Air Base, West Germany : 1 Apr 1985 - 22 Aug 1990 Wueschheim AS, West Germany
* 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hahn AB, West Germany (later Germany) : 15 Nov 1959 - 30 Sep 1991
* 52d Tactical Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, West Germany (later Germany) : 31 Dec 1971 - 1 Jun 1985: 30 Jun 1991 - 31 Jul 1996
* 66th Electronic Combat Wing, Sembach AB, West Germany (later Germany) : 15 Nov 1959 - 1 Sep 1966: 30 Jun 1991 - 31 Mar 1992
* 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany): 15 Nov 1959 - 1 Jul 1963: 1 Sep 1963 - 20 May 1965: 5 Oct - 14 Nov 1968: 1 Nov 1969 - 14 Jun 1985: 1 May 1991 - 31 Jul 1996
* 377th Combat Support Wing, Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany): 1985 - 1 Oct 1991
* 486th Tactical Missile Wing, Woensdrecht AS, Netherlands: Aug 1987 (Activated, never equipped. Inactivated almost immediatley)
* 601st Tactical Control Wing, Sembach AB, West Germany (later Germany): 1 July 1968 - 1 October 1993
* 7100th Combat Support Wing, Lindsey AS, West Germany (later Germany): 15 Nov 1959 - 15 Apr 1985

Operational History

Under USAFE

The command was established as Seventeenth Air Force on 17 April 1953 and assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. The organization's mission was a support organization for Air Force activities throughout southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Seventeenth Air Force was moved to Wheelus Air Base, Libya, on 1 August 1956 then was moved without personnel or equipment to Ramstein Air Base, West Germany, on 15 November 1959 and remanned.

At Ramstein, Seventeenth Air Force exchanged its support mission in the southern region for the defensive and offensive air mission in central Europe. It was moved to Sembach Air Base, West Germany, in October 1972.

In the 1980s, 17th Air Force saw the number of its subordinate units almost double. Its area of responsibility included three of the Ground Launched Cruise Missile sites in Europe. In 1985, for the first time ever, 17th Air Force brought together all European-based electronic warfare aircraft under a single command when it activated the 65th Air Division and the 66th Electronic Wing at Sembach. All of these units were deactivated in the early 1990s.

Seventeenth Air Force was inactivated effective 30 September 1996.

Under AFRICOM

It was announced on September 12, 2008 [ [http://www.ramstein.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123114854/ Seventeenth Air Force ready for Oct. 1 stand-up ] ] that 17 AF under a newly-activated Seventeenth Air Force will be headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, located west of Kaiserslautern in the German federal state of Rheinland-Palatinate as part of the creation of the United States Africa Command. The stand-up ceremony occurred on September 18, 2008, under the command of Major General Ron Ladnier.

It was officially reactivated by the Air Force on October 1, 2008. In this capacity, it is currently subordinate to the United States Air Forces in Europe, and be referred to by its componency name: Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA).

References

* [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil US Air Force Historical Research Agency]
* [http://www.ramstein.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123114854]

External links