Editing Tactical Air Command (section)

====Tactical Air Command combat aircraft deployment to Florida bases====
SAC ordered continual U-2 reconnaissance flights over Cuba and, at the same time, ordered the redeployment of its medium and heavy bombers and tanker aircraft from its three Florida bases, [[MacDill AFB]], [[McCoy AFB]] and [[Homestead AFB]], in order to make room for TAC fighter aircraft. In mid-October, the [[Nineteenth Air Force]] (19AF) moved from its home base of [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], North Carolina, to [[Homestead AFB]], Florida. Once at Homestead AFB, 19AF spearheaded the deployment of TAC units at the beginning of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], deploying numerous [[F-84]], [[F-100 Super Sabre|F-100]], [[F-105]], [[B-66 Destroyer|RB-66]], and [[B-50 Superfortress|KB-50]] units and aircraft to the SAC bases in Florida.<ref name="CMC"/><ref>Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Office of Air Force History, 1984.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100525-073.pdf|title=Air Force Historical Support Division > Home|website=afhso.af.mil|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-16|archive-date=23 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123154335/http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100525-073.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

19AF's commander headed the main air operations center, the '''Air Force Atlantic Advanced Operational Nucleus''' (ADVON). Augmented by airmen and officers from other TAC air forces, Air Force Atlantic ADVON soon controlled nearly 1,000 aircraft and 7,000 men and women. During the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] four primary Air Elements were organized and postured in Florida. Air Force record cards and historical records contain the following information:
[[File:12th Tactical Fighter Wing F-84F Thunderstreaks.jpg|thumb|12th Tactical Fighter Wing F-84F Thunderstreaks]]
[[Image:F-105-4fw-mycoy-1962.jpg|thumb|Republic F-105D-5-RE Thunderchief, AF Ser. No. 58-1158, deployed to [[McCoy AFB]], FL by the 4 TFW during the Cuban Missile Crisis.]]
[[File:F-100-363tfs-wc-354tfw.jpg|thumb|North American F-100F-10-NA Super Sabre, AF Ser. No. 56-3869, of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, deployed to [[McCoy AFB]], FL. The aircraft is marked as the Wing Commander's aircraft.]]
* HQ, Air Force Provisional 33 (Fighter Recon). Organized at [[Homestead AFB]] and assigned to TAC, with attachment to Air Force Atlantic (Main). The Air Division Provisional 1, 2, and 3 were assigned as elements at the same time.
* HQ, Air Division Provisional 1 was organized at [[Homestead AFB]] and assigned to the Air Force Provisional 33 (Fighter Reconnaissance). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to Air Force Provisional 33 and assigned directly to TAC. At the same time, it was attached to the Air Force Atlantic (ADVON). Serving in the division were deployed elements of the following wings:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aviano.af.mil/Media/story_print/id/123322234/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203013913/https://www.aviano.af.mil/Media/story_print/id/123322234/|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2021|title=News|website=www.aviano.af.mil|accessdate=18 April 2023}}</ref>
:: [[31st Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-100), [[Homestead AFB]] Florida, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962
:: [[401st Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-100), [[England AFB]], Louisiana, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962
:: [[474th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-100), [[Cannon AFB]], New Mexico, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962
: Altogether, the 1st Provisional Air Division included a force of 181 F-100 fighter aircraft and over 1,600 personnel.
* HQ, Air Division Provisional 2 was also organized at [[McCoy AFB]], Florida, and assigned to AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to 33 AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon) and assigned directly to TAC, with attachment to AF Atlantic (ADVON).
:: [[4th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-105), [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], North Carolina, 21 Oct-c. 29 Nov 1962
:: [[354th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-100), [[Myrtle Beach AFB]], South Carolina, 21 Oct–1 Dec 1962
:: [[427th Air Refueling Squadron]]: (20 KB-50J Superfortress), [[Langley AFB]], Virginia
* HQ, Air Division Provisional 3 was organized at [[MacDill AFB]], Florida, and assigned to AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to 33 AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon) and assigned directly to TAC, with attachment to AF Atlantic (ADVON).
:: [[12th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-84F), [[MacDill AFB]], Florida
:: [[15th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-84F), [[MacDill AFB]], Florida
:: [[27th Tactical Fighter Wing]] (F-100), [[Cannon AFB]], New Mexico, 21 Oct-1 Dec 1962
:: [[363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing]] (RF-101), (RB-66), [[Shaw AFB]], South Carolina, 21 Oct-30 Nov 1962

Civilian airports in [[West Palm Beach]], [[Fort Lauderdale]] and [[Miami, Florida]] also received TAC Units.

Like the Navy's RF-8A Crusaders, TAC [[F-101 Voodoo|RF-101 Voodoo]] reconnaissance aircraft from [[Shaw AFB]] continued to fly high speed low level sorties over Cuba on a daily basis, photographing suspected missile sites and Cuban military bases. In some cases the films were flown directly to Washington, D.C., and onto President [[John F. Kennedy]]'s desk within hours of being taken.<ref name="CMC"/>

General [[Walter C. Sweeney, Jr.]], Commander of Tactical Air Command, proposed an operational plan which called first for an air attack on the surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites in the vicinity of known medium range (MRBM) and intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) launchers by eight fighter-bombers per SAM site. Concurrently, each of the Cuban MiG airfields thought to be protecting MRBM/IRBM sites were to be struck by at least twelve fighters. Following the air-strikes on SAM sites and MiG fighter airfields, each MRBM and IRBM launch site was to be attacked by at least twelve aircraft. General Sweeney's plan was accepted and, additionally, Cuban Ilyushin Il-28 "Beagle" bombers bases were added to the target list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allworldwars.com/Cuban-Missile-Crisis-CIA-Documents.html|title=CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962|website=allworldwars.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-16}}</ref>