Numbered Air Force

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Air force units and formations
A Numbered Air Force (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States Air Force
that is subordinate to a major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to it operational
units such as wings, squadrons, and groups.[1] A Component Numbered Air Force (C-
NAF) has the additional role as an Air Force Component Command exercising command
and control over air and space forces supporting a Unified Combatant Command.[2]
Unlike MAJCOMs, which have a management role, a NAF is a tactical organization with
an operational focus, and does not have the same functional staff as a MAJCOM.[2]
Numbered air forces are typically commanded by a major general or a lieutenant
general.

Numeric designations for Numbered Air Forces are written in full using ordinal
words (e.g., Eighth Air Force), while cardinal numerals are used in abbreviations
(e.g., 8 AF).[1][3] Units directly subordinate to a NAF were traditionally numbered
6XX (where XX is the NAF number).[1] For example, the 609th Air Operations Center
is a unit subordinate to the Ninth Air Force. This is no longer completely
accurate, due to regular reorganization of Wings and Numbered Air Forces.

Contents
1 History
2 List of Air Forces
2.1 Numbered
2.2 Named
3 See also
4 References
History

World War II Air Districts and Numbered Air Forces.

Numbered air forces began as named organizations in the United States Army Air
Corps before World War II.[4] The first four NAFs were established as the
Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest Air Districts on 19 October 1940 to
provide air defense for the United States.[5] These Air Districts were redesignated
as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Air Forces, respectively, on 26 March 1941. Over a
year after the establishment of the United States Army Air Forces on 20 June 1941,
the Arabic numerals were changed to the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Air Forces
on 18 September 1942. Other organizations established during this period and that
became Numbered air forces include the Philippine Department Air Force (became
Fifth Air Force), the Panama Canal Air Force (became Sixth Air Force), the Hawaiian
Air Force (became Seventh Air Force), and the Alaskan Air Force (became Eleventh
Air Force).[6] After World War II, the US Air Force continued to use both named and
numbered air forces. While named air forces were used in both tactical and support
roles, numbered air forces were generally employed only in tactical roles.[4]