Ninth Air Force

This article is about the currently active numbered air force. For the former active numbered air force from 2009 to 2020, see Ninth Air Force (2009–2020).

Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)
Shield of the Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)
Active	20 August 2020 – present (as Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)) 5 August 2009 – 20 August 2020 (as United States Air Forces Central Command) 1 March 2008 – 5 August 2009 (Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)) 26 June 1951 – 1 March 2008 (as Ninth Air Force) 1 August 1950 – 26 June 1951 (as Ninth Air Force (Tactical)) 28 March 1946 - 1 August 1950 18 September 1942 - 2 December 1945 as Ninth Air Force) 8 April 1942 – 18 September 1942 (as 9 Air Force) 21 August 1941 – 8 April 1942 (as 5 Air Support Command) (84 years, 3 months)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force (26 September 1947 – present) United States Army ( Army Air Forces; 8 April 1942 – 26 September 1947)
Type	Named Air Force
Role	Provides combat-ready air forces and serves as the air component to U.S. Central Command
Part of	Air Combat Command United States Central Command
Headquarters	Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, U.S.
Engagements	See list World War II - American Theater World War II - European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Egypt-Libya Tunisia Sicily Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe Southwest Asia Defense of Saudi Arabia Liberation and Defense of Kuwait Southwest Asia Ceasefire
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Website	www.afcent.af.mil
Commanders
Commander	Lt Gen Derek France
Deputy Commander	Maj Gen Curtis R. Bass
Command Chief Master Sergeant	CMSgt Joshua J. Wiener
Notable commanders	Lewis H. Brereton Hoyt Vandenberg Gary L. North David L. Goldfein Donavon F. Smith
Insignia
United States Air Forces Central Command emblem

The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It has been headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, since activation on 5 August 2009. Ninth Air Force was previously a numbered air force activated during the Second World War. For decades, Ninth Air Force supervised tactical fighter units on the U.S. East Coast. From 1983, it became the air force component of United States Central Command. From 1990, units were deployed to the Middle East against Iraq, and from 2001 against threats emanating from Afghanistan. In this role, the organization was known as United States Air Forces Central (USAFCENT).

Until August 2009, Ninth Air Force shared its commander with USAFCENT. In a complicated transfer of lineage, the Second World War-and after heritage of Ninth Air Force was bestowed solely on United States Air Forces Central, and a new Ninth Air Force, which technically had no previous history, was activated on the U.S. East Coast.

This article deals with the current organization, as the lineage of the previous organization currently belongs to USAFCENT.

Lineage

• Established as Ninth Air Force on 4 August 2009

Activated on 5 August 2009

Assignments

• Air Combat Command, 5 August 2009–present

Major components

The command is responsible for the organizing, training, and equipping eight active duty wings and two direct reporting units. These eight wings are:

• 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia
• 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
• 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
• 23d Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia
• 93d Air-Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Georgia
• 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida
• 461st Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia
• 495th Fighter Group
• 633d Air Base Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia

Supervised non-flying direct reporting units include:

• 819th Red Horse Squadron, Malmstom AFB, Montana
• 823d Red Horse Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida

The Ninth Air Force is also responsible for overseeing the operational readiness of 30 designated units of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

References

•  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

External links

• The 9th Air Force