Numbered air force of the United States Air Force responsible for the European region
Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe)
Shield of the Third Air Force
Active
1 December 2006 – present (as Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe)) 1 May 1951 – 1 November 2005 (as Third Air Force) 26 March 1941 – 1 November 1946 (as Third Air Force) 18 December 1940 – 26 March 1941 (as Southeast Air District) (c. 78 years)[a][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; Army Air Corps 19 October 1940 – 20 June 1941)
Type
Numbered Air Force
Role
Provides combat-ready air forces for U.S. European Command and U.S. African Command[2]
Part of
United States Air Forces in Europe United States Air Forces Africa U.S. European Command U.S. African Command
Headquarters
Ramstein Air Base, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Motto(s)
Develop - Defend - Deliver
Engagements
World War II – American Theater
Kosovo War – Air Campaign[1]
Decorations
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Website
www.usafe.af.mil/About-Us/3rd-Air-Force/
Commanders
Commander
Maj Gen Paul Moga[3]
Vice Commander
Col Calvin B. Powell
Command Chief
CCM Stephanie A. Cates
Notable commanders
Lewis H. Brereton Roscoe C. Wilson Francis H. Griswold William D. Dunham Frank L. Gailer Jr.
Military unit
The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa, and operations and support activities in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command's areas of responsibility.
It also has a unique mission as the U.S. military's primary liaison to the British government, which is conducted through the command's 3 AF-UK headquarters at RAF Mildenhall, England.
One of the four original pre–World War II numbered air forces, it was established on 26 March 1941, at Tampa, Florida with a mission of air defense of the Southeastern United States and Gulf Coast 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. Several airfields are associated with the Third Air Force.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^ abHaulman, Daniel L. (3 April 2019). "Third Air Force (USAFE) Fact Sheet". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
^"3rd Air Force". www.usafe.af.mil.
^"Third Air Force welcomes new commander". U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. Ramstein Air Base, Germany: HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
relinquished control of AirForce SOF to MAC in December 1982. AFSOC was initially established on 10 February 1983 as Twenty-ThirdAirForce (23 AF), a subordinate...
The United States AirForce (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United...
The German AirForce (German: Luftwaffe, lit. 'air weapon or air arm', German pronunciation: [ˈlʊftvafə] ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr...
The Philippine AirForce (PAF) (Filipino: Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
A Numbered AirForce (NAF) is a type of organization in the United States AirForce that is subordinate to a major command (MAJCOM) and has assigned to...
distributed among the Air Corps, General Headquarters AirForce, and the ground forces' corps area commanders and thus became the first air organization of...
The AirForce Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States AirForce, with its headquarters at Robins AirForce Base, Georgia...
installations operated by the United States AirForce located within the United States and abroad. Locations where the AirForce have a notable presence but do not...
The Royal AirForce (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards...
The Indian AirForce (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during...
Ukrainian AirForce (Ukrainian: Повітряні сили Збройних сил України, romanized: Povitryani syly Zbroynykh syl Ukrayiny, PS ZSU) is the airforce of Ukraine...
AirForce (formerly the United States AirForce Museum) is the official museum of the United States AirForce located at Wright-Patterson AirForce Base...
Peterson Space Force Base, previously Peterson AirForce Base, Peterson Field, and Army Air Base, Colorado Springs, is a United States Space Force base that...
The Czech AirForce (Czech: Vzdušné síly) is the airforce branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. Along with the Land Forces, the AirForce is the major...
The Nigerian AirForce (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest...
The Russian AirForce (Russian: Военно-воздушные силы России, romanized: Voenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii, VVS) is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces...
Third Tactical AirForce (Third TAF), which was formed in South Asia in December 1943, was one of three tactical air forces formed by the Royal Air Force...
Hellenic AirForce (HAF; Greek: Πολεμική Αεροπορία, romanized: Polemikí Aeroporía, lit. 'Military Aviation', sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ) is the airforce of...
AirForce (Pashto: د هوايي ځواک عمومي قومندان),(Dari: فرماندهی کل نیروی هوایی) also referred to as the Islamic Emirate AirForce and the Afghan Air Force...
The Turkish AirForce (Turkish: Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It traces its origins to June...
Wing, and are based at Nellis AirForce Base, Nevada. Created 71 years ago in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third-oldest formal flying aerobatic...
The Royal Canadian AirForce (RCAF; French: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian...
The Bangladesh AirForce (BAF) (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, romanized: Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed...
The Sixteenth AirForce (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States AirForce (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses...