Editing First Air Force (section)

==History==
One of the four original numbered air forces, First Air Force was activated as the '''Northeast Air District''' of the [[GHQ Air Force]] on 18 December 1940, at [[Mitchel Field]], [[Long Island]], New York. It was redesignated '''First Air Force''' on 9 April 1941 with a mission for the defense of the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States.

===World War II===
[[File:1stusaaf-map.jpg|thumb|left|First Air Force region of the United States, World War II]]
During the initial months after the [[Pearl Harbor Attack]], First Air Force organized what would eventually become the core of the [[Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command]] (AAFSC), obtaining most of its forces from [[XX Bomber Command|I Bomber Command]] to combat the German [[U-boat]] threat along the Atlantic Coast.  AAFSC would eventually expand that mission to the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and [[Caribbean]] until the antisubmarine mission was taken over completely by the Navy in mid-1943.

Beginning in May 1942, the mission of First 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 First Air Force became predominantly a fighter OTU and RTU organization. Most [[P-47 Thunderbolt]] fighter groups were trained by [[I Fighter Command]], along with [[P-39|P-39/P-63 Airacobra]] groups; [[C-47 Skytrain]] and later [[C-46 Commando]] groups by [[I Troop Carrier Command]]. By 1944, most of the Operational Training of groups ended, with the command concentrating on the training of individual replacements using Army Air Force Base Units (AAFBU) as training organizations at the airfields controlled by First Air Force.

Air Defense Wings were also organized for the major metropolitan areas along the northeast coast, using training units attached to the Wings.  By 1944 the likelihood of an air attack along the eastern seaboard was remote, and these air defense wings were reduced to paper units.

By 1944, the vast majority of the USAAF was engaged in combat operations in various parts of the world, such as the [[Eighth Air Force]] in Europe and the [[Twentieth Air Force]] in the Pacific.  The training units located within the United States (known as the [[Zone of the Interior]], or "ZI".) under First, Second, Third and Fourth Air Force were all placed under the unified command of the '''[[Continental Air Forces]] (CAF)''' on 13 December 1944, with the Numbered Air Forces becoming subordinate commands of CAF.

===Air Defense Command===
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 First 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. First Air Force Headquarters was located at [[Fort Slocum]], New York, from 1946 to 1949.

The command was originally assigned the region of the New England states, along with New York and New Jersey.  With the inactivation of the ADC Eleventh Air Force on 1 July 1948 due to budget restrictions, command's region of responsibility was increased to include the upper Midwest states of Michigan and Ohio, along with the Mid-Atlantic region south to the North Carolina/Virginia Border.

In 1949 [[Air National Guard]] and [[Air Force Reserve]] units were placed under First Air Force command, with its active-duty units being reassigned to Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) or to the 30th, 32d or 26th Air Divisions.
The command was inactivated on 23 June 1958 for budgetary reasons, its assigned units being placed under ConAC.

First Air Force was reactivated at [[Stewart Air Force Base]], Newburgh, N.Y., on 20 January 1966 due to the inactivation of the ADC Air Defense Sectors.  First Air Force assumed responsibility for the ADC 21st, 33d, 34th, 35th, and 36th Air Divisions, primarily located in the northeast and upper Midwest regions of the United States.  It also was responsible for the air defense of [[Greenland]], Iceland and parts of Canada. By July 1968, First Air Force had again assumed total responsibility for the air defense of the eastern seaboard, just as it had during World War II.

On 16 January 1968 Air Defense Command was re-designated [[Aerospace Defense Command]] (ADCOM) as part of a restructuring of USAF air defense forces.  First 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 First Air Force were reassigned primarily to the 20th, 21st or 23d Air Divisions.

===Tactical Air Command===
ADCOM was reorganized on 1 October 1979. The interceptors and warning radars were reassigned to [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC). With this move many [[Air National Guard]] units that had an air defense mission also came under the control of TAC, which established a component called [[Air Defense, Tactical Air Command]] (ADTAC), at the level of a numbered air force.

On 6 December 1985 HQ USAF reactivated First Air Force at [[Langley Air Force Base]], Virginia, and assigned it to [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC), replacing ADTAC. First Air Force was given the mission to provide, train and equip combat ready air defence forces for the air defense of the North American continent.

Upon its reactivation, First Air Force was composed of units of the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Because of its unique mission and its binational responsibilities, First Air Force works closely with the Canadian Forces. Canadian personnel are stationed at First Air Force Headquarters at [[Tyndall Air Force Base]] Florida, and at the various regional air defense sectors located throughout the United States.

Activation of the [[Continental NORAD Region]] on 1 October 1986, resulted in a new structure for [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] (NORAD).<ref name="BHN">{{Cite book|url=http://www.norad.mil/Portals/29/Documents/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20NORAD%20%28current%20as%20of%20March%202014%29.pdf|title=A Brief History of NORAD|publisher=North American Aerospace Defense Command Office of History|year=2013|pages=41}}</ref> The Continental NORAD Region, along with the Alaskan and Canadian regions, commanded North American air defense forces.

* On 1 July 1987, four of the previous [[Air Defense Command]] Air Defense sectors were reactivated, re-designated, assigned and co-located with the four remaining air divisions.
: The Montgomery Air Defense Sector (MOADS, Inactivated 1966) was reactivated as the '''[[Southeast Air Defense Sector]]''' (SEADS); assigned to [[23d Air Division]]
:: 23d Air Division inactivated 4 July 1987; assets transferred to SEADS.

: The Los Angeles Air Defense Sector (LAADS, Inactivated 1966) was reactivated as the '''[[Southwest Air Defense Sector]]''' (SWADS); assigned to [[26th Air Division]]
:: 26th Air Division inactivated 30 September 1990; assets transferred to SWADS.

: The Seattle Air Defense Sector (SEADS, Inactivated 1966) was reactivated as the '''[[Northwest Air Defense Sector]]''' (NWADS); assigned to [[25th Air Division]]
:: 25th Air Division inactivated 30 September 1990; assets transferred to NWADS.

: The New York Air Defense Sector (NYADS, Inactivated 1966) was reactivated as the '''[[Northeast Air Defense Sector]]''' (NEADS); assigned to [[24th Air Division]].
:: 24th Air Division inactivated 30 September 1990; assets transferred to NEADS.

The Air Defense Sectors were transferred by the Air Force to the [[National Guard Bureau]] and allotted to the [[Air National Guard]] on 1 October 1990.  They were operationally gained by First Air Force, Tactical Air Command.
* SEADS became part of the [[Florida ANG]] at [[Tyndall AFB]] 
* SWADS became part of the [[California ANG]] at [[March AFB]]
* NWADS became part of the [[Washington ANG]] at [[McChord AFB]]
* NEADS became part of the [[New York ANG]] at [[Griffiss AFB]]

First Air Force was transferred to Air Combat Command along with the rest of TAC on 1 June 1992.

===Air Combat Command===
In the years since its third activation, more of the responsibility for the defense of American air sovereignty has primarily shifted to the [[Air National Guard]]. Also, reorganization of the command structure of the U.S. Air Force saw the assignment of air defense to Tactical Air Command and later, its successor, [[Air Combat Command]].

In the 1970s and 1980s, the role of the Air National Guard in the defense of North America increased. As this role changed, discussions between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard commenced concerning roles and responsibilities.

As the [[Cold War]] began to wind down and budgetary constraints became realities, more and more of the missions previously carried out by active duty forces began to be transferred into the reserve components. By the 1990s, 90 percent of the air defense mission was being handled by the Air National Guard.

In October 1997, First Air Force became primarily composed of [[Air National Guard]] units charged with the air defense of the North American continent. Today, First Air Force consists primarily of members of the Air National Guard. Its headquarters is located at [[Tyndall Air Force Base]], Florida and it comprises 9 fighter wings, 1 composite wing with a fighter mission, and two air defense sectors for the Eastern and Western regions of the continental United States (CONUS).

====Units circa 2022====
* [[Eastern Air Defense Sector]] (EADS), former [[Griffiss AFB]], [[Rome, New York]]
* [[Western Air Defense Sector]] (WADS), [[Joint Base Lewis–McChord|JB Lewis–McChord]] (formerly [[McChord AFB]]), [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
* [[601st Air and Space Operations Center]] (601 AOC), [[Tyndall AFB]], Florida
* [[United States Air Force Rescue Coordination Center|Air Force Rescue Coordination Center]] (AFRCC), [[Tyndall AFB]], Florida
* [[Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Agency]] (AFNSEP), [[Tyndall AFB]], Florida
* 1 AF Detachment 1, [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba, Canada
* Air Force Element, Joint Air Defense Operations Center (AFELM JADOC), [[Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling|JB Anacostia-Bolling]] (formerly [[Bolling Air Force Base|Bolling AFB]], District of Columbia 

First Air Force also has [[operational control]] of the [[Civil Air Patrol]], the USAF Auxiliary headquartered at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.  Administrative control of CAP, to include its Regular Air Force & Air Force Reserve CAP-USAF liaison support components, remains with [[Air University (United States Air Force)|Air University]] at Maxwell AFB.

Additionally, First Air Force provides operational control of alert Air National Guard air defense fighter units and supporting non-flying units:

* [[104th Fighter Wing]] (104 FW), [[Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport|Westfield-Barnes RAP]] / Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts [[F-15 Eagle]] 
: Detachment 1, 104 FW, [[Joint Base Langley–Eustis|JB Langley]][[Joint Base Lewis–McChord|–]]Eustis (formerly [[Langley AFB]]), Virginia 
* [[113th Wing]] (113 WG), [[Joint Base Andrews]] (formerly [[Andrews AFB]]), Maryland [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
* [[125th Fighter Wing]] (125 FW), [[Jacksonville IAP]] / Jacksonville ANGB, Florida, [[F-15 Eagle]]
: Detachment 1 (OL-A), 125 FW, [[Homestead Air Reserve Base|Homestead ARB]] (formerly [[Homestead AFB]]), Florida
* [[138th Fighter Wing]] (138 FW), [[Tulsa International Airport|Tulsa IAP]] / Tulsa ANGB, Oklahoma [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
: Detachment 1, 138 FW, [[Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base|Ellington Field JRB]], Texas   
* [[142d Fighter Wing]] (142 FW), [[Portland IAP]] / Portland ANGB, Oregon, [[F-15 Eagle]]
* [[144th Fighter Wing]] (144 FW), [[Fresno AP|Fresno Yosemite IAP]] / Fresno ANGB California, [[F-15 Eagle]]
: Detachment 1, 144 FW, [[March ARB]] (formerly [[March AFB]]), California
* [[148th Fighter Wing]] (148 FW), [[Duluth IAP]] / Duluth ANGB, Minnesota, [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
* [[158th Fighter Wing]] (158 FW), [[Burlington AP|Burlington IAP]] / Burlington ANGB, Vermont, [[F-35 Lightning II]]
* [[159th Fighter Wing]] (159 FW), [[Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans|NAS JRB New Orleans]], Louisiana, [[F-15 Eagle]]
* [[177th Fighter Wing]] (177 FW), [[Atlantic City AP|Atlantic City IAP]] / Atlantic City ANGB, New Jersey, [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]]

Non-flying units
* 101st Air and Space Operations Group (101 AOG), [[Tyndall AFB]], Florida
* 101st Information Operations Flight (101 IOF), [[Salt Lake City IAP]] / Roland R. Wright ANGB, Utah
* [[254th Combat Communications Group]], [[Hensley Field]] (formerly [[Naval Air Station Dallas|NAS Dallas]]), [[Garland, Texas]]

=== New space-related responsibilities, 2021 ===
On July 15, 2021, First Air Force, now AFSPACE, assumed the operational command and control of the Human Space Flight Support (HSFS) mission, previously carried out by the [[Combined Force Space Component Command]] at [[Vandenberg Space Force Base]], California.{{sfn|CONR-1AF|2022}} This mission is executed by its assigned Detachment 3, First Air Force, based at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.

Detachment 3, formerly commanded by [[Space Launch Delta 45]], came under First Air Force control during a redesignation and change of command ceremony held at [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station]], Florida, that day. Air Force Lt. Gen. Kirk Pierce, commander, First Air Force, Continental U.S. NORAD Region, AFNORTH, and now AFSPACE, said First Air Force responsibilities now included '..to plan, train and execute worldwide rescue and recovery of NASA astronauts during contingency operations.'{{sfn|CONR-1AF|2022}}