Organization_of_United_States_Air_Force_Units_in_the_Gulf_War

Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War

Organization of United States Air Force Units in the Gulf War

Add article description


The 1990–1991 Gulf War was the last major United States Air Force combat operation of the 20th Century. The command and control of allied forces deployed to the Middle East initially as part of Operation Desert Shield, later engaging in combat operations during Operation Desert Storm, were assigned to United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF), the USAF component of the Joint United States Central Command.

Emblem of the United States Central Command Air Forces, 1990

United States Air Force units were initially deployed to Saudi Arabia in August 1990, being assigned directly to CENTAF with a mission to defend the kingdom. In November 1990, the decision was made to enhance the force into an offensive-capable one, and additional units were ordered deployed to CENTAF. As a result, CENTAF set up a table of organization which established provisional Air Divisions to prevent too many units reporting directly to CENTAF headquarters. These were as follows:[1]

Aftermath

After the end of combat operations, most of the combat forces of CENTAF returned to their home stations. The provisional organizations established were inactivated; their temporary nature meaning that no official lineage or history was retained by the USAF. On 13 March 1991 Headquarters Tactical Air Command activated the 4404th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) at Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, to replace the provisional Air Divisions. The original assets of the 4404th TFW came from the 4th TFW (Provisional), which had operated during the Gulf War.

The long-term effect of the deployment and organization of Air Force Wings and Groups to CENTAF for the Gulf War eventually led to an Air Force-Wide reorganization of its Cold War command structure; the result being the modern Air Force organization structure which exists today. Air Force Expeditionary units, which are activated and inactivated as needed to support deployments were developed, replacing the "Provisional" units of the Gulf War.

14th Air Division (Provisional)

Brigadier General Buster Glosson served as commander, 14th Air Division (Provisional), and director of campaign plans for U.S. Central Command Air Forces, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia 26°15′55″N 50°09′07″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina
Headquarters: Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia 24°03′46″N 047°34′50″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Headquarters: King Faisal Air Base, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia 28°22′16″N 036°36′50″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Tonopah Test Range Airport, Nevada
Headquarters: King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia 18°17′59″N 042°48′09″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from RAF Lakenheath, England
Headquarters: Taif Air Base, Taif, Saudi Arabia 21°28′59″N 040°32′39″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina
Headquarters: King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia 26°28′16″N 049°47′52″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Headquarters: Al Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 24°14′53″N 054°32′51″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah
Headquarters: Al Minhad Air Base, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 25°01′36.55″N 055°21′58.48″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Torrejón Air Base, Spain
Headquarters: Doha International Airport, Qatar 25°15′40″N 051°33′54″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
  • 4410th Operational Support Wing (Provisional)
Deployed from Eglin AFB, Eglin Aux Fld#3, Florida
Headquarters: King Khalid Military City, Saudi Arabia 27°59′20″N 45°32′2″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...

15th Air Division (Provisional)

Deployed from George Air Force Base, California
Headquarters: Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma
Headquarters: King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
Headquarters: Bateen Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 24°25′42″N 054°27′19″E
EC-130H Compass Call (Tail Code: DM), 27 August 1990 – 17 April 1991
  • 4411th Joint Stars Squadron
Headquarters: King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
E-8A Joint Stars, December 1990-March 1991 (2 Aircraft)

1610th Air Division (Provisional)

Deployed from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
Headquarters: Al Bateen Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
Headquarters: RAFO Thumrait, Oman 17°39′57″N 054°01′28″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
Deployed from Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
Headquarters: Al Ain International Airport, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates 24°15′41.0″N 55°36′32.7″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
  • 1640th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
Headquarters: Masirah Air Base, Oman 20°40′31″N 058°53′25″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
  • 1650th Tactical Airlift Wing (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
Headquarters: Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates 25°19′43″N 055°31′02″E
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
  • 1670th Tactical Airlift Group (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
Headquarters: Prince Sultan Air Base, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
More information Squadron, Tail Code ...
  • Air Force Special Operations Command (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Florida
Headquarters: King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1612th Military Airlift Squadron (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
Headquarters: King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
C-21 Learjet, (8 Aircraft)
C-12 Huron (7 Aircraft)
RU-21 Learjet (7 Aircraft)

Provided Special Air Mission transport for CENTAF/CENTCOM leadership and civilian VIPs from coalition nations and the United States.

17th Air Division (Provisional)

  • 1700th Strategic Wing (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters 7th Air Division, Strategic Air Command, Ramstein AB, Germany
Headquarters: King Khalid Air Base, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1701st Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1701st Strategic Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 21°40′46″N 039°09′24″E
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1702d Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Seeb International Airport, Muscat, Oman. 23°35′36″N 58°17′04″E
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Cairo West Airport, Egypt 30°06′59″N 30°54′55″E
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1708th Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
20 B-52G Stratofortresses. The lead unit within the 1708th BW (P) was the 524th BS/379th BW from Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan. Aircraft and crews were also drawn from the 62d and 596th BS/2d BW Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; 69th BS/42d BW at Loring AFB, Maine; 328th BS/93d BW, Castle AFB, California, and the 668th BS/416 BW at Griffiss AFB, New York. B-52 operations at Jeddah were not possible prior to the initiation of combat so the wing gained its aircraft when the conflict began. Six aircraft from the 42d BW were moved to Jeddah from Diego Garcia on 17 January, and 10 more flew in from Wurthsmith, attacking targets en route. Although launched from Wurtsmith and flown by 379th BW crews, three of the aircraft came from the 93d BW at Castle and two from the 42d BW at Loring.
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1709th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 1712th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Al Banteen Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 1713th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Al Banteen Air Base, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...

7th Air Division

  • 801st Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Morón Air Base, Spain 37°10′29″N 05°36′57″W
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 801st Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Morón Air Base, Spain
The 801st BW (P) consisted of 28 B-52G Stratofortresses and was formed around a nucleus provided by he 2d Bombardment Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and drew aircraft from the crews of the 524th BS/379th BW, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan; the 668th BS/416th BW at Griffiss AFB, New York and from 69th BS/42d BW at Loring AFB, Maine. One B-52G (52-6503) was sent from the 340th BS/97th BW at Eaker AFB, Arkansas.
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 802d Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal 38°45′42″N 027°05′26″W
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 804th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey 37°00′07″N 035°25′33″E
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 806th Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: RAF Fairford, England 51°40′56″N 001°47′24″W
The 806th BW (P) was formed around a cadre of air and ground crews provided by the 97th Bombardment Wing, Eaker AFB, Arkansas. It consisted of a total of 11 B-52G Stratofortresses, also being drawn from the 668th BS/416th BW at Griffiss AFB, New York; 596th BS/2d BW, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and the 328th BS/93d BW at Castle AFB, California.
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 807th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 810th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...
  • 4300th Bombardment Wing (Provisional)
Headquarters: Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] 7°18′48″S 72°24′40″E
The lead unit for the 4300th BW (P) was the 69th BS/42d BW from Loring AFB, Maine.[3] Aircraft were also drawn from the 328th BS/93d BW at Castle AFB, California. Six aircraft were transferred to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 17 January 1991 and they were replaced by six B-52Gs from the 1500th SW (P) at Andersen AFB, Guam.
More information Squadron, Aircraft Type ...

See also


References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. Gulf War Air Power Survey, Vol V, A Statistical Compedium and Chronology, ADA 279745, p.21-25, accessed at https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a476253.pdf, 2015. Also accessed at http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100927-065.pdf, October 2015.
  2. Data from 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing page, 4 August 2018
  • Department of Defense Final Report to Congress, "Conduct of the Persian Gulf War," April 1992
  • Smallwood, 2005, Warthog: Flying the A-10 in the Gulf War, Potomac Books Inc, ISBN 1-57488-886-2
  • Mixer, Ronald E., Genealogy of the Strategic Air Command, Battermix Publishing Company, 1999 and Mixer, Ronald E., Strategic Air Command, An Organizational History, Battermix Publishing Company, 2006.
  • Steijger, Cees 1991, A History of USAFE, Airlife Publishing Limited, ISBN 1-85310-075-7
  • Baugher, Joe, 1999, McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II
  • Baugher, Joe, 2003, McDonnell F-4G Phantom II
  • Baugher, Joe, 2000, F-15 Eagle in Desert Storm
  • Baugher, Joe, 2000, Service of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon with USAF
  • Baugher, Joe, 2005, Developmental and Operational History of the F-117 Nighthawk
  • F-117A: Desert Storm
  • Baugher, Joe, 1999, General Dynamics F-111F
  • Baugher, Joe, 1999, Grumman EF-111A Raven
  • Globalsecurity.org Operation Desert Storm Air Forces Table of Organization
  • Gulf War Air Power Survey Series Volume I, Part 2 Command and Control, pp 475-476

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Organization_of_United_States_Air_Force_Units_in_the_Gulf_War, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.