Editing Tactical Air Command (section)

=== Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm ===
In 1980, Tactical Air Command units of TAC's [[United States Air Forces Central Command|Ninth Air Force]] were allocated to President [[Jimmy Carter]]'s [[Rapid Deployment Force]], formally known as the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF). In 1983, the RDJTF became a separate unified command known as the [[United States Central Command]] (USCENTCOM), focusing on the Middle East. Ninth Air Force, headquartered at [[Shaw AFB]], South Carolina, provided the aircraft, personnel and materiel to form [[United States Central Command Air Forces]] (CENTAF), the USAF component command of USCENTCOM, which was also headquartered at Shaw AFB as a combined organization with 9th Air Force. Starting in 1981, Ninth Air Force aircraft and personnel were deployed to Egypt for Exercise BRIGHT STAR, an evolution that would continue biennially for the rest of the decade.

On 2 August 1990, ground forces of [[Iraq]] invaded [[Kuwait]] without warning. President [[George H. W. Bush]] proclaimed that the situation was not tolerable and with that he drew a what was referred to as "a line in the sand." The United States took their case to the [[United Nations]], and the UN in turn condemned the actions of Iraq and proclaimed that they must withdraw. Iraq refused to withdraw from the small country, claiming it as being part of their sovereign territory. The United States, now backed by United Nations mandates, again told the Iraqi leadership to withdraw or suffer the results of continued aggression.

In response to the invasion, the largest military buildup since the Vietnam War commenced. By 15 August, the 1 TFW had deployed F-15Cs and F-15Ds in a fifteen-hour non-stop flight from their home station at [[Langley AFB]], Virginia to [[Dhahran]], Saudi Arabia. They were standing alert within hours of their arrival and '''Operation Desert Shield''' was underway.

By January 1991, numerous of TAC combat squadrons had been deployed as part of Desert Shield. Diplomacy had failed to resolve the situation and Iraq had been given the ultimatum, "...get out of Kuwait or suffer the wrath of the United Nations Coalition." Leaders from Iraq proclaimed that if the UN forces crossed into Iraqi territory they would suffer the "Mother of all battles," and as the deadline came and passed, there was no movement of Iraqi forces that indicated a pullback.

In the early morning hours of 17 January 1991, anti-aircraft batteries in [[Baghdad]] erupted as the first strikes by F-117A Nighthawks hit critical command and control targets in the Iraqi capital. '''Operation Desert Storm''' had begun.

During the next few hours, USAF tactical air assets, along with [[U.S. Navy]], [[U.S. Marine Corps]], [[Royal Air Force]], [[French Air Force]], [[Royal Saudi Air Force]] and Free [[Kuwait Air Force]] tactical aircraft, pounded command and control facilities, bridges, and other lines of communication. USAF Wild Weasel F-4Gs went after Iraqi SAM sites like they had in Vietnam, while USAF A-10s hunted Iraqi tanks and troops. In the first three days of the air war, eleven Iraqi aircraft were shot down by USAF F-15Cs.

During the six-week air war, any and all Iraqi military assets were targeted by Coalition attack aircraft. The Iraqis responded by launching Soviet-built [[SCUD]] ballistic missiles against targets in Israel and the Arabian peninsula. With no accurate guidance system, the SCUD missies were very similar to the German [[V-2 rocket]] when it came to hitting a specific target. SCUDs that launched returned to earth with a chance of hitting something in the general area that it was pointed at. Classified as a terror weapon, the SCUDs became a top priority for TAC, USN/USMC and Coalition aircraft to find the mobile launching sites and destroy them.

The ground war began in late February 1991 and lasted approximately 100 hours. TAC close air support A-10 aircraft supported ground forces as they had trained for in the United States and Europe for well over a decade. Military planners and Washington officials were correct when they proclaimed that the war in the desert would "...not be another Viet Nam," and Desert Storm would go into the history books as one of TAC's most shining moments.<ref name="multi3"/><ref name="multi4">Rogers, Brian, ''United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978'', 2005</ref>

==== Known TAC units and aircraft deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990–1991) ====
[[Image:355th Tactical Fighter Squadron - Group Photo.jpg|thumb|Group photo of the 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron Personnel from [[Myrtle Beach AFB]] [[South Carolina]] in March 1991 at [[King Fahd International Airport]] [[Saudi Arabia]] after the Coalition victory in [[Operation Desert Storm]].]]
* 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron/388 TFW (F-16C/D) [[Hill AFB]], UT
* 41st Electronic Combat Squadron /28th Air Division (EC-130H Compass Call) [[Davis-Monthan AFB]], AZ
* 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron/363 TFW (F-16C/D) [[Shaw AFB]], SC
* 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron/602 TACW (A-10A) [[Davis-Monthan AFB]], AZ
* 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron/1 TFW (F-15C/D) [[Langley AFB]], VA
* 33d Tactical Fighter Squadron/363 TFW (F-16C/D) [[Shaw AFB]], SC
* 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron/33 TFW (F-15C/D) [[Eglin AFB]], FL
* 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron/347 TFW (F-16C/D) [[Moody Air Force Base|Moody AFB]], GA
* 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron/1 TFW (F-15C/D) [[Langley AFB]], VA
* 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron/23 TFW (A-10A) [[England AFB]], LA
* 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron/23 TFW (A-10A) [[England AFB]], LA
* 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron/4 TFW (F-15E) [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], NC
* 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron/4 TFW (F-15E) [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], NC
* 353d Tactical Fighter Squadron/354 TFW (A-10A) [[Myrtle Beach AFB]], SC
* 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron/354 TFW (A-10A) [[Myrtle Beach AFB]], SC
* 390th Electronic Combat Squadron/366 TFW (EF-111A) [[Mountain Home AFB]], ID
* 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron/37 TFW (F-117A) [[Tonopah Test Range Airport]], NV
* 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron/37 TFW (F-117A) [[Tonopah Test Range Airport]], NV
* 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron/388 TFW (F-16C/D) [[Hill AFB]], UT
* 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron/35 TFW (F-4G) [[George AFB]], CA
* [[963rd AACS|963rd Airborne Warning and Control Squadron]]/552 ACW (E-3B/C) [[Tinker AFB]], OK
* 964th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron/552 ACW (E-3B/C) [[Tinker AFB]], OK
* 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron/552 ACW (E-3B/C) [[Tinker AFB]], OK
* 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron/67 TRW (RF-4C) [[Bergstrom AFB]], TX

(Does not include [[AFRES]] or [[Air National Guard|ANG]] tactical flying units deployed from [[CONUS]] or USAF tactical flying units deployed from [[United States Air Forces in Europe]])<ref name="multi2"/>