List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force
A Major Command ( MAJCOM; German General Command ) is an organizational unit of the U.S. Air Force ( USAF). The ten major commands each take clearly defined tasks and complement each other. Eight of them have functional tasks, the other two regional. Seven of the functional Major Commands are under the command chain directly to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force ( CSAF ), and his staff, the Air Staff. The eighth, the ( or Air Force Special Operations Command ( AFSOC ) and the two regional Komponenetenkommandos United States Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces are subordinate to the CSAF, however, only administrative, operational, however, the respective commanders of the Unified Combatant Command, to which they belong. while AFSOC depending on whether, and to what regional UCC it is sent from the U.S. Special Operations Command ( SOCOM ) ).
History
The first Major Commands originated during World War II, developed as part of the new U.S. Army Air Forces, which until 1947 broke away from the U.S. Army and for independent strike force.
One of the first organizations that received the status of a Major Commands, the Panama Canal Air Force in November 1940 and the Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics counted in October 1942. During the establishment of the U.S. Air Force in September 1947, she already had 14 major Commands of which nowadays only one exists with the same name: the U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Apart from the active today Commandos had a total of 18 organizations and agencies of the U.S. Air Force at least temporarily, the status of Major Commands.
Historical commands
Order and organization
A Major Command is led by a commander, usually an officer of the rank of general, has a headquarters and a staff. The Major Commands are divided into Numbered Air Forces ( numbered Air Force ), which in turn, composed of squadrons, the Wings. Organizational units and departments that do not fit in this command structure because of their duties or composition, as a Direct Reporting Unit; designated or Field Operating Agency ( FOA) and also report directly to the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force (DRE directly subordinate units).
The Major Commands are also involved in the various higher-level functional and regional commands of the U.S. armed forces and NATO.
Current commands