Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force

A member of the 94th Airlift Control Flight marshals Lockheed C-130H-LM Hercules 81-0629 after a training mission at Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Active 28 December 1941 – present
Country  United States
Branch   United States Air Force
Part of   Air Force Reserve Command
Garrison/HQ Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
Engagements

  • World War II - American Theater
Decorations

  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (7x)
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Stayce D Harris
Insignia
Emblem of Twenty-Second Air Force

Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) is a Numbered Air Force component of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It was activated on 1 July 1993 and is headquartered at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.

In the event of mobilization, some of the Twenty-Second Air Force subordinate units would come under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command's (AMC) 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, headquartered at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.

Mission

22 AF is responsible for recruiting and training reservists and for maintaining subordinate units at the highest level of combat readiness. A by-product of training is to coordinate daily support of the active duty air force.

22 AF's wartime mission is to provide combat-ready airlift and support units and augments personnel requirements to Air Mobility Command in the United States.

Twenty-Second Air Force manages more than 25,000 Reservists and has 149 unit-equipped aircraft. Reserve crews in 22 AF fly the C-130 Hercules, including the WC-130 "Hurricane Hunter" aircraft, which are located at nine different Air Force Reserve wings. The wings, flying squadrons and support units are spread throughout nine states – from New York to Mississippi, Ohio and Minnesota, with its western most wing in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Units

Dobbins ARB, Georgia
Peterson AFB, Colorado
Keesler AFB, Mississippi
Pope Army Air Field, North Carolina
Maxwell AFB, Alabama

Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station, Ohio
Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York
Minneapolis St Paul ARS, Minnesota

History

Established as the Domestic Division, Air Corps Ferrying Command in the early days of World War II, the organization's mission was the transport of newly produced aircraft from points within the United States to Ports of Embarkation for shipment to Britain and other overseas Allies. In 1946, the organization was transferred to Air Transport Command and became, in essence, a military airline its Continental Division, managing transport routes within the United States.

When the USAF was created as a separate service in 1947, Military Air Transport Service was established to support the new Department of Defense, with responsibility for its support falling to the Department of the Air Force. Redesignated Western Transport Air Force (WESTAF), the organization managed all MATS operations from the Mississippi River west to the east coast of Africa until MATS was replaced by the Military Airlift Command in 1966. When MATS became MAC, WESTAF was redesignated 22d AF, with headquarters at Travis AFB, CA.

During the 1960s, Twenty-Second Air Force transports flew missions worldwide, supporting the efforts of the United States in Southeast Asia, Europe and other places around the world. In December 1974, the Twenty-Second Air Force absorbed Tactical Air Command's Twelfth Air Force C-130 Hercules tactical airlift operations.

On 29 March 1979, the Twenty-Second Air Force assumed responsibility for managing Military Airlift Command resources in the Pacific. For this mission, the unit provided a single commander for MAC airlift units in the Pacific theater; command and control of theater-assigned airlift forces for Pacific Air Forces; theater tactical airlift war planning and Pacific exercise planning; and aerial ports in the Pacific area to support the air movement of personnel, cargo, equipment, patients, and mail. The division participated in tactical exercises such as Team Spirit, Ulchi Focus Lens, and Capstan Dragon.

The unit was relieved from assignment to Military Airlift Command and assigned to Air Mobility Command on 1 June 1992. Activated the same day at Dobbins ARB, GA, with a change in assignment to the Air Force Reserve. It is under the peacetime command of Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, GA.

Lineage

Route map of the Western Transport Air Force, 1964
Redesignated: Domestic Wing, ACFC, on 26 February 1942
Redesignated: Ferrying Division, ATC, 20 June 1942
Redesignated: Continental Division, ATC, 28 February 1946
Discontinued on 31 October 1946
Redesignated: Western Transport Air Force, 1 July 1958
Redesignated: Twenty-Second Air Force, 8 January 1966
Inactivated 1 July 1993
Activated 1 July 1993

Assignments

Components

World War II

Sectors

  • Northeast Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
New Castle Army Air Field, Delaware
Re-designated: 2d Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 552d AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 31 Dec 1945
  • Detroit Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
Wayne County Airport, Michigan
Re-designated: 3d Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 553d AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 15 Jan 1946
  • Nashville Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee
Re-designated: 4th Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 554th AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944-c. Dec 1945
  • Midwest Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
Hensley Field, Texas
Re-designated: 5th Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 555th AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 9 Aug 1946

  • California Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
Long Beach Municipal Airport, California
Re-designated: 6th Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 556th AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 1 Dec 1946
  • Northwest Sector, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb 1942
Boeing Field, Washington
Re-designated: 7th Ferrying Group, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942
Re-designated: 557th AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 14 Dec 1945
  • Central Sector, Air Transport Command, 25 – 31 Mar 1944
  • Western Sector, Air Transport Command, 25 – 31 Mar 1944
  • Eastern Sector, Air Transport Command, 25 – 31 Mar 1944.

Wings

Presque Isle Army Airfield, Maine
Re-designated: North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 1 Sep 1943
  • 24th AAF Ferrying Wing, Ferrying Command, 27 Jun 1942
Atkinson Field, Georgetown, British Guiana
Re-designated: South Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 9 Oct 1943
  • 25th AAF Ferrying Wing, Ferrying Command, 27 Jun 1942
Hamilton Field, California
Re-designated: South Pacific Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 30 Sep 1943
  • 26th AAF Ferrying Wing, Ferrying Command, 27 Jun 1942
Payne Airfield, Cairo, Egypt
Re-designated: Africa Middle East Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 30 Sep 1943

  • 27th AAF Ferrying Wing, Ferrying Command, 19 Jun 1942
Morrison Field, Florida
Re-designated: Caribbean Wing, Air Transport Command, 1 July 1942 – 16 Oct 1943
  • Foreign Wing, Ferrying Command, 28 Feb – 19 Jun 1942
  • Domestic Transportation Wing, Air Transport Command, 27 Nov 1944 – 15 Jan 1945
  • Central Ferrying Wing, Air Transport Command, 22 Oct 1944 – 10 Mar 1945
  • Western Ferrying Wing, Air Transport Command, 22 Oct 1944 – 10 Mar 1945
  • Eastern Ferrying Wing, Air Transport Command, 22 Oct 1944 – 10 Mar 1945

Groups/Base Units

  • 20th Ferrying Group, 3 Feb 1943 – 27 Jun 1944
Nashville Municipal Airport, Tennessee
Re-designated: 558 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 9 Apr 1946
  • 21st Ferrying Group, 17 Nov 1943 – 27 Jun 1944
Palm Springs Army Airfield, California
Re-designated: 560 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 20 May 1946

  • 33d Ferrying Group, 4 Mar 1943 – 31 Mar 1944
Fairfax Field, Kansas
Re-designated: 569 AAF Base Unit, 31 Mar 1944 – 15 Apr 1945

United States Air Force

Divisions

Wings

Groups

  • 1501st Air Transport Group (later 1704 Air Transport Group), 1 Jan 1950 – 1 Jul 1952
  • 1601st Air Transport Group (later 1703 Air Transport Group, 1703 Air Transport Group, Heavy), 20 Oct 1949 – 18 Jun 1957
  • 1700th Air Transport Group (later 1700 Air Transport Group, Medium), 1 Oct 1948 – 18 Dec 1957
  • 1701st Air Transport Group, 1 May–Jun 1953
  • 1702d Air Transport Group, 1 Oct 1948 – 17 Jul 1950
  • 1705th Air Transport Group (later Air Transport Group, Heavy), 24 Jan 1953 – 1 Jul 1957, 24 Jun 1958 – 18 Jun 1960.

  • 1st Aeromedical Transport Group Light, 8 Nov 1956 – 6 Jun 1964
  • 1706th Air Transport Group (Air Evac) (later 1706 Air Transport Group, Medium [Air Evac]; 1706 Air Transport Group, Light [Air Evac]), 1 Feb 1953 – 8 Nov 1956.
  • 1708th Ferrying Group (later 1708 Wing), 16 Jul 1951 – 1 Mar 1958.
  • 413th Flight Test Group, 1 Oct 2003 – present
  • 622d Flight Test Group, 24 Sep 2001 – 1 Oct 2003
  • 616th Military Airlift Group, 1 Nov 1975 – 9 Aug 1990, 1 Apr 1992 – 1 Jun 1992

Squadrons

Stations

References

     This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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