Fourteenth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (AFSPC)

Lineage. Established as Fourteenth Air Force on 5 Mar 1943. Activated on 10 Mar 1943. Inactivated on 6 Jan 1946. Activated on 24 May 1946. Discontinued and inactivated on 1 Sep 1960. Activated on 20 Jan 1966. Organized on 1 Apr 1966. Redesignated as Fourteenth Aerospace Force on 1 Jul 1968. Inactivated on 1 Oct 1976. Redesignated as Fourteenth Air Force (Reserve), and activated in the Reserve, on 8 Oct 1976. Redesignated as Fourteenth Air Force on 1 Dec 1985. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1993. Activated on 1 Jul 1993. Redesignated as: Fourteenth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic-Space) on 24 May 2007; Fourteenth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) on 4 Apr 2008.

Assignments. US Army Forces, China-Burma-India Theater, 10 Mar 1943; US Forces, China Theater, c. 24 Oct 1944-15 Dec 1945; US Army Air Forces, Seattle Port of Embarkation, 5-6 Jan 1946. Air Defense Command, 24 May 1946; Continental Air Command, 1 Dec 1948-1 Sep 1960. Air (later Aerospace) Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966-1 Oct 1976. Air Force Reserve, 8 Oct 1976-1 Jul 1993. Air Force Space Command, 1 Jul 1993-.

Major Components. Commands. XIV Air Force Strategic Air Command (Provisional): attached 9 Jul-31 Jul 1945. XIV Air Force Tactical Air Command: attached 22 Jun-20 Aug 1945 (further attached to Tenth Air Force, 1-20 Aug 1945). Regions. First Air Force Reserve: 1 Jul-15 Aug 1960. Second Air Force Reserve: 1 Jul-15 Aug 1960. Third Air Force Reserve: 1 Jul-15 Jul 1960. Districts. 3 Air Reserve: 1 Dec 1951-1 Apr 1954. 8 Air Reserve: 8 Nov 1952-1 Jul 1953. Divisions. 8 Air: 1 May 1949-1 Aug 1950. 9 Air: 1 May 1949-1 Aug 1950. 31 Air: 1 Apr 1966-1 Jul 1968. 32 Air: 1 Apr 1966-1 Jul 1968. Wings. Chinese American Composite (Provisional): attached 1 Oct 1943-9 Jun 1945; 31 Jul-19 Sep 1945. 10 Tactical Reconnaissance: 1 Feb-1 Apr 1949. 20 Fighter (later, 20 Fighter-Bomber): 1 Feb 1949-1 Aug 1950. 21 Space: 20 Sep 1993-. 30 Space: 20 Sep 1993-. 31 Fighter (later, 31 Fighter-Bomber): 1 Feb 1949-1 Jul 1950. 45 Space: 20 Sep 1993-. 50 Space: 20 Sep 1993-. 54 Fighter: 10-11 Oct 1950. 63 Fighter: 10-11 Oct 1950. 68 Fighter (later, 68 Composite): 3 Sep 1943-10 Oct 1945 (not operational). 69 Bombardment (later, 69 Composite): 3 Sep 1943-25 Aug 1945 (not operational). 71 Missile Warning: 1 Jul 1968-30 Apr 1971. 73 Aerospace Surveillance: 1 Jul 1968-30 Apr 1971. 94 Bombardment (later, 94 Tactical Reconnaissance; 94 Troop Carrier; 94 Tactical Airlift; 94 Airlift): 26 Jun 1949-1 Apr 1951; 14 Jun 1952-17 May 1955; 25 Mar 1958-15 Aug 1960; 8 Oct 1976-1 Jul 1993. 118 Tactical Reconnaissance: 1-12 Apr 1951. 137 Fighter-Bomber: 26 Oct-27 Nov 1950. 302 Troop Carrier: 25 Mar 1958-15 Aug 1960. 312 Fighter: 13 Mar 1944-5 Nov 1945 (detached 9 Jul-1 Aug 1945). 314 Troop Carrier: 1 Feb 1949-1 Aug 1950. 316 Troop Carrier: 1 Feb-20 Oct 1949. 319 Bombardment (later, 94 Fighter-Bomber): 10 Oct 1949-28 Mar 1951; 18 May 1955-16 Nov 1957. 323 Bombardment: 1 Jul 1950-28 Mar 1951. 433 Tactical Airlift: 18 May 1955-25 Mar 1958. 435 Troop Carrier: 26 Jul 1949-2 Mar 1951; 1 Dec 1952-15 Jul 1970. 443 Troop Carrier: 1 Jul 1950-2 May 1951. 445 Troop Carrier: 16 Nov 1957-15 Jul 1960. 446 Troop Carrier: 25 May 1955-25 Mar 1958. 448 Fighter-Bomber: 8 May 1955-16 Nov 1957. 459 Troop Carrier: 25 Mar 1958-15 Aug 1960. 460 Air Base (later, 460 Space): 1 Oct 2001-. 482 Troop Carrier (later, 482 Fighter-Bomber): 14 Jun-1 Dec 1952; 18 May 1955-16 Nov 1957. 514 Troop Carrier: 26 Jun 1949-10 Oct 1949; 25 Mar 1958-15 Aug 1960. 516 Troop Carrier: 26 Jun 1949-17 Apr 1951. 4756 Air Defense: 1 Apr 1966-1 Jan 1968. 4780 Air Defense: 1 Apr 1966-1 Jul 1968. Groups. 10 Aerospace Defense: 1 Jul 1968-31 Dec 1970. 932 Aeromedical Airlift: 8 Oct 1976-1 Aug 1992. Centers. 614 Air and Space Operations (formerly, 614 Space Operations Group): 28 Aug 1998-.

Stations. Kunming, China, 10 Mar 1943; Peishiyi, China, 7 Aug-c. 15 Dec 1945; Fort Lawton, WA, 5-6 Jan 1946. Orlando AAB (later AFB), FL, 24 May 1946; Robins AFB, GA, 28 Oct 1949-1 Sep 1960. Gunter AFB, AL, 1 Apr 1966; Burrows Building, Colorado Springs, CO, 1 Jul 1968-1 Oct 1976. Dobbins AFB (later, Air Reserve Base), GA, 8 Oct 1976-1 Jul 1993. Vandenberg AFB, CA, 1 Jul 1993-.

Commanders. Maj Gen Claire L. Chennault, 10 Mar 1943; Brig Gen Edgar E. Glenn, 22 Apr 1943 (acting); Maj Gen Claire L. Chennault, 4 Jun 1943; Maj Gen Charles B. Stone III, 1 Aug 1945; Col Floyd J. Doran, 1 Dec 1945-c. 1946. Maj Gen Leo A. Walton, 24 May 1946; Brig Gen Ralph F. Stearley, 27 Jul 1948; Brig Gen Ralph A. Snavely, 18 Oct 1948 (acting); Maj Gen Ralph F. Stearley, 20 Nov 1948; Brig Gen Joseph H. Davidson, 2 Feb 1950 (acting); Maj Gen Ralph F. Stearley, 14 Mar 1950; Maj Gen Charles E. Thomas Jr., 17 Jul 1950; Col Cortland S. Johnson, 15 April 1951 (acting); Maj Gen Charles E. Thomas Jr., (by 23) May 1951; Col Edgar E. Glenn, 3 Apr 1952 (acting); Maj Gen Charles E. Thomas Jr., (by 8 May) 1952; Col Marden M. Munn, 15 Aug 1953 (acting); Maj Gen Charles E. Thomas Jr., 22 Sep 1953; Maj Gen George G. Finch, 1 Feb 1955; Maj Gen John W. Persons Jr., 1 Aug 1957; Col James R. Williams, 24 Apr 1959 (acting); Maj Gen John W. Persons Jr., 23 May 1959; Col James R. Williams, 1 Aug 1959 (acting); Maj Gen Chester E. McCarty, 9 Oct 1959; Col Harry S. Bishop, 17 Feb 1960 (acting); Maj Gen Chester E. McCarty, 16 Mar-1 Sep 1960. Maj Gen James B. Tipton, 1 Apr 1966; Brig Gen Thomas H. Beeson, 22 Oct 1966; Maj Gen Walter B. Putnam, 1 Nov 1966; Maj Gen Oris B. Johnson, 1 Jul 1968; Col Russell G. Ogan, 25 Jul 1969 (acting); Maj Gen Michael J. Ingelido, 4 Aug 1969; Maj Gen Otis C. Moore, (by 28) Aug 1972; Maj Gen James Paschall, 15 Apr 1974; Col Thomas M. Crawford Jr., 1 Aug 1975 (acting); Brig Gen Bruce K. Brown, 13 Aug 1975; Col Thomas M. Crawford Jr., 15 Jun-1 Oct 1976. Maj Gen Edwin R. Johnson, 8 Oct 1976; Maj Gen Edward Dillon, 1 Nov 1976; Brig Gen Donald M. Jenkins (acting), 24 Apr 1979; Maj Gen James E. McAdoo, 15 May 1979; Maj Gen Alan G. Sharp, 1 Jan 1983; Maj Gen James E. McAdoo, 1 Dec 1986; Brig Gen Dale E. Baumler, 3 Mar 1988; Brig Gen Wallace W. Whaley, 31 Jan-1 Jul 1993. Col Owen E. Jensen, 1 Jul 1993 (acting); Maj Gen Parick P. Caruana, 16 Sep 1993; Maj Gen William E. Jones, 22 Jul 1994; Maj Gen David L. Vesely, 28 Jun 1995; Maj Gen Gerald F. Perryman Jr., 10 Mar 1997; Maj Gen Robert C. Hinson, 6 May 1999; Maj Gen William R. Looney III, 6 Jun 2000; Maj Gen Michael A. Hamel, 3 May 2002; Lt Gen William L. Shelton, 18 May 2005; Lt Gen Larry D. James, 9 Dec 2008-.

Operations. President Roosevelt established Fourteenth Air Force by special order on 10 March 1943. Claire Chennault, who had formed the American Volunteer Group of "Flying Tiger" fame received a promotion to Major General and assumed command. The new organization, conducted highly effective fighter and bomber operations over Japanese occupied Chinese territory, and the eastern third of mainland China and Formosa. Fourteenth Air Force also supported the airlift of cargo over the Himalayas from India (flying the "The Hump") for Chinese forces and B-29 operations at forward operating bases in China during Operation MATTERHORN, Oct 1944 to Mar 1945. By Aug 1945, its components had achieved air superiority over the skies of China and established a ratio of 7.7 enemy planes destroyed for every American plane lost in combat. The United States Army Air Forces credited 14 AF units with the destruction of 2,315 Japanese aircraft, 356 bridges, 1,225 locomotives and 712 railroad cars. Following the war, it returned to the US and inactivated on 6 Jan 1946.
In May of 1946, however, Fourteenth Air Force again activated at Orlando Army Air Base, FL, to administer Air Defense Command functions in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. It supervised the air defense training of active duty units, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units. Continental Air Command later expanded its mission to include the equipping and combat preparation of these units. With the advent of the Korean War, the Fourteenth participated in the mobilization of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units and individuals from its headquarters at Robins AFB, GA. After the war, its reserve wings continued to participate in various worldwide airlift operations until inactivation in Sep 1960.
In Apr 1966, the Air Force again activated the Fourteenth Air Force as part of Air Defense Command at Gunter AFB, AL, to support the North American Aerospace Defense Command Southern Region's air defense mission. Later, it provided for Aerospace Defense Command training, testing and evaluation missions. On 1 Jul 1968, Fourteenth Air Force was redesignated Fourteenth Aerospace Force and moved to Colorado Springs, CO. It assumed responsibility for detecting foreign missile launches, tracking missiles and satellites in space, providing space vehicle launch services, maintaining a satellite data base of all man-made objects in space and performing anti-satellite actions. It also equipped, trained, administered and provided personnel to operate and maintain space surveillance, space defense and missile warning systems until 1 Oct 1976 when it again inactivated. Seven days later, the Air Force redesignated the 14th Aerospace Force as Fourteenth Air Force (Reserve) at Dobbins AFB, GA, to manage airlift forces for the Military Airlift Command. Its units participated in worldwide airlift missions, one of which was Operation JUST CAUSE, Dec 1989-Jan 1990. In order to facilitate a change in mission, reassignment, and move to Vandenberg AFB, CA, the AF inactivated the Fourteenth at Dobbins AFB, GA, on 1 July 1993 and on the same day activated it in California. Assigned to Air Force Space Command, its responsibilities involved space operations. In 1997, it established the Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB in California for the 24-hour command and control of all space operations resources, and in 2002, became the Air Force's space operations component of the United States Strategic Command. As the Air Force's only Numbered Air Force for space and its concurrent United States Strategic Command mission of Joint Space Operations, the Fourteenth's mission included space launches from the east and west coasts, satellite command and control, missile warning, space surveillance and command and control of assigned and attached joint space forces. Its overall mission included control and exploitation of space for global and theater operations, to ensure warfighters the best space capabilities available.

Service Streamers. World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: China Defensive; China Offensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Oct 1974-1 Oct 1976; 1 Jun 1986-31 May 1988; 1 Jul 1989-30 Jun 1991; 1 Jul 1993-30 Jun 1995; 1 Sep 1996-31 Aug 1998; 1 Sep 1998-31 Aug 2000; 1 Sep 2000-1 Sep 2001. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award: 1 Oct 2001-30 Sep 2003.

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Commanders, Operations and Honors through 10 Mar 2010.

Supersedes statement prepared on 30 Mar 1977.

Emblem. Approved on 6 Aug 1943; latest rendering, 12 Mar 2019.

Prepared by Robert B. Kane.

Reviewed by Carl E. Bailey.