Lineage. Established as 8 Air Force on 19 Jan 1942. Activated on 28 Jan 1942. Redesignated as: Eighth Air Force on 18 Sep 1942; United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe on 22 Feb 1944; United States Air Forces in Europe on 7 Aug 1945. Was a specified command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 22 Jan 1951-1 Jul 1956.
Assignments. Air Force Combat Command, 28 Jan 1942 (attached to 1 Air Force for training); European Theater of Operations, U. S. Army, c. 18 Jun 1942; European Command, 15 Mar 1947; United States Air Force, 26 Sep 1947-.
Components: Commands: Air Disarmament (Provisional): 15 Sep 1944-1 Feb 1945. Eastern, USSTAF: 20 Aug 1944-2 Aug 1945. European Air Materiel: 15 Sep-10 Nov 1947. European Aviation Engineer (Provisional): 22 Dec 1945-20 Nov 1946. Headquarters, Command, USAFE (Provisional): 12 Oct 1946-1 Jul 1948. VIII Bomber (later, Eighth Air Force): 1 Feb 1942-16 Jul 1945. VIII Ground Air Support (later, VIII Air Support): 28 Aug 1942-1 Dec 1943. VIII Troop Carrier: c. Jul 1942-16 Oct 1943 (detached entire period). 8 Interceptor (later, 8 Fighter; VIII Fighter): 1 Feb 1942-22 Feb 1944; 16 Jul 1945-20 Mar 1946. 8 Air Force Base (later, 8 Air Force Service; VIII Air Force Service; Air Service, USSTAF: Air Technical Service Command in Europe): c. 9 Jun 1942-30 Sep 1945. IX Air Defense: 2 Dec 1945-1 Feb 1946. XII Tactical Air: 15 Nov 1945-10 Nov 1947. Task Forces: Airlift (Provisional): 29 Jul-4 Nov 1948. 1 Airlift: 14 Oct 1948-1 Oct 1949. Air Depot Areas: Advanced: 18 Oct 1943-1 Mar 1945. VIII Air Force Base (later, Base): 18 Oct 1943-1 Mar 1944; 30 Sep 1945-25 May 1946. VIII Strategic (later, VIII Air Force Service Command), 9 Nov 1943-20 Jul 1945. Eighth Strategic (Provisional) (later, VIII Air Force Service Command): 9 Nov 1943-20 Jul 1945. Air Forces: Third (later, Third Air Force [Air Forces Europe]): 1 May 1951-1 Nov 2005; 1 Dec 2006-. Ninth: Jun 1944-2 Dec 1945. Twelfth: attached 12 Sep-9 Nov 1942; assigned 7 Aug-31 Aug 1945; 21 Jan 1951-1 Jan 1958. Fifteenth: 22 Feb 1944-15 Sep 1945. Sixteenth: 15 Apr 1966-11 Oct 2019. Seventeenth (later, Seventeenth Air Force [Air Forces Africa]; Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force): 25 Apr 1953-30 Sep 1996; 1 Oct 2008-20 May 2012; 21 May 2012-19 Jul 2018 (detached 21 May 2012-19 Jul 2018). Air Forces Africa: 20 May 2012-. Air Divisions: 2: 1 Jun 1949-20 Jan 1951; 15 Apr 1955-1 Apr 1962. 3: 23 Aug 1948-2 Jan 1949; 21 Jan-1 May 1951; 25 Oct 1953-1 Mar 1954. 40: c. 31 Oct 1945-20 Dec 1946. 42: 26 Jul-13 Oct 1945. 65: 1 Jul 1960-1 Jan 1965. 86: 1 Jul 1948-10 Oct 1949; 1 Jan 1958-15 Nov 1959; 1 Jul-1 Sep 1963; 20 May 1965-5 Oct 1968. 302: 18 Jul-c. 8 Dec 1945. 316: 15 Nov 1959-1 Apr 1960. 322: 1 Mar-1 Apr 1954. 7217: 15 Nov 1959-9 Sep 1970. 7499: 29 Jul-5 Sep 1948. Service: European Air Transport: 4 Sep 1945-20 Dec 1947.
Stations. Savannah AB, GA, 28 Jan 1942; Boston Port of Embarkation, 25-27 May 1942; London, England, 18 Jun 1942; Bushy Park, England, 25 Jun 1942; St-Germain-en-Laye, France, 26 Sep 1944; Wiesbaden, West Germany, 28 Sep 1945; Lindsey AB (later, AS), West Germany, 15 Aug 1953; Ramstein AB, Germany, 14 Mar 1973-.
Commanders: Brig Gen Asa N. Duncan, 28 Jan 1942; Maj Gen Carl A. Spaatz, 5 May 1942; Lt Gen Ira C. Eaker, 1 Dec 1942; Gen Carl A. Spaatz, 6 Jan 1944; Lt Gen John K. Cannon, 3 Jun 1945; Gen Carl A. Spaatz, 13 Jun 1945; Lt Gen John K. Cannon, 4 Jul 1945; Brig Gen John F. McBlain (acting), 14 Aug 1947; Lt Gen Curtis E. LeMay, 20 Oct 1947; Lt Gen John K. Cannon; 16 Oct 1948; Gen Lauris Norstad, 21 Jan 1951; Lt Gen William H. Tunner, 27 Jul 1953; Gen Frank F. Everest, 1 Jul 1957; Gen Frederic H. Smith Jr., 1 Aug 1959; Gen Truman H. Landon, 1 Jul 1961; Gen Gabriel P. Disosway, 1 Aug 1963; Gen Bruce K. Holloway, 1 Aug 1965; Gen Maurice A. Preston, 1 Aug 1966; Gen Horace M. Wade, 1 Aug 1968; Gen Joseph R. Holzapple, 1 Feb 1969; Gen David C. Jones, 1 Sep 1971; Gen John W. Vogt, 1 Jul 1974; Gen Richard H. Ellis, 1 Sep 1975; Gen William J. Evans, 1 Aug 1977; Gen John W. Pauly, 1 Aug 1978; Gen Charles A. Gabriel, 1 Aug 1980; Gen Billy M. Minter, 1 Jul 1982; Gen Charles L. Donnelly Jr., 1 Nov 1984; Gen William L. Kirk, 1 May 1987; Gen Michael J. Dugan; 12 Apr 1989; Gen Robert C. Oaks, 26 Jun 1990; Gen James L. Jamerson, 29 Jul 1994; Gen Richard E. Hawley, 17 Jul 1995; Gen Michael E. Ryan, 4 Apr 1996; Lt Gen William J. Begert (acting), 6 Oct 1997; Gen John P. Jumper, 5 Dec 1997; Gen Gregory S. Martin, 13 Jan 2000; Gen Robert H. Foglesong, 12 Aug 2003; Gen William T. Hobbins, 6 Dec 2005; Lt Gen Robert D Bishop Jr., 10 Dec 2007; Gen Roger A. Brady, 9 Jan 2008; Gen Mark A. Welsh III, 13 Dec 2010; Gen Philip M. Breedlove, 31 Jul 2012; Lt Gen Noel T. Jones, 8 May 2013; Gen Frank Gorenc, 2 Aug 2013; Gen Tod D. Wolters, 11 Aug 2016; Gen Jeffrey L. Harrigian, 1 May 2019-.
Operations. During World War II, conducted strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Europe as Eighth Air Force. Upon elevation to United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe, commanded the new Eighth Air Force (formed from VIII Bomber Command) in combat operations in France and Germany, and Fifteenth Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, plus administrative control of Ninth Air Force. Following the war, as the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), it supervised the air disarmament program and participated in the occupation of the American Zone of Germany. Thereafter, it continued as the air component of the US European Command. During the Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948 and 1949, it oversaw the American and British operations during the Berlin Airlift. Following the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Apr 1949, one of its primary missions consisted of providing support in a variety of ways – it organized, equipped, and maintained operational readiness of assigned and attached Air Force units and supervised training according to Air Force directives. In response to the 1961 Berlin Crisis, it supported Operation TACK HAMMER. Throughout the Cold War, which ended in the 1990s, to the present time the mission of the command changed slightly to one of developing and maintaining light, lean, lethal, and rapid expeditionary aerospace forces, deploying and providing operational units for combat operations as needed. It supported major operations to include ELDORADO CANYON, DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, PROVIDE PROMISE, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, ODYSSEY DAWN, JUKEBOX LOTUS, UNIFIED ASSISTANCE, and ATLANTIC RESOLVE.
Service Streamers. World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Service.
Campaign Streamers. Berlin: Humanitarian Airlift.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Air Force Organizational Excellent Awards: 1 Jul 1984-30 Jun 1986; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1988; 1 Jul 1988-30 Jun 1990; 1 Jul 1990-30 Jun 1992; 1 Jul 1992-30 Jun 1994; 1 Jul 1994-30 Jun 1996; 1 Jul 1996-30 Jun 1998; 1 Jul 1998-30 Jun 2000; 1 Jul 2000-30 Jun 2002; 1 Jul 2002-30 Jun 2004; 1 Jul 2004-30 Jun 2005; 1 Jul 2005-31 Dec 2006; 1 Jan 2007-31 Dec 2008; 1 Jan 2009-31 Dec 2010; 1 Jan-31 Dec 2012; 1 Jan 2017-31 Dec 2018.
Lineage, Assignments, Stations, Commanders, Aircraft, and Honors through 20 Jan 2021.
Supersedes statement prepared on 7 Aug 2012.
Emblem. Approved on 22 Jul 1947; modified to shield shape, 22 Apr 1954.
Prepared by Christopher M. Rumley.
Reviewed by Margaret Ream.