Editing Tactical Air Command (section)

=== Composite Air Strike Force ===
: ''see: [[Nineteenth Air Force]]''
[[Image:Century-series-edwards-2.jpg|thumb|right|The "Century Series" of tactical fighters. Clockwise from the bottom: [[F-104 Starfighter]], F-100 Super Sabre, [[Convair F-102 Delta Dagger|F-102 Delta Dagger]], [[F-101 Voodoo]], and [[F-105 Thunderchief]]. All except the F-102 served in TAC.]]
In the [[aftermath of the Korean War]], TAC developed the '''Composite Air Strike Force''' (CASF) concept, a mobile rapid-deployment strike concept designed to respond to "brush fire" conflicts around the world. A CASF included [[fighter bomber]] aircraft for both conventional and nuclear attack missions, as well as troop carrier, [[Tanker (aircraft)|tanker]], and tactical [[reconnaissance]] assets. TAC composite air strike forces were intended to augment existing combat units already in place as part of United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), the [[Pacific Air Forces]] (PACAF), or the [[Alaskan Air Command]] (AAC).

In addition, the new [[Century Series]] of TAC fighters were making their first flights, designed from the lessons learned in the air over Korea. As these new fighters and new transport aircraft came on line, there were problems with each one. TAC pilots risked life and limb to iron out the problems and make these aircraft fully operational.  Also, with the development of air refueling, TAC could now flex its muscles and demonstrate true global mobility. Deployments to Europe and the Far East became a way of life for TAC units. When Strategic Air Command abandoned its fighter escort force in 1957, those aircraft were transferred to TAC, further augmenting its strength.

The first deployment of the Composite Air Strike Force took place in July 1958 in response to an imminent coup d'état in [[Lebanon]]. TAC scrambled forces across the Atlantic to Turkey, where their presence was intended to force an end to the crisis. A similar CASF was deployed in response to conflicts between China and [[Taiwan]] in 1958.

CASF received another test in 1961, when the [[Berlin Crisis of 1961|Berlin Crisis]] resulted in TAC quickly deploying 210 aircraft to Europe, consisting of 144 [[F-100 Super Sabre|North American F-100D Super Sabres]] and 54 [[F-104 Starfighter|Lockheed F-104C Starfighters]], but also including 6 McDonnell [[RF-101 Voodoo]] and 6 [[Douglas B-66 Destroyer|Douglas RB-66C Destroyer]] reconnaissance aircraft. Also as part of the CASF, the [[Air National Guard]] subsequently deployed 36 [[F-104 Starfighter|Lockheed F-104A Starfighters]], 54 [[F-86 Sabre|North American F-86H Sabres]], and 90 [[F-84 Thunderstreak|Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks]].

In 1961, Secretary of Defense [[Robert McNamara]] organized the [[United States Strike Command]] at [[MacDill AFB]], Florida to integrate CASF efforts with those of the [[Strategic Army Corps]]. TAC had gone from a meager postwar force to a force capable of putting the right amount of assets in the right place when they were needed.<ref name="multi3"/>