This article does not contain any citations or references. Please improve this article by adding a reference.
For information about how to add references, see Template:Citation.
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 convert the CENTAF defense force into an offensive-capable force and additional units were ordered deployed to CENTAF. As a result CENTAF formed a table of organization which established provisional Air Divisions to prevent too many units reporting directly to HQ CENTAF:
The 14th Air Division (Provisional) commanded deployed primarily Tactical Air Command and United States Air Forces in Europe units with the mission of destroying enemy air, missile, and ground forces, as well as enemy infrastructure targets. To accomplish this mission, the 14th controlled A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft; F-15C Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters; F-111F light tactical bombers; EF-111 Raven electronic combat aircraft and the F-117 stealth bomber. The division also provided electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and in-theater attached Strategic Air Command refueling support.
The 15th Air Division (Provisional) commanded deployed Tactical Air Command units with a reconnaissance and electronic warfare mission focused on defeating enemy ground base air defenses and increasing the effectiveness of friendly formations. Aircraft deployed included RF-4C Phantom II tactical reconnaissance; F-4G Phantom II anti-radar; EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare and two prototype E-8A Joint Stars battle management and command and control aircraft.
The 17th Air Division (Provisional) commanded primarily provisional air refueling wings created from active-duty KC-135/KC-10 units of the Strategic Air Command's Fifteenth Air Force and SAC Air National Guard KC-135 units deployed within the CENTAF AOR.
7440th Composite Wing (JTF Proven Force). Developed by the United States Air Forces in Europe to open a "Second Front" against Iraq through Turkey. By late December 1990, there was already a formidable arsenal of USAFE airpower deployed to Incirlik Air Base: 20 F-111Es, 24 F-16Cs, 10 F-15Cs, and 4 SAC KC-135s. These aircraft were in Turkey for various reasons including rotational training, a NATO exercise, and NATO alert duty, but remained under control of their respective home units. However, if Turkey approved the task force's activation, JTF Proven Force could absorb all of these assets and the others it required. The Turkish government finally approved the JTF on 15 January 1991. The following day, USAFE activated the 7440th Composite Wing (Provisional) and began the command's largest Desert Shield deployment, bringing the total number of aircraft at Incirlik to 110. However, it was not until 17 January, the first day of Desert Storm, that Turkey approved operations from Incirlik. Therefore, JTF Proven Force entered the war on Day Two.
Epilogue[]
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.
Composed of elements of the 1st Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES), Pope AFB, North Carolina and 2nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES), Rhein Main AB, Germany
Air Force Special Operations Command (Provisional)
Detached from Headquarters AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Florida
Headquarters: King Fahd International Airport, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Squadron
Aircraft Type
Notes
719th Special Operations Squadron
AC-130A Spectre Gunship
Deployed from 919th SOG, Duke Field, Florida
16th Special Operations Squadron
AC-130H Spectre Gunship
Deployed from 1st SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida
850th Special Operations Squadron
MC/EC-130 Hercules MH-53J
Composed of elements from 1st SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida; 919th SOG, Duke Field, Florida, 193d SOG, Harrisburg International Airport, Pennsylvania Air National Guard
1675th Tactical Airlift Squadron (P)
C-130 Hercules
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
MH-60, MH-47
United States Army unit, located at King Khalid International Airport
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.
Composed of 13 Air National Guard tanker unit elements. First tankers to arrive at Jeddah in August 1990-March 1991 (76 Aircraft) Known units that deployed aircraft were:
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.
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.
The lead unit for the 4300th BW (P) was the 69th BS/42d BW from Loring AFB, Maine. 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.
* Composed of flights from the 23d Tactical Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany (12 x F-16C and 12 x F-4G Aircraft)flying mixed Hunter Killer Wild Weasel pairs.
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
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.