Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) (ACC)

Lineage.  Established as 5 Air Support Command on 21 Aug 1941.  Activated on 1 Sep 1941.  Redesignated 9 Air Force on 8 Apr 1942; Ninth Air Force on 18 Sep 1942.  Inactivated on 2 Dec 1945.  Activated on 28 Mar 1946.  Redesignated: Ninth Air Force (Tactical) on 1 Aug 1950; Ninth Air Force on 26 Jun 1951; Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), on 1 Mar 2008; United States Air Forces Central Command on 5 Aug 2009; Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) on 20 Aug 2020. 

Assignments.  Air Force Combat Command (later, Army Air Forces), 1 Sep 1941; United States Army Forces in the Middle East, 12 Nov 1942; European Theater of Operations, United States Army, 3 Nov 1943; United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (later, United States Air Forces in Europe), 22 Feb 1944-2 Dec 1945.  Tactical Air Command, 28 Mar 1946; Continental Air Command, 1 Dec 1948; Tactical Air Command, 1 Dec 1950; Air Combat Command, 1 Jun 1992-.

Major Components.  Commands.  IX Air Defense: 1 Jul 1944-28 Nov 1945.  IX Air Support (later, IX Tactical Air): 4 Dec 1943-17 Aug 1945.  IX Engineer: 1 Jul 1944-2 Dec 1945.  IX Fighter: 23 Dec 1942-16 Nov 1945.  IX Troop Carrier: 16 Oct 1943-25 Aug 1944.  XIX Air Support (later, XIX Tactical Air): 4 Jan 1944-4 Aug 1945.  XXIX Air Support (later, XXIX Tactical Air): 1 Jul-3 Oct 1945.

Divisions.  12 Air: 23 Feb- 27 Jun 1949.  19 Air (formerly, 19 Bombardment Wing; IX Bomber Command; 9 Bombardment Division; 9 Air Division; 19 Bombardment Wing): 24 Jul 1942-20 Nov 1945; 22 Dec 1948-1 Feb 1949.  21 Air: 22 Dec 1948-1 Feb 1949.  42 Air: 1 Jul-1 Oct 1957.  49 Air: 22 Dec 1948-1 Feb 1949.  69 Air: 23 Feb-27 Jun 1949.  302 Air: 22 Dec 1948-1 Feb 1949.  833 Air: 1 Oct 1964-24 Dec 1969.  834 Air: 25 Sep-1 Oct 1957; 1 Jul 1964-15 Oct 1966.  836 Air: 8 Oct 1957-1 Jul 1961; 1 Jul 1962-30 Jun 1971.  837 Air: 8 Feb 1958-1 Feb 1963.  838 Air: 25 Sep-11 Dec 1957.  839 Air: 8 Oct 1957-1 Jul 1963; 9 Nov 1964-1 Dec 1974.  840 Air: 1 Oct 1964-24 Dec 1969.

Stations.  Bowman Field, KY, 1 Sep 1941; New Orleans AAB, LA, 24 Jan 1942; Bolling Field, DC, 22 Jul-Oct 1942; Cairo, Egypt, 12 Nov 1942-Oct 1943; Sunnyhill Park, England, Nov 1943-Sep 1944; Chantilly, France, 15 Sep 1944; Bad Kissingen, Germany, 6 Jun-2 Dec 1945.  Biggs Field, TX, 28 Mar 1946; Greenville AAB (later, AFB), SC, 31 Oct 1946; Langley AFB, VA, 14 Feb 1949; Pope AFB, NC, 1 Aug 1950; Shaw AFB, SC, 20 Aug 1954-.

Commanders.  Brig Gen Junius W. Jones, 1 Sep 1941; Col Rosenham Beam, c. Feb 1942;  None (not manned), May-11 Nov 1942; Lt Gen Lewis H. Brereton, 12 Nov 1942; Lt Gen Hoyt S. Vandenburg, 8 Aug 1944; Maj Gen Otto P. Weyland, 23 May 1945; Maj Gen William E. Kepner, 4 Aug-2 Dec 1945.  Brig Gen Homer L. Sanders, 28 Mar 1946; Brig Gen Yantis H. Taylor, 17 Aug 1946; Brig Gen Jarred V. Crabb, 28 Sep 1946; Maj Gen Paul L. Williams, 1 Nov 1946; Maj Gen William D. Old, 15 Sep 1947; Maj Gen Willis H. Hale, 20 Oct 1949; Maj Gen Willard R. Wolfinbarger, 1 Aug 1950; Maj Gen Edward J. Timberlake, 7 Sep 1951; Brig Gen Bruce K. Holloway, 10 Jun 1957; Maj Gen Robert M. Lee, 25 Jul 1957; Maj Gen Daniel W. Jenkins, 28 Jun 1958; Maj Gen David W. Hutchison, 31 Jul 1958; Maj Gen Daniel W. Jenkins, 1 Jul 1961; Maj Gen Richard T. Coiner Jr., 19 Jul 1961; Maj Gen Charles R. Bond Jr., 22 Nov 1963; Maj Gen Marvin L. McNickle, 13 Jan 1964; Maj Gen Lawrence F. Tanberg, 30 Jul 1966; Maj Gen Don O. Darrow, 1 Sep 1966; Maj Gen Lawrence F. Tanberg, 14 Jun 1967; Maj Gen Gordon M. Graham, 31 Aug 1967; Brig Gen Donavon F. Smith, 1 Aug 1968; Maj Gen Timothy F. O’Keefe, 15 Aug 1968; Maj Gen Richard H. Ellis, 16 Sep 1969; Maj Gen Augustus M. Hendry Jr., 22 Aug 1970; Maj Gen Roger K. Rhodarmer, 22 Jul 1971; Maj Gen Levi R. Chase, 1 Jun 1973; Lt Gen James D. Hughes, 1 Dec 1973; Lt Gen James V. Hartinger, 1 Jul 1975; Lt Gen Arnold W. Braswell, 20 Jun 1978; Lt Gen Larry D. Welch, 1 Jun 1981; Lt Gen John L. Piotrowski, 18 Oct 1982; Lt Gen William L. Kirk, 18 Jul 1985; Lt Gen Charles A. Horner, 24 Mar 1987; Lt Gen Michael A. Nelson, 19 Jun 1992; Lt Gen John P. Jumper, 2 Aug 1994; Lt Gen Carl E. Franklin, 7 Jun 1996; Lt Gen Hal M. Hornburg, 11 May 1998; Lt Gen Charles F. Wald, 12 Jan 2000; Lt Gen T. Michael Moseley, 7 Nov 2001; Lt Gen Walter E. L. Buchanan III, 11 Aug 2003; Lt Gen Gary L. North, 16 Feb 2006; Lt Gen Gilmary M. Hostage III, 5 Aug 2009; Lt Gen David L. Goldfein, 3 Aug 2011; Lt Gen John W. Hesterman III, 11 Jul 2013; Lt Gen Charles Q. Brown Jr., 29 Jun 2015; Lt Gen Jeffrey L. Harrigian, 22 Jul 2016; Lt Gen Joseph T. Guastella Jr., 30 Aug 2018; Lt Gen Gregory M. Guillot, 16 Jul 2020-. 

Operations.  Involved in early training activities for air-ground support operations from the fall of 1941 through the spring of 1942, but essentially unmanned during the summer of 1942 when most personnel were reassigned to Twelfth Air Force.  Small cadre moved to Egypt and began operations upon assuming the personnel, units and resources of the provisional U.S. Army Middle East Air Force in Nov 1942; participated in the Allied drive across Egypt and Libya, the campaign in Tunisia, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy.  Moved to England in Oct 1943 to become the tactical air force for the invasion of the European Continent.  Helped prepare for the assault on Normandy, supported operations in the beachhead during June 1944, and through its advanced headquarters took part in the drive that carried the Allies across France and culminated in victory over Germany in May 1945.  Assigned to Tactical Air Command until Dec 1948 when the Ninth, reassigned to Continental Air Command, lost its role as a tactical air organization and became concerned chiefly with reserve and National Guard units and activities.  Assigned to Tactical Air Command in Dec 1950 and became concerned primarily with tactical air operations and training.  Since 1983, headquarters served in a joint-force capacity as U.S. Central Command Air Forces (later, Air Forces Central) responsible for contingency air operations in Southwest Asia, namely as primary air command element during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991, and later during Operation Enduring Freedom beginning in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom beginning in 2003. 

Service Streamers.  WWII American Theater.

Campaign Streamers.  World War II: 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. 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations.  Meritorious Unit Award: 1 Jun 2018-31 Jan 2020.  Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Jun 1986-31 May 1988; 1 Jun 1996-31 May 1998; 1 Jun 1998-31 May 2000; 1 Jun 2000-31 May 2002; 1 Jun 2004-31 May 2006; 1 Jun 2006-31 May 2007; 1 Jun 2007-31 May 2008; 1 Jun 2008-31 May 2009; 1 Jun 2019-31 May 2021.  Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards: 4 Aug 1990-11 Apr 1991; 1 Jun 2011-31 May 2013. 

Lineage, Assignments, Stations, and Honors through 6 Jul 2022.

Commanders and Operations through 6 Jul 2022.

Supersedes statement prepared on 5 Oct 2020. 

Emblem.  Approved on 16 Sep 1943; latest rendering, 20 Feb 2009.  AFCENT air component emblem approved on 9 Apr 1987; latest rendering, 30 Jun 2008.

Prepared by Margaret Ream.