9th Air Force, US Air Force
9TH AIR FORCE, US AIR FORCE
History: Established as 5 Air Support Command on 21 August 1941. Activated on 1 September 1941. Redesignated 9 Air Force on 8 April 1942; Ninth Air Force on 18 September 1942. Inactivated on 2 December 1945. Activated on 28 March 1946. Redesignated: Ninth Air Force (Tactical) on 1 August 1950; Ninth Air Force on 26 June 1951; Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), on 1 March 2008; United States Air Forces Central Command on 5 August 2009; Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) on 20 August 2020. Involved in early training activities for air-ground support operations from the fall of 1941 through the spring of 1942, but essentially unmanned during the summer of 1942 when most personnel were reassigned to Twelfth Air Force. Small cadre moved to Egypt and began operations upon assuming the personnel, units and resources of the provisional U.S. Army Middle East Air Force in November 1942; participated in the Allied drive across Egypt and Libya, the campaign in Tunisia, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy. Moved to England in October 1943 to become the tactical air force for the invasion of the European Continent. Helped prepare for the assault on Normandy, supported operations in the beachhead during June 1944, and through its advanced headquarters took part in the drive that carried the Allies across France and culminated in victory over Germany in May 1945. Assigned to Tactical Air Command until December 1948 when the Ninth, reassigned to Continental Air Command, lost its role as a tactical air organization and became concerned chiefly with reserve and National Guard units and activities. Assigned to Tactical Air Command in Dec 1950 and became concerned primarily with tactical air operations and training. Since 1983, headquarters served in a joint-force capacity as U.S. Central Command Air Forces (later, Air Forces Central) responsible for contingency air operations in Southwest Asia, namely as primary air command element during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991, and later during Operation Enduring Freedom beginning in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom beginning in 2003.
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Origin/meaning
The Emblem was approved on 16 September 1943; latest rendering, 20 February 2009. AFCENT air component emblem approved on 9 April 1987; latest rendering, 30 June 2008.
Literature: Image from Wikimedia Commons. Information from https://www.afhra.af.mil/
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