United States Air Force

Leadership Secretary of the Air Force Chief of Staff of the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Independent Structure Field Operating Agencies Direct Reporting Units Separate Operating Agencies Components Air Force Reserve Command Air National Guard Major Commands Air Combat Command Air Education and Training Command Air Force Materiel Command Air Force Space Command Air Force Special Operations Command Air Mobility Command Pacific Air Forces United States Air Forces in Europe Air Force Cyberspace Command Hierarchical Structure Major Commands Numbered Air Forces Operational Commands Wings Groups Squadrons Installations The Pentagon Air Force Academy Bases Equipment Airman Battle Uniform Aircraft Awards, Decorations and Badges Awards and Decorations Badges History and Traditions Air Force Band The U.S. Air Force (song) Air Force Memorial Famous Airmen Air Force Museum

Unit terminology and organizational hierarchy of the United States Air Force, going from the top (most senior) down. The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial-warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... Image File history File links Seal_of_the_US_Air_Force. ... The Secretary of the Air Force is the civilian head of the United States Department of the Air Force, a component organization of the Department of Defense. ... The Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (CSAF) serves as the senior uniformed United States Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipage of more than 700,000 active-duty, National Guard, Reserve, and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. ... CMSAF Chevron (1 Nov 2004 - present) CMSAF Chevron (Apr 1964 - 31 Oct 2004) The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the United States Air Force, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests, as appropriate... This is a list of Field Operating Agencies (FOA) in the United States Air Force that are active. ... A Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) is an agency of the United States Air Force that is outside the bounds of the standard organizational hierarchy by being exclusively and uniquely under the control of Air Force headquarters alone, rather than reporting through a Major Command. ... This article or section should include material from U.S. Air Force Reserve Shield of the Air Force Reserve Command. ... The Air National Guard (ANG) is part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Air Force (USAF). ... ACC bases and deploments The Air Combat Command (ACC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force whose mission is to provide air combat forces (mostly aircraft), to other commands, including both commands within the Air Force as well as the United States Unified Combatant Commands that... Air Education and Training Command (AETC), with headquarters at Randolph AFB near San Antonio, Texas, was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. ... Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) was created July 1, 1992 through the reorganization of Air Force Logistics Command and Air Force Systems Command. ... Air Force Space Command emblem Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) is a major command of the United States Air Force with headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, USA. It was created on September 1, 1982. ... Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is the major command charged with overseeing the United States Air Forces Special Operations Forces (SOF). ... Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, and the air force component of United States Transportation Command. ... Emblem of the U.S. Air Forces Pacific The United States Pacific Air Forces (USPACAF or PACAF) is one of nine major U.S. Air Force commands and one of two located outside the continental United States, the other being U.S. Air Forces Europe. ... Emblem of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. ... The Air Force Cyberspace Command (AFCC) is a United States Air Force major command whose development was announced by the Secretary of the Air Force on November 2, 2006. ... This is a list of Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force Historically, a MAJCOM is the highest level of command, only below HQ USAF, and directly above Numbered Air Forces (NAF). ... This is a list of Numbered Air Forces (NAF) of the United States Air Force Historically, a NAF is a level of command below a MAJCOM (Major Command), and above one or more Wings or independent Groups. ... This is a list of Wings in the United States Air Force. ... This is a list of Groups in the United States Air Force that do not belong to the wing that has host duties for the base at which it is stationed. ... This is a list of United States Air Force aircraft squadrons. ... The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located at 48 N. Rotary Road, Arlington, Virginia 22211 (Map). ... The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, (), is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air Force. ... The following is a partial list of U.S. Air Force bases and airfields, past and present. ... The Airman Battle Uniform. ... This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production and operational types. ... Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force are military decorations which are issued by the Department of the Air Force to Air Force service members and members of other military branches serving under Air Force commands. ... Badges of the United States Air Force are military awards which are issued by the United States Air Force for personal qualification in several career fields and also as identification badges while serving in certain assignments. ... United States Service Bands Each of the branches of the U.S. military, has a headquarters band organization, all but one of which are in the Washington, D.C. area. ... The U.S. Air Force is the official song of the United States Air Force. ... The United States Air Force Memorial is a sculpture in progress in Arlington, Virginia and designed by American architect James Ingo Freed with the firm Pei Cobb Freed and Partners Architects LLP for United States Air Force Memorial Foundation. ... Famous people who served in the United States Air Force. ... The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official national museum of the United States Air Force and is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, east of Dayton, Ohio. ...

Headquarters United States Air Force

The senior headquarters of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force (HQ USAF) consists of two major entities: the Secretariat, which includes the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) and the SECAF's principal staff; and the Air Staff, commanded by the Chief of Staff, USAF.

Direct Reporting Unit

A subdivision of the Air Force, the Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) is subordinate to the Chief of Staff, USAF. A DRU performs a specialized or restricted mission that does not fit into any of the MAJCOMs. A DRU has many of the same administrative and organizational responsibilities as a MAJCOM.

 Praise the lord because he is so good who do you think woke you up this morning. 

Field Operating Agency

The Field Operating Agency (FOA) is a subdivision of the Air Force, directly subordinate to a HQ USAF functional manager. An FOA performs field activities beyond the scope of any of the major commands. The activities are specialized or associated with an Air Force-wide mission, and do not include functions performed in management headquarters, unless specifically directed by a DoD authority.

Separate Operating Agency

(not in current use)

Separate Operating Agencies (SOA) were major Air Force sibdivisions directly dubordinate to HQ USAF and had all the "prodecural (administrative and logistical) respobsibilities" of a MAJCOM. In 1991, most active SOAs changed in status to DRUs or FOAs.

Major Command

A major subdivision of the Air Force, the Major Command (MAJCOM) is directly subordinate to HQ USAF or the Air Staff. MAJCOM headquarters are management headquarters for a major segment of the AF and thus have the full range of functional staff.

Numbered Air Force

The Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a tactical echelon directly under an operational MAJCOM that provide operational leadership and supervision. NAFs are structured to perform an operational or warfighting mission, often oriented to a specific geographic region. An NAF is directly assigned operational units, such as wings, groups, and squadrons.

Operational Command

(not in current use)

The Operational Command was a subdivision of the NAF, usually centered around a specific mission or unit. The numbering system of the Operational Command was usually defined by the NAF it was a part of, given in roman numerals. For instance, the Tenth Air Force could have the X Bomber Command and the X Fighter Command as subordinate Operational Commands.

Division

(not in current use)

The Division has existed since World War II when many of the numbered Air Divisions began as wings. There were both named and numbered Divisions, mostly Air Divisions. Recently HQ USAF gradually inactivated or redesignated Divisions recently in an effort to encourage rapid decision-making and to create a more flat organizational structure without "middle management" units.

Wing

Wings have a distinct mission with a specific scope, reporting to the NAF or HQ USAF. Wings are made up of one or more groups, consisting of several squadrons, and usually commanded by a Colonel, but high visibility wings can have Brigadier Generals/O-7s in command. Wings now encompass both operations and support activities (Maintenance Groups, Mission Support Groups), and are usually one of three major types: Operational Wing, Air Base Wing, and Specialized Mission Wing.

Group

Made up of several squadrons and commanded by an Colonel/O-6, the group was of less visibility for some decades but came back to prominence during a transition to the "objective wing" organization in the 1990s. This reorganization changed the basic base command structure from the "Wing Commander/Base Commander" scheme to a single wing commander ("one base-one boss") with multiple groups under his command. There are two general types of groups: Dependent (mission, logistics, support, medical, or large functional unit); and Independent (a group with wing-like functions and responsibilities whose scope and size does not warrant wing-level designation).

Squadron

A Squadron is considered to be the basic unit in the USAF. Squadrons are usually made up of several flights (typically four), a few hundred people, and eight to 24 aircraft. A squadron is usually commanded by a Captain to Lieutenant Colonel. Number digits apply; one or two digits for regular Air Force (i.e. 10th Fighter Squadron), 100s and 200s series for Air National Guard (i.e. 188th Fighter Squadron), and 300s series for the regular Air Force. The Air National Guard (ANG) is part of the United States National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Air Force (USAF). ...

Flight

The smallest formation officially recognized by the USAF, the Flight is the lowest level unit. A Flight usually consisting of a dozen people or typically four aircraft. The typical flight leader is a Captain. Letter designations can be used, such as Alpha Flight, Bravo Flight, etc.

Other Unit Types

• AEROSPACE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE - Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) units are a type of provisional unit for support of joint operations such as wartime, contingency, humanitarian, or exercise deployment-type taskings.

Other Generic Designations

In addition to the aforementioned unit structures, the USAF has used, and still uses, a variety of other designations to identify organizations. These organization designations include:

• Academy
• Agency
• Area
• Band
• Battlelab
• Center
• Central
• Clinic
• College
• Crew
• Depository
• Depot
• Detachment
• Dispensary
• District
• Element
• Facility
• Hospital
• Infirmary
• Institute
• Laboratory
• Library
• Museum
• Office
• Operating Location
• Organization
• Plant
• Range
• Region
• School
• Section
• Sector
• Staff
• System
• Team
• Unit
• University

References

• Manpower and Organization: Air Force Organization. United States Air Force. Air Force Instruction (AFI) 38-101.
• [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/rso_index.html Air Force Historical Research Agency: R