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Fourth Air Force
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| Fourth Air Force | |
|---|---|
 Shield of the Fourth Air Force | |
| Active | 1 December 1985 - present (as Fourth Air Force) 24 September 1976 - 1 December 1985 (as Fourth Air Force (Reserve)) 20 January 1966 - 30 September 1969 18 September 1942 - 1 September 1960 (as Fourth Air Force) 26 March 1941 - 18 September 1942 (as 4 Air Force) 19 October 1940 - 26 March 1941 (as Southwest Air District) (85 years, 3 months)[1] |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Air Force (18 September 1947 – present) United States Army ( Army Air Forces, 20 June 1941 – 18 September 1947; .svg){kind=small} Army Air Corps 19 October 1940 – 20 June 1941) |
| Type | Numbered Air Force |
| Role | Provide combat-ready reserve air mobility and support forces[2] |
| Part of |  Air Force Reserve Command |
| Headquarters | March Air Reserve Base, California, U.S. |
| Engagements | .png){kind=small} World War II – American Theater[1] |
| Decorations |  Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Maj Gen Derin S. Durham |
| Vice Commander | Col Daniel J. Ebrecht |
| Command Chief | CCM Travon W. Dennis |
| Notable commanders | Carroll W. McColpin Benjamin H. King |
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.
4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Reservists. If called to active duty, 4 AF's ready reserve units would be assigned to Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, and Pacific Air Forces.[2] Several airfields are associated with the Fourth Air Force.
One of the four original pre–World War II numbered air forces, 4 AF was activated on 18 December 1940, at March Field, California with a mission of air defense of the Southwestern United States and Lower Midwest regions. During the war, its primary mission became the organization and training of combat units prior to their deployment to the overseas combat air forces.
4 AF is commanded by Major General Derin S. Durham.
Units
[edit]Fourth Air Force flying units include one unit-equipped air mobility and two unit-equipped airlift wings, five unit-equipped air refueling wings, three associate air mobility wings, two associate airlift wings and one associate air refueling wing.
- Headquarters, Fourth Air Force, March ARB, California
- 315th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
- 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, California
- 433d Airlift Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
- 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom ARB, Indiana
- 439th Airlift Wing, Westover ARB, Massachusetts
- 452d Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, California
- 459th Air Refueling Wing, Andrews AFB, Maryland
- 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
- 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Delaware
- 514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, New Jersey
- 624th Regional Support Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
- 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York
- 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
- 927th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida
- 931st Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas
- 940th Air Refueling Wing, Beale AFB, California
- 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh IAP Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania
History
[edit]One of the four original numbered air forces, Fourth Air Force was activated as the Southwest Air District of the GHQ Air Force on 18 December 1940, at March Field, California. It was redesignated Fourth Air Force on 26 March 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Southwest and Lower Midwest regions of the United States.
World War II
[edit]
During World War II Fourth Air Force was the primary air defense command for the West Coast. The command also flew antisubmarine patrols along coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico from after Pearl Harbor until October 1942. One of its primary fighter units was the 10th Fighter Wing at Hamilton Field, California.
On 29 September 1942, Rice Municipal Airport located in the Desert Training Center was acquired by the IV Air Support Command, and was operational by 26 October 1942. Re-designated Rice AAF it was used to train pilots and crews of aircraft whose mission it was to support ground troops.
Beginning in May 1942, the mission of Fourth Air Force became operational training of units and crews, and the replacement training of individuals for bombardment, fighter, and reconnaissance operations. It received graduates of Army Air Forces Training Command flight schools; navigator training; flexible gunnery schools and various technical schools, organized them into newly activated combat groups and squadrons, and provided operational unit training (OTU) and replacement training (RTU) to prepare groups and replacements for deployment overseas to combat theaters. The Fourth Air Force became predominantly a fighter OTU and RTU organization. Most P-51 Mustang and P-38 Lightning groups were trained by Fourth Air Force primarily due to the proximity of their manufacturing plants in Southern California. By 1944, most of the Operational Training of groups ended, with the command concentrating on RTU training of individual replacements using Army Air Force Base Units (AAFBU) as training organizations at the airfields controlled by Fourth Air Force.
Air Defense Wings were also organized for the major metropolitan areas along the West Coast, using training units attached to the Wings. By 1944 the likelihood of a full-scale air attack along the West Coast since the bombing of Dutch Harbor two years earlier was remote, and these air defense wings were reduced to paper units.
On 13 December 1944, First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all placed under the unified command of the Continental Air Forces.
Air Defense Command
[edit]In March 1946, USAAF Chief General Carl Spaatz had undertaken a major re-organization of the postwar USAAF that had included the establishment of Major Commands (MAJCOM), who would report directly to HQ United States Army Air Forces. Continental Air Forces was inactivated, and Fourth Air Force was assigned to the postwar Air Defense Command in March 1946 and subsequently to Continental Air Command (ConAC) in December 1948 being primarily concerned with air defense.
The command was headquartered at Hamilton AFB, California and originally assigned the region of the CONUS west of the Rocky Mountains, roughly from the Pacific Ocean coast east to the eastern borders of, and . It was also responsible for training Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard personnel throughout the region.
By 1949 with the establishment of the Western Air Defense Force (WADF), the air defense mission of the command was transferred to WADF, leaving Fourth AF free to focus on its reserve training tasks, which it did for the next decade. On 1 September 1960, Air Defense Command inactivated Fourth Air Force, transferring its reserve training mission to the Sixth Air Force Reserve Region.
Fourth Air Force was re-activated on 20 January 1966 again at Hamilton AFB, as part of Air Defense Command with the inactivation of its organization of Air Defense Sectors. Its area of responsibility was essentially unchanged from its 1948 region. Subordinate organizations assigned by ADC were the 25th 26th and 27th Air Divisions.
On 16 January 1968 Air Defense Command was re-designated Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) as part of a restructuring of USAF air defense forces. Fourth Air Force's second period of service was short-lived, however, and the command was again inactivated as the result of a major ADCOM reorganization on 31 December 1969 of the First Fourth, Tenth Air Forces and several Air Divisions. This reorganization was the result of the need to eliminate intermediate levels of command in ADCOM driven by budget reductions and a perceived lessening of the need for continental air defense against attacking Soviet aircraft.
ADCOM reassigned the units under the inactivated Fourth Air Force were reassigned primarily to the 25th and 26th Air Divisions.
Air Force Reserve
[edit]
The command remained inactive until 8 October 1976, when it was activated as Fourth Air Force (Reserve) at McClellan Air Force Base, CA, and assigned to the Air Force Reserve. Fourth Air Force has been a key component of the Air Force reserve ever since.
Fourth Air Force personnel supported operations in Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury) and Panama (Operation Just Cause). More than 8,000 Air Force Reservists assigned to Fourth Air Force units served in the United States, Europe, and the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. This included more than 2,878 medical personnel assigned to Fourth Air Force units.
Since the end of the Cold War, Fourth Air Force has supported humanitarian missions such as Provide Promise in the Balkans and Provide Relief and Restore Hope in Somalia. Units rushed to provide aid and rescue service to the residents of Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the Caribbean in the aftermath of the traumatic and prolonged 1995 hurricane season. It supported immediate assistance to aid victims and disaster officials following the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Fourth Air Force units provided assistance for several natural disasters, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake in the Los Angeles area, and the catastrophic midwest floods and the California wildfires in 1993.
Fourth Air Force units routinely support United Nations and Department of State missions. Fourth Air Force people were on the first teams into Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy, and supported Vigilant Warrior and Desert Thunder deployments to Southwest Asia. The men and women of Fourth Air Force continue to perform international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions on an almost daily basis. Headquarters Fourth Air Force officially returned to its original home, now March Air Reserve Base, in Riverside, CA, in April, 1998.
In 2003 Fourth Air Force became an intermediate echelon responsible primarily for all Air Mobility Command gained AFRC air refueling units in the United States and AMC gained AFRC strategic airlift units in the western United States. Today the sixty person staff consists of Traditional Reservists, Air Reserve Technicians and civilian employees. They direct the activities and supervise the equipping and training of more than 30,000 Air Force reservists in unit programs located across the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. Reservists from 4 AF units were routinely deployed with Air Expeditionary units to fight in the Afghanistan War (2001-2021); the Iraq War (2003-2011); and later anti-ISIS (Daesh) operations.
Lineage
[edit]- Established as Southwest Air District on 19 October 1940
- Activated on 18 December 1940
- Redesignated: 4 Air Force on 26 March 1941
- Redesignated; Fourth Air Force on 18 September 1942
- Discontinued, and inactivated on 1 September 1960
- Activated on 20 January 1966
- Organized on 1 April 1966
- Inactivated on 30 September 1969
- Redesignated Fourth Air Force (Reserve) on 24 September 1976
- Activated in the Reserve on 8 October 1976
- Redesignated Fourth Air Force on 1 December 1985.
Assignments
[edit]- General Headquarters Air Force (later, Air Force Combat Command), 18 December 1940
- Western Defense Command, 11 December 1941
- United States Army Air Forces, 10 September 1943
- Continental Air Forces, 13 December 1944
- Air Defense Command, 21 March 1946
- Continental Air Command, 1 December 1948 – 1 September 1960
- Air (later, Aerospace) Defense Command, 20 January 1966 – 30 September 1969
- Air Force Reserve (later, Air Force Reserve Command), 8 October 1976 – .
Stations
[edit]- March Field, California, 18 December 1940
- Riverside, California, 20 January 1941
- Hamilton Field, California, 7 December 1941
- San Francisco, California, 5 January 1942
- Hamilton Field (later, AFB), California, 19 June 1946 – 1 September 1960; 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969
- McClellan Air Force Base, California, 8 October 1976
- March ARB, California, 1 April 1998 – present
Components
[edit]Commands
[edit]- I Staging: 19 November 1945 – 3 April 1946
- 4th Air Force Service (later, 4th Air Force Base; IV Air Force Base): 1 October 1941 – 31 March 1942
- 4th Air Support (later, IV Air Support; IV Ground Air Support): 3 September 1941 – 17 August 1942
- 4th Antiaircraft: 1 May 1944 – 6 February 1946
- Bomber Command, 4th Air Force (later, 4th Bomber, IV Bomber): 11 April – 19 September 1941; 19 September 1941 – 31 March 1944
- Interceptor Command, 4th Air Force (later, 4th Interceptor, IV Interceptor; IV Fighter): 22 April – 8 July 1941; 8 July 1941 – 31 March 1944.
- IV Emergency Rescue (Provisional): 30 December 1943 – 22 January 1944.
- Antiaircraft Artillery (Provisional): 27 December 1943 – 30 April 1944.
Regions
[edit]- Los Angeles Air Defense Region: 1 Jul 1944 – 31 Aug 1945
- San Francisco Air Defense Region: 1 Jul 1944 – 31 Aug 1945
- Seattle Air Defense Region: 1 Jul 1944 – 31 Aug 1945
- Sixth Air Force Reserve Region: 1 Jul – 1 Sep 1960.
District
[edit]- 4th Air Reserve District: 1 Dec 1951 – 1 Apr 1954.
Air Divisions
[edit]- 25th Air Division (later, 25th Air): 25 October 1948 – 1 April 1949; 8 July 1949 – 1 August 1950 (detached 10 November 1949 – 1 August 1950); 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969.
- 26th Air Division: 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969.
- 27th Air Division: 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969
- 28th Air Division: 8 December 1949 – 1 August 1950 (detached 1 January – 1 August 1950).
Sectors
[edit]- Los Angeles Air Defense Sector: 1 Apr – 25 Jun 1966
- Reno Air Defense Sector: 1 Apr – 25 Jun 1966
Wing
[edit]- 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969
Groups (incomplete)
[edit]- 64th Transport Group, 4 December 1940 - 31 March 1942
- 473d Fighter Group, 1 November 1943 – 31 March 1944
List of commanders
[edit]Fourth Air Force (1940–1960)
[edit]| No. | Commander[1] | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
| 1 | Major General Jacob E. Fickel | 18 December 1940 | 2 April 1942 | 1 year, 105 days | |
| 2 | Major General George C. Kenney | 2 April 1942 | 22 July 1942 | 111 days | |
| 3 | Major General Barney M. Giles | 22 July 1942 | 18 March 1943 | 239 days | |
| 4 | Major General William E. Kepner | 18 March 1943 | 8 July 1943 | 112 days | |
| 5 | Major General William E. Lynd | 8 July 1943 | 14 July 1944 | 1 year, 6 days | |
| 6 | Major General James E. Parker | 14 July 1944 | 3 January 1945 | 173 days | |
| - | Brigadier General Auby C. Strickland Acting | 3 January 1945 | 25 January 1945 | 22 days | |
| 6 | Major General James E. Parker | 25 January 1945 | 19 May 1945 | 114 days | |
| - | Brigadier General Edward M. Morris Acting | 19 May 1945 | 6 July 1945 | 48 days | |
| 7 | Major General Willis H. Hale | 6 July 1945 | 1 November 1947 | 2 years, 118 days | |
| - | Brigadier General Ned Schramm Acting | 1 November 1947 | 20 January 1948 | 80 days | |
| 8 | Major General John E. Upston | 20 January 1948 | c. 30 September 1950 | c. 2 years, 253 days | |
| 9 | Major General Alvan C. Kincaid | c. 30 September 1950 | 15 December 1950 | c. 76 days | |
| - | Colonel Claude E. Duncan Acting | 15 December 1950 | 29 January 1951 | 45 days | |
| 10 | Major General William E. Hall | 29 January 1951 | 8 September 1952 | 1 year, 223 days | |
| 11 | Major General Alfred A. Kessler | 8 September 1952 | 1 February 1955 | 2 years, 146 days | |
| - | Colonel George G. Northrup Acting | 1 February 1955 | 4 February 1955 | 3 days | |
| 12 | Major General Robert B. Landry | 4 February 1955 | 27 June 1957 | 2 years, 143 days | |
| - | Colonel George G. Northrup Acting | 27 June 1957 | 30 August 1957 | 64 days | |
| 13 | Major General Sory Smith | 30 August 1957 | 1 September 1960 | 3 years, 2 days | |
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Fourth Air Force (1966–1969)
[edit]| No. | Commander[1] | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
| 14 | Major General Carroll W. McColpin | 1 April 1966 | 23 July 1966 | 113 days | |
| - | Brigadier General John A. Rouse Acting | 23 July 1966 | 25 August 1966 | 33 days | |
| 14 | Major General Carroll W. McColpin | 25 August 1966 | 30 August 1968 | 2 years, 5 days | |
| 15 | Major General Robert W. Burns | 30 August 1968 | 1 August 1969 | 336 days | |
| - | Brigadier General Eugene L. Strickland Acting | 1 August 1969 | 30 September 1969 | 60 days | |
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Fourth Air Force (1976–present)
[edit]| No. | Commander[1] | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length | |
| 16 | Major General Sidney S. Novaresi | 8 October 1976 | April 1981 | c. 4 years, 189 days | |
| 17 | Major General Sloan R. Gill | April 1981 | 1 November 1982 | c. 1 year, 200 days | |
| 18 | Brigadier General Robert G. Mortensen | 1 November 1982 | 1 May 1985 | 2 years, 181 days | |
| 19 | Major General James C. Wahleithner | 1 May 1985 | 4 February 1990 | 4 years, 279 days | |
| 20 | Major General James E. Sherrard III | 4 February 1990 | 1 July 1993 | 3 years, 147 days | |
| 21 | Major General Wallace W. Whaley | 1 July 1993 | 7 August 2000 | 7 years, 37 days | |
| 22 | Major General James P. Czekanski | 7 August 2000 | 7 September 2003 | 3 years, 31 days | |
| 23 | Major General Robert E. Duignan | 7 September 2003 | c. January 2009 | c. 5 years, 130 days | |
| 24 | Major General Eric W. Crabtree | c. January 2009 | c. March 2011 | c. 2 years, 59 days | |
| 25 | Major General Mark A. Kyle | c. March 2011 | October 2013 | c. 2 years, 230 days | |
| 26 | Major General John C. Flournoy Jr. | 3 November 2013 | 7 February 2017 | 3 years, 96 days | |
| 27 | Major General Randall A. Ogden | 7 February 2017 | 7 April 2020 | 3 years, 60 days | |
| 28 | Major General Jeffrey T. Pennington | ~7 April 2020 | August 2022 | ~2 years, 116 days | |
| 29 | Major General Derin S. Durham | 10 September 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years, 152 days | |
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References
[edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- ^ a b c d e Musser, James (7 February 2022). "Fourth Air Force (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ a b "Fourth Air Force Fact Sheet". Fourth Air Force. January 2023.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946–1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
External links
[edit]- The Museum is located off the grounds of the Base and displays in its aircraft collection examples bombers, fighters, cargo, refueling and reconnaissance aircraft, many of which served at March Field, March AFB and/or March ARB.
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Fourth Air Force
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), responsible for directing the training, readiness, and operational activities of reserve component units specializing in strategic airlift and aerial refueling.[1] Headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California, it is the largest such entity within AFRC, supervising over 34,000 Airmen organized into 18 wings and one regional support group.[1]
Activated on December 18, 1940, as one of the original four numbered air forces established in the United States, Fourth Air Force initially served as the Southwest Air District before being redesignated, with a primary mission of preparing aircrews and units for combat deployment during World War II.[2] [3] Postwar, it transitioned through air defense responsibilities in the 1960s and integration into the reserve structure by 1976, evolving to emphasize total force integration and rapid mobilization capabilities.[4] Notable contributions include providing critical airlift support during Operation Allies Refuge in 2021, one of the largest non-combatant evacuation operations in U.S. history.[1]
During its initial activation under the U.S. Army Air Forces, Fourth Air Force commanders directed training, coastal defense, and antisubmarine operations on the West Coast.
Postwar commanders managed continental air defense amid Cold War tensions, overseeing interceptor wings and radar networks until inactivation.[6]
A brief reactivation supported reserve mobilization for Southeast Asia, with focus on augmentation of active forces.[6]
Reactivated under Air Force Reserve Command, commanders have directed training for over 34,000 reservists in airlift, refueling, and special operations, emphasizing combat readiness and deployments.[6][1]
Note: The reserve-era list prioritizes verified transitions; full sequential details for post-2003 terms are maintained in Air Force Reserve Command records.[6]
Overview
Mission and Current Role
The Fourth Air Force, a component of the Air Force Reserve Command, has the mission to command and advocate for the readiness of assigned strategic mobility forces.[5] It directs the activities and supervises the training of over 34,000 Reserve Airmen organized across 18 wings and one regional support group.[5] These units deliver critical capabilities including strategic airlift, airdrop operations, aeromedical evacuation, aerial refueling, weather reconnaissance, and command and control support.[1] In its current role, headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California, the Fourth Air Force ensures these reserve forces remain combat-ready for rapid global mobility, contingency responses, and humanitarian efforts, thereby providing strategic depth to national defense objectives.[5] It monitors subordinate units, offers operational assistance, and prepares them for seamless integration with active-duty forces in support of Air Force, joint, and unified commands worldwide.[1] As the largest numbered air force in the Reserve Command, it emphasizes airman-focused readiness to meet emerging threats and sustain expeditionary operations.[5]Establishment and Designations
The Fourth Air Force originated from the Southwest Air District, established on 19 October 1940 under the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ AF) as part of a reorganization dividing the United States into four air defense districts to bolster continental air defense amid rising international tensions.[2] This structure aimed to decentralize command and improve readiness for potential threats from the Pacific and Western Hemisphere.[6] The district was activated on 18 December 1940 at March Field (now March Air Reserve Base), California, with initial responsibilities for training, air defense, and operational control in the southwestern United States.[2] On 26 March 1941, the Southwest Air District was redesignated as the 4 Air Force, reflecting the shift toward numbered air forces within the United States Army Air Corps to standardize organization and align with emerging combat air force models.[2] This change occurred as the Army Air Corps expanded rapidly in preparation for World War II entry, emphasizing numbered designations for clarity in command hierarchies.[6] Further redesignation to Fourth Air Force followed on 18 September 1942, standardizing the nomenclature across U.S. air forces to include the ordinal "Fourth" for formal consistency.[2] Post-World War II, the Fourth Air Force was inactivated on 15 October 1946 following the demobilization of combat units and reduction in force.[6] It was briefly reactivated under Tactical Air Command on 20 January 1966 and organized on 1 April 1966 to oversee tactical fighter operations, but inactivated again on 30 September 1969 amid force structure realignments.[2] On 24 September 1976, it was redesignated as Fourth Air Force (Reserve), activating on 8 October 1976 within the Air Force Reserve to command reserve airlift, fighter, and special operations units, a role it maintains today headquartered at March Air Reserve Base.[6]Historical Operations
World War II Contributions
The Fourth Air Force, activated on 18 December 1940 at March Field, California, as one of the initial numbered air forces under General Headquarters Air Force, primarily focused on organizing and training Army Air Forces units for combat deployment in the western United States.[3] [7] Its early responsibilities included supervising the activation and operational preparation of bomber, fighter, and pursuit groups, drawing from resources across the Fourth Air Force's zone to build proficiency in tactics, gunnery, and formation flying essential for overseas theaters.[8] By mid-1941, subordinate elements such as the IV Fighter Command, established at March Field in June, began specialized training for fighter organizations, emphasizing interception and air superiority skills using aircraft like the P-38 Lightning and P-39 Airacobra.[9] Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the Fourth Air Force shifted to immediate air defense of the Pacific Coast, assuming command under the Western Defense Command and relocating its headquarters to Hamilton Field and later San Francisco.[6] [3] It directed the rapid formation of provisional defense units, including fighter wings like the Los Angeles Fighter Wing, to patrol coastal airspace and counter potential aerial incursions, while coordinating radar networks and blackouts to deter threats.[10] Concurrently, the command conducted antisubmarine patrols along the western seaboard using available bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, contributing to the protection of shipping lanes amid early U-boat concerns in the Pacific, though major engagements remained limited due to effective deterrence.[3] The IV Bomber Command, redesignated in 1942, supported this by training heavy bombardment crews in maritime search and attack techniques.[3] By September 1943, with diminished immediate threats to the continental United States, the Fourth Air Force transitioned to a predominantly training orientation, administering replacement training units (RTUs) and operational training units (OTUs) to prepare combat crews for assignment to frontline commands.[2] This effort encompassed advanced instruction for thousands of pilots, navigators, and aircrew in diverse roles, including troop carrier operations under evolving commands, ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified personnel to theaters like the European and Pacific campaigns.[11] The command's dual role in defense and preparation underscored its strategic value in maintaining homeland security while bolstering global airpower projection, with no successful enemy air raids on West Coast targets attributed to its vigilant posture.[12]Cold War Air Defense and Reorganization
Following World War II, Fourth Air Force was reassigned to Continental Air Forces on 16 April 1945, marking its transition from combat operations to postwar continental defense roles.[13] On 21 March 1946, it transferred to the newly established Air Defense Command (ADC), assuming responsibility for air defense operations in the western United States, including fighter interceptor units and radar surveillance networks to counter potential Soviet bomber threats.[13] This assignment reflected the early Cold War prioritization of homeland air defense amid escalating U.S.-Soviet tensions, with Fourth Air Force overseeing ground-based radar sites and fighter wings equipped for intercept missions.[13] In June 1946, the command relocated its headquarters to Hamilton Field (later Hamilton Air Force Base), California, enhancing its operational focus on Pacific coastal defenses.[13] By 1 December 1948, amid broader Air Force reorganizations to integrate reserve forces, Fourth Air Force shifted to Continental Air Command, which emphasized mobilization training for Air National Guard and reserve units while sustaining limited air defense oversight.[13] This dual-role structure supported rapid expansion of reserve capabilities in response to the Berlin Blockade and Korean War, training over 20,000 reservists annually by the mid-1950s through exercises simulating air defense intercepts.[13] Air Defense Command inactivated Fourth Air Force on 1 September 1960, redistributing its assets to streamline ADC's regional structure amid advancements in missile technology and semi-automatic ground environment (SAGE) systems that reduced reliance on numbered air forces for routine intercepts.[13] The inactivation aligned with doctrinal shifts prioritizing centralized command over dispersed numbered forces, as intercontinental ballistic missiles diminished the bomber threat profile.[13] Fourth Air Force reactivated on 20 January 1966 and fully organized on 1 April 1966 at Hamilton AFB under ADC (later Aerospace Defense Command), resuming command of air defense and early warning forces primarily in the western U.S., including oversight of interceptor squadrons with F-101 Voodoo and F-106 Delta Dart aircraft.[13] This brief reactivation addressed persistent gaps in regional air sovereignty amid Vietnam-era diversions and renewed emphasis on bomber defense, incorporating ground-controlled intercept tactics and radar integration.[13] It inactivated again on 30 September 1969, as ADC consolidated operations further in light of détente and technological redundancies, transferring missions to sector commands.[13] These cycles of activation and reorganization underscored the command's adaptability to fluctuating threat assessments and resource constraints during the Cold War.[13]Inactivation and Reactivation in Reserve Structure
Following its post-World War II roles in training and continental air defense, Fourth Air Force was discontinued and inactivated on 1 September 1960, with its reserve training responsibilities transferred to the Sixth Air Force Reserve Region under Air Force Reserve control.[14][6] This inactivation reflected broader Air Force reorganizations amid shifting priorities from active-duty air defense to reserve augmentation structures during the early Cold War era.[2] The unit was briefly reactivated on 20 January 1966 and organized on 1 April 1966 under Aerospace Defense Command, focusing on limited air defense missions before being inactivated again on 30 September 1969 as defense responsibilities consolidated.[6][2] It remained inactive until redesignated as Fourth Air Force (Reserve) on 24 September 1976, then activated on 8 October 1976 at McClellan Air Force Base, California, and assigned to Air Force Reserve headquarters.[6][2] This reactivation formed part of a major Air Force Reserve restructuring that replaced four regional commands with three numbered air forces—Fourth, Tenth, and Fourteenth—to streamline oversight of reserve units, enhance mobilization readiness, and align reserve forces more directly with active-duty components for total force integration.[14][6] On 1 December 1985, the designation was simplified to Fourth Air Force, solidifying its permanent role in directing reserve air mobility, training, and operational support missions.[2][6]Organizational Structure
Lineage and Assignments
The Fourth Air Force traces its origins to the establishment of the Southwest Air District on 19 October 1940, which was activated on 18 December 1940 under General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ Air Force).[2] It was redesignated as the 4 Air Force on 26 March 1941, reflecting the reorganization of GHQ Air Force into numbered air forces.[2] Further redesignated as the Fourth Air Force on 18 September 1942 amid World War II expansion, the unit focused on training and defense roles.[2] After the war, it underwent inactivation in 1946 but was reactivated and redesignated as the 4 Air Force (Reserve) on 1 August 1963 to align with reserve force structures under Continental Air Command.[2] The name reverted to Fourth Air Force on 24 September 2004, standardizing designations across the Air Force Reserve Command.[2] Assignments evolved with U.S. military priorities: transferred to U.S. Army Air Forces on 20 June 1941, then to Army Air Forces Combat Command on 17 July 1941, emphasizing combat readiness.[2] In 31 July 1943, it shifted to Army Air Forces Training Command to oversee crew and unit preparation for overseas deployment.[2] Postwar, under Army Air Forces (1 April 1946) and briefly Strategic Air Command (21 March 1946), it supported strategic operations before realignment to Air Defense Command on 1 March 1947 for continental defense missions.[2] By 1 August 1963, assignment to Continental Air Command integrated it into reserve air defense; this transitioned to direct Air Force Reserve subordination on 31 December 1969, and to Air Force Reserve Command on 1 February 1997, where it remains headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California.[2]Stations and Components
The headquarters of the Fourth Air Force is located at March Air Reserve Base, California.[5][15] Historically, the command's stations included March Field, California (18 December 1940); Riverside, California (20 January 1941); and Hamilton Field, California (7 December 1941), with additional relocations during World War II for air defense and training missions along the West Coast.[6] Later stations encompassed sites supporting air defense operations, such as Reno Air Defense Sector from 1 April to 25 June 1966, before inactivation and subsequent reserve alignments.[6] Major historical components under Fourth Air Force included the I Staging Command (19 November 1945 – 3 April 1946), responsible for processing personnel and units for overseas deployment; the 4 Air Force Service Command (later redesignated IV Air Force Base, 1 October 1941 – 31 March 1942), which handled logistics and base support; and the 4 Air Support Command (1 October 1942 – 15 August 1943), focused on tactical air-ground coordination.[2] These components supported combat training, antisubmarine patrols, and replacement crew operations during wartime.[2] In its current reserve role, Fourth Air Force provides oversight and training supervision for 18 flying wings and the 604th Regional Support Group, encompassing approximately 34,000 personnel focused on strategic airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, aerial refueling, and weather reconnaissance missions.[5][16][15] Assigned units include the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California, which operates C-5M Super Galaxy and KC-10 Extender aircraft for global mobility; the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, host at March Air Reserve Base; and air refueling wings such as the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana.[1] This structure ensures reserve forces integrate with active-duty operations for rapid deployment and sustainment.[17]Subordinate Units and Wings
Fourth Air Force provides command oversight to 11 flying wings, one flying group, and two regional support groups within the Air Force Reserve Command, encompassing approximately 33,000 personnel across more than 300 units dedicated to air mobility, airlift, aerial refueling, special operations, and fighter missions.[1][15] These subordinate elements include unit-equipped and associate wings that operate in support of active-duty forces, providing strategic airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, and tanker operations.[15] The flying wings under Fourth Air Force consist of one unit-equipped air mobility wing, three unit-equipped airlift wings, four unit-equipped air refueling wings, one unit-equipped special operations wing, one unit-equipped fighter wing, plus associate wings and groups for integrated operations with active components.[15] Specific subordinate flying units include the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California; the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, California; the 433rd Airlift Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas; the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; the 446th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana; the 459th Air Refueling Wing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina; the 927th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois (serving as a reverse associate wing); and the 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.[15][1] In addition to flying units, Fourth Air Force supervises two regional support groups: the 604th Regional Support Group, headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California, and the 624th Regional Support Group at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, which manage non-flying reserve personnel and mission support functions for approximately 800 personnel in the Pacific region.[15] These groups ensure logistical, administrative, and operational readiness for subordinate wings, enabling rapid mobilization and integration with active-duty commands such as Air Mobility Command.[15]Leadership and Command
List of Commanders by Era
The commanders of the Fourth Air Force have overseen its evolution from a World War II combat and defense command to a key reserve component focused on air mobility, training, and readiness.[6] Leadership transitions reflect shifts in mission, with early figures emphasizing operational buildup and defense, while later reserve-era commanders prioritized integration with active forces and total force concepts.[2] World War II Era (1940–1945)During its initial activation under the U.S. Army Air Forces, Fourth Air Force commanders directed training, coastal defense, and antisubmarine operations on the West Coast.
- Maj. Gen. Jacob E. Fickel, 18 December 1940 – 2 April 1942[6]
- Maj. Gen. George C. Kenney, 2 April 1942 – 22 July 1942[6]
- Maj. Gen. Barney M. Giles, 22 July 1942 – 11 August 1943[6]
- Maj. Gen. William E. Kepner, 11 August 1943 – 24 June 1946 (continued into postwar transition)[6]
Postwar commanders managed continental air defense amid Cold War tensions, overseeing interceptor wings and radar networks until inactivation.[6]
- Maj. Gen. St. Clair Streett, 24 June 1946 – 13 August 1946[6]
- Maj. Gen. Eugene L. Eubank, 13 August 1946 – 1 August 1948[6]
- Maj. Gen. Russell L. Maxwell, 1 August 1948 – 1 August 1950[6]
- Maj. Gen. Willis H. Hale, 1 August 1950 – 1 September 1960 (inactivation)[6]
A brief reactivation supported reserve mobilization for Southeast Asia, with focus on augmentation of active forces.[6]
- Maj. Gen. William E. Lynd, 24 September 1966 – 15 June 1968[6]
- Maj. Gen. William H. D. Burns, 15 June 1968 – 30 June 1969 (inactivation)[6]
Reactivated under Air Force Reserve Command, commanders have directed training for over 34,000 reservists in airlift, refueling, and special operations, emphasizing combat readiness and deployments.[6][1]
| No. | Commander | Rank | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William E. Lynd | Maj. Gen. | 1 October 1976 – 1 August 1978[6] |
| 2 | James E. Parker | Maj. Gen. | 1 August 1978 – 1 October 1980[6] |
| 3 | Auby C. Strickland | Maj. Gen. | 1 October 1980 – 1 October 1982[6] |
| 4 | Edward M. Morris | Maj. Gen. | 1 October 1982 – 1 October 1985[6] |
| 5 | John A. Shaud | Lt. Gen. | 1 October 1985 – 1 July 1987[6] |
| 6 | John B. Conaway | Maj. Gen. | 1 July 1987 – 4 February 1990[6] |
| 7 | John G. Sherrard III | Maj. Gen. | 4 February 1990 – 1 July 1993[6] |
| 8 | Wallace W. Whaley | Maj. Gen. | 1 July 1993 – 7 August 2000[2] |
| 9 | James P. Czekanski | Maj. Gen. | 7 August 2000 – 7 September 2003[2] |
| 10 | Robert E. Duignan | Maj. Gen. | 7 September 2003 – (subsequent terms per official records)[2] |
| ... | (Interim and recent: e.g., D. Scott Durham until August 2025; current Maj. Gen. Paul R. Fast, August 2025–present)[18][19] |