92-01 United States Air Forces in Europe U.S. Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is a major command of the U.S. Air Force. It is also the air component of the U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command. ________________________________________________________________ HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Ramstein Air Base, Germany COMMAND HISTORY: Originated in 1942 as 8th Air Force Redesignated in 1944 as U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe Renamed in 1945 United States Air Forces in Europe _________________________________________________________________ Mission In peacetime, USAFE trains and equips U.S. Air Force units pledged to NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Under wartime conditions, its tactical fighters and fighter-bombers, augmented by people, aircraft and equipment from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, come under the operational command of NATO. The command's weapons systems are ready for close air support, air interdiction, air defense and support of maritime operations. In fulfilling its NATO responsibilities, the command maintains combat-ready units dispersed from Great Britain to Turkey. It provides fighter, reconnaissance and airlift support for all U.S. and NATO exercises. As a component of the U.S. European Command, USAFE supports U.S. military plans and operations in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and parts of Africa. History USAFE originated as the 8th Air Force in 1942 and flew heavy bombardment missions over the European continent during World War II. In January 1944, 8th Air Force was redesignated the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe, responsible for directing operations in Europe and the Middle East. Subordinate units included the newly formed 15th Air Force, organized in Italy to attack enemy territory from the south, and a newly constituted 8th Air Force, formed from the VIII Bomber Command. In August 1945, the War Department deleted "Strategic" and the command was renamed U.S. Air Forces in Europe. When the Soviets blockaded West Berlin in June 1948, the Western Allies answered with the Berlin Airlift. USAFE airlifted more than 2.3 million tons of food, fuel and medical supplies with the aid of the U.S. Navy and the British Royal Air Force. To give armed support to these flights, the command activated the 3rd Air Division in England. With the formation of NATO in 1949, the United States was committed to help defend Western Europe and USAFE again strengthened its airpower. By the end of 1951, the command's responsibilities had expanded in Europe and eventually to French Morocco, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Spain. The increased responsibilities led to far-reaching changes, including a major reorganization in 1967 when France withdrew from the NATO military command structure, forcing all foreign troops to leave. Changes continued through the early 1970s. Headquarters USAFE transferred from Lindsey Air Station, Germany, to Ramstein Air Base in March 1973 and NATO's Allied Air Forces Central Europe was established at Ramstein Air Base in June 1974. The USAFE commander in chief then took command of Allied Air Forces Central Europe, in addition to commanding U.S. Air Force units in Europe. The historic Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, ratified in 1988, mandated the first-ever elimination of an entire class of weapons from U.S. and Soviet inventories. USAFE completed removal of the ground-launched cruise missiles and other weaponry on March 26, 1991, when the last 16 missiles were removed from Comiso Air Station, Italy. Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm With the onset of Operations Desert Shield in August 1990 and Desert Storm the following January, USAFE resources mobilized and moved to Southwest Asia. More than 180 aircraft and 5,400 people assigned to USAFE units deployed to the Persian Gulf area. In conjunction, more than 100 aircraft and 2,600 personnel deployed to Turkey for Operation Proven Force. A total of 60,000 USAFE personnel were committed to the war effort; however, fewer than 10,000 actually deployed. More than half of the command's aircraft deployed to support Desert Storm. The command's air support was lethal. For example, USAFE accounted for only 20 percent of the air-to-air assets in Desert Storm, but claimed half of the air-to-air kills. Command support personnel shipped 85,000 tons of munitions, including more than 35,000 bombs and 7,800 missiles. USAFE activated aeromedical staging facilities and contingency hospitals, increasing available bed space 1,500 percent above normal peacetime operations. More than 9,000 patients, mostly suffering from noncombat-related illnesses and injuries, were evacuated to Europe. More than 3,000 were treated at USAFE medical facilities. Almost 7,600 patients were later air evacuated to the continental United States for follow-on treatment. Operation Provide Comfort While most of the world celebrated the coalition victory, Kurdish rebels and Iraqi forces were fighting in Northern Iraq. The Kurds began a mass exodus toward Turkey and later Iran. USAFE and U.S. European Command personnel stepped in to save lives during Operation Provide Comfort. The operation immediately began air dropping food and supplies to the refugees. More than 2,400 USAFE people deployed in support of Provide Comfort, along with 36 fighter aircraft to provide protection for the transports. In a relatively new role, USAFE used A-10 aircraft to spot and mark the pockets of Kurds needing humanitarian relief. As Operation Provide Comfort drew to a close, Kurdish leaders asked for continued protection from the Iraqi army. Operation Provide Comfort II picked up where the first operation left off, building a multinational rapidly deployable air and ground force in Turkey ready to defend the Kurds. Supersedes USAF Fact Sheet 86-36 Local Reproduction Authorized January 1992 AFNEWS Kelly AFB Texas 78241-5000 POC: Mrs Estella Murchisonst