Editing Tactical Air Command (section)

=== United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) ===
{{Further|United States Air Forces in Europe}}
[[Image:417fbs-50fbw-hahnab-f86F.jpg|thumb|right|300px|North American F-86F-30-NA Sabres of the 50th FBW flying over West Germany. AF Ser. No. 52-4656 is in front. The 50th was formed at [[Cannon Air Force Base]], [[New Mexico]] in 1953, then transferred to [[Hahn Air Base]], West Germany. The 50 FW was assigned to USAFE for nearly 40 years throughout the [[Cold War]].]]
[[Image:F-86f-35-na-53-1222-494th-1955.jpg|thumb|F-86F-35-NA, AF Ser. No. 53-1222 of the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1955]]
[[Image:F-84f-bentwaters.jpg|thumb|Republic F-84F-50-RE Thunderstreak, AF Ser. No. 52-6852 of the 81st Fighter-Bomber Wing, 91st Fighter-Bomber Squadron, c. 1955.]]
Even with the active war in Korea raging, in the early 1950s Europe received a higher priority of air power than Korea by the [[Harry S. Truman|Truman Administration]] and the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]]. Deterring the threat of a Communist takeover of Western Europe was considered more important to the long-term survival of the United States than a Communist victory in Korea.

In September 1950, [[NATO]]'s Military Committee had called for an ambitious buildup of conventional forces to meet the Soviets, subsequently reaffirming this position at the February 1952 meeting of the Atlantic Council in [[Lisbon]] which had established a goal of ultimately fielding 96 divisions in the event of a conventional war in 1954. In support of this, the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] (USAFE), which consisted of 16 wings totaling 2,100 aircraft, was programmed to expand to 28 wings, 22 of them in NATO's Central Region alone, backed by deployed [[Strategic Air Command]] units sent from CONUS.<ref name="multi3"/>

The USAF reassigned combat wings from TAC to USAFE during the period from April 1951 through December 1954. These were:<ref name="multi2"/>
* [[81st Training Wing|81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[RAF Bentwaters]], United Kingdom
* [[47th Flying Training Wing|47th Bombardment Wing, Light]]
: Deployed to: [[RAF Sculthorpe]], United Kingdom
: (Remained assigned to TAC's [[49th Air Division]])
* [[20th Fighter Wing|20th Fighter-Bomber Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[RAF Wethersfield]], United Kingdom
* [[406th Air Expeditionary Wing|406th Fighter-Bomber Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[RAF Manston]], United Kingdom
* [[66th Air Base Wing|66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Sembach Air Base]], West Germany
* [[10th Air Base Wing|10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Spangdahlem Air Base]], West Germany
* [[50th Space Wing|50th Fighter-Bomber Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Hahn Air Base]], West Germany
* [[21st Space Wing|21st Fighter Bomber Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Chambley-Bussieres Air Base]], France
* [[48th Fighter Wing|48th Fighter Bomber Wing]]
: Activated at: [[Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base]], France
: (Replaced ANG 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing)
* [[388th Fighter Wing|388th Fighter Bomber Wing]]
: Reassigned to: Etain-Rouvres Air Base, France
* [[60th Air Mobility Wing|60th Troop Carrier Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Dreux-Louvillier Air Base]], France
* [[445th Airlift Wing|465th Troop Carrier Wing]]
: Reassigned to: [[Toul-Rosières Air Base]], France
* [[38th Combat Support Wing|38th Tactical Bombardment Wing (Light)]]
: Reassigned to: [[Laon-Couvron Air Base]], France

These wings gave USAFE and [[NATO]] approximately 500 fighters, 100 light bombers, 100 tactical reconnaissance aircraft, 100 tactical airlift transports, and 18,000 USAF personnel.

====Rotational Deployments to Mediterranean Bases====
With the phase-out of the [[B-47 Stratojet]] from SAC in the mid-1960s, the need for Strategic Air Command "Reflex" European bases diminished and the [[Sixteenth Air Force]] (16AF) was turned over to the USAFE on 15 April 1966.

Prior to 1966, TAC routinely deployed CONUS-based North American [[F-100 Super Sabre]] wings to 16AF bases in Spain, as well as to [[Aviano Air Base]], Italy. With USAFE taking possession of these bases from SAC, Tactical Air Command reassigned the [[401st Air Expeditionary Wing|401st Tactical Fighter Wing]] from [[England Air Force Base]], [[Louisiana]] to USAFE on a permanent basis to [[Torrejon Air Base]], Spain on 27 April to perform host functions at the base and to support rotational temporary duty (TDY) to Italy and [[Turkey]] for NATO alerts.  However, when the 401st's fighter squadrons deployed to South Vietnam in the 1960s for the [[Vietnam War]], squadrons from [[Homestead AFB]], Florida and [[Myrtle Beach AFB]], [[South Carolina]] were utilized to fill the need in Spain. These squadrons remained in Europe until 1970, when the drawdown in Vietnam allowed the squadrons from the 401st, which were deployed to Southeast Asia, to rejoin their home unit.