[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 189-193]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



FIELD ORGANIZATIONS

The major commands, field operating agencies, and direct reporting units 
together represent the field organizations of the USAF. These are 
organized primarily on a functional basis in the United States and on an 
area basis overseas. These commands are responsible for accomplishing 
certain phases of the worldwide activities of the USAF. They also are 
responsible for organizing, administering, equipping, and training their 
subordinate elements for the accomplishment of assigned missions.

Major Commands

The Continental U.S. Commands

Air Combat Command  This Command is responsible for CONUS-based 
fighters, bombers, ICBM's, reconnaissance aircraft, C3I platforms, and 
some theater airlift and tankers. It provides forces directly to Unified 
Commands or augments theater air forces already forward deployed.
Air Force Materiel Command  This Command researches, develops, tests, 
acquires, delivers, and logistically supports every Air Force weapon 
system. It has responsibilities from inception of a weapon system on the 
drawing board, support through its operational life, and its final 
disposition. It operates major product centers, logistics centers, test 
centers, and laboratories.
Air Mobility Command  This Command is responsible for all inter-theater 
airlift assets and most of the tanker and theater airlift force.
Air Force Space Command  This Command provides resource management and 
operation of assigned assets for space control, space force application, 
force enhancement, space support, and strategic aerospace defense. It 
operates space and ballistic missile systems. The Command provides a 
close link between its space activities and, through the U.S. Space 
Command, the unified command structure.
Air Force Special Operations Command  This Command organizes, trains, 
and equips Air Force special operations forces. It is the USAF component 
of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Air Education and Training Command  This Command recruits, commissions, 
and trains Air Force enlisted and officer personnel. It provides basic 
military training, initial and advanced technical training, 
undergraduate and graduate flying training, and professional military

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and degree-granting professional education. The Command also conducts 
joint, medical service, readiness, and Air Force security assistance 
training.

Overseas Commands

Pacific Air Forces  The Pacific Air Forces is a major command of the 
USAF and is the Air Force component of the U.S. Pacific Command. Its 
primary mission is to organize, train, equip, administer, and prepare 
assigned forces for combat, including: fighter, reconnaissance, air 
control, close air support, and defense suppression units to conduct 
defensive and offensive air operations. It provides combat-ready air 
elements to the U.S. Pacific Command and participates in joint and 
combined air operations.
United States Air Forces in Europe  The United States Air Forces in 
Europe is a major command of the USAF and is the Air Force component of 
the U.S. European Command. Its primary mission is to organize, train, 
equip, administer, and prepare assigned forces for combat, including: 
fighter, reconnaissance, air control, close air support, and defense 
suppression units to conduct defensive and offensive air operations. It 
provides combat-ready air elements to the U.S. European Command and 
participates in joint and combined air operations.

Field Operating Agencies

Air Force Audit Agency  The Agency provides independent, internal audit 
and appraisal of financial, operational, management, and support 
activities as a service to all levels of management.
Air Force Base Conversion Agency  The Agency serves as the Federal real 
property disposal agent and provides integrated execution management for 
Air Force bases in the United States as they are closed under the 
delegated authorities of the Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1988 
and the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990. The major air 
commands are responsible for operating their installations and 
terminating or shifting military missions to other units, until the base 
closure date. Thereafter, installations are transferred to the Air Force 
Base Conversion Agency for final disposition.
Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence  The Center provides the 
Air Force with an in-house capability to manage all aspects of 
environmental cleanup, planning, and compliance.
Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency  The Agency provides civil 
engineering technical assistance and operating support to Air Force 
bases and organizations, including engineering design, operations and 
maintenance, fire protection, explosive ordnance disposal, disaster 
preparedness, and air base operability.
Air Force Civilian Personnel Management Center  The Center directs, 
develops, manages, and evaluates the wide range of Federal and internal 
programs affecting Air Force civilians, including foreign nationals, 
worldwide.
Air Force Operations Group  The Group provides readiness-oriented, 
combat-related support to the Chief of Staff, USAF. The Group serves as 
the permanent nucleus of a centralized, highly responsive, and 
integrated combat support structure. It includes the combat-related 
activities of functions such as operations, operations plans, 
intelligence, logistics, and personnel.
Air Force Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Agency  The 
Agency ensures C4 systems across the Air Force are integrated and 
interoperable. It develops and validates C4 architectures, technical 
standards, requirements, policies, procedures, and technical solutions.
Air Force Cost Analysis Agency  The Agency develops cost analysis tools, 
methods, data bases, models, and

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automated systems which are used in resource allocation and cost 
management decisions throughout Air Force.
Air Force Doctrine Center  The Center develops and publishes basic and 
operational level doctrine for the Air Force and provides Air Force 
input into joint and combined doctrine development.
Air Force Flight Standards Agency  The Agency manages the 
interoperability of civil and military airspace and air traffic control 
systems to ensure worldwide combat and peacetime capabilities. Through 
its various components, the Agency develops and maintains standards and 
procedures for flight operations, air traffic control aeronautical 
information, flight planning, notice to airmen, and navigation and 
landing systems worldwide. In addition, the Agency facilitates the 
development of common civil and military airspace.
Air Force Frequency Management Agency  The Agency implements USAF use of 
the radio frequency electromagnetic spectrum. It develops procedures on 
a national, international, and government-to-government basis within the 
scope of international agreements.
Air Force Historical Research Agency  The Agency provides Air Force 
commanders historical assistance in carrying out their assigned missions 
and responsibilities and implements the USAF history program. Its 
responsibilities include serving as a repository for Air Force 
historical records, determining lineage and honors of Air Force units, 
and preparing books and other historical works on Air Force and military 
aviation.
Air Force Inspection Agency  The Agency directs the Air Force inspection 
programs, evaluating operational readiness, accident prevention, and 
management systems.
Air Force Legal Services Agency  The Agency provides Air Force-wide 
legal services in the functional areas of military justice, patents, 
claims and tort litigation, general litigation, labor law, preventive 
law, and legal aid.
Air Force Logistics Management Agency  The Agency conducts studies and 
develops, analyzes, tests, evaluates, and recommends new or improved 
concepts, methods, systems, or procedures that enhance logistics 
efficiency and effectiveness.
Air Force Management Engineering Agency  The Agency works with the Air 
Staff and MAJCOMS to achieve significant improvement through process 
reengineering. It provides data to determine manpower requirements and 
manage manpower resources.
Air Force Medical Operations Agency  The Agency assists the USAF Surgeon 
General in developing plans, programs, and practices for the Air Force 
Medical Service, aerospace medicine, clinical investigations, quality 
assurance, health promotion, family advocacy, bioenvironmental 
engineering, military public health, and radioactive material 
management.
Air Force Medical Support Agency  The Agency assists the USAF Surgeon 
General in developing plans, programs, and practices relating to Air 
Force health care in peace and war in the areas of patient 
administration, health facilities, medical service information systems, 
and medical logistics.
Air Force Military Personnel Center  The Center executes personnel plans 
and programs and supervises procedures applicable to the worldwide 
management and administration of Air Force military personnel.
Air Force News Agency  The Agency plans and executes the USAF's internal 
information program for all military and civilian personnel. It 
develops, produces, and distributes materials in support of information, 
orientation, motivation, and unit morale goals and provides information 
about Air Force people and missions to hometown news media and national 
commercial magazines.
Air Force Office of Special Investigations  The Office provides 
criminal, counterintelligence, personnel security, and special 
investigative services to Air Force activities, including collection, 
analysis, and reporting of significant information.

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Air Force Personnel Operations Agency  The Agency performs operational 
programs located in the Washington, DC area due to proximity to other 
Federal personnel activities or USAF Headquarters. Its responsibilities 
include operation of personnel models and data bases for force structure 
management; Air Force relocation, injury, and unemployment programs; 
awards programs; employee and labor relations support; and Air Force 
quality assessments.
Air Force Program Executive Office  The Office manages and is directly 
accountable for the execution of major and selected acquisition 
programs.
Air Force Real Estate Agency  The Agency acquires, manages, and disposes 
of land for the Air Force worldwide and maintains a complete land and 
facilities inventory.
Air Force Reserve  The Air Force Reserve has field responsibilities of 
command of the Air Force Reserve and participates in planning for the 
management, administration, and execution of programs affecting Air 
Force Reserve units and mobilization of these reserves when needed.
Air Force Review Boards Agency  The Agency consists of the Air Force 
Board for Correction of Military Records (AFBCMR), the Air Force 
Civilian Appellate Review Agency (AFCARA), and the Air Force Personnel 
Council. AFBCMR and AFCARA ensure compliance with appropriate legal and 
policy guidelines in correcting military records and in resolving 
civilian employee complaints. The Personnel Council advises the Air 
Force Secretariat on matters relating to various personnel policies and 
the effective management of active and reserve components of the Air 
Force. Boards under the Council examine such matters as discharges, 
physical disability cases, and decorations.
Air Force Safety Agency  The Agency is responsible for implementing and 
executing Air Force safety and nuclear surety policies, plans, and 
programs USAF-wide, as directed by the Chief of Safety.
Air Force Security Police Agency  The Agency develops operational 
practices in peacetime and wartime environments to carry out programs 
for the security of Air Force resources and information and the delivery 
of law enforcement services. Its responsibilities include base defense; 
security police personnel, training, systems, and equipment programs and 
the physical security of Air Force resources; information, personnel, 
and industrial security programs and the wartime information security 
program; maintenance of law and order; prisoner rehabilitation and 
corrections programs; vehicle traffic management; and the military 
working dog program.
Air Force Services Agency  The Agency supports the bases, major 
commands, and Air Staff by providing technical assistance, fielding new 
initiatives, developing procedures, and managing selected central 
support functions to ensure successful services programs. It manages Air 
Force nonappropriated central funds and operates central systems, such 
as banking, investments, purchasing, data flow, insurance, and health 
benefit programs.
Air Force Studies and Analyses Agency  The Agency performs studies to 
assist and support the Air Force decisionmaking process. It performs 
independent studies and evaluations of Air Force requirements, 
proposals, plans, and programs, while providing comparisons and trade-
off analyses. The Agency also evaluates critical technical and 
operational issues and monitors applicable tests and evaluations that 
address such issues.
Air Force Technical Applications Center  The Center operates and 
maintains the U.S. Atomic Energy Detection System. It monitors 
compliance with various nuclear test ban treaties; installs and operates 
equipment for detection and identification of foreign nuclear weapons 
tests; identifies whether events are produced by human causes or nature; 
and conducts research to improve atomic energy detection systems.
Air Intelligence Agency  The Agency provides intelligence service in 
support of USAF operations through

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comprehensive research, direction of collection activities, processing 
and dissemination of intelligence information and intelligence, and the 
exercise of management and control of intelligence systems and special 
security systems.
Air National Guard Readiness Center  The Center performs the operational 
and technical tasks associated with manning, equipping, and training Air 
National Guard units to required preparedness levels.
Air Reserve Personnel Center  The Center develops management policies, 
plans, and programs pertaining to Air Force Reserve personnel when they 
are not on extended active duty, and provides personnel management for 
reserve forces of the Air Force and personnel support for mobilization 
of these forces.
Air Weather Service  The Service is the USAF technical center of weather 
expertise for all levels of the Air Force and Army.
Center for Air Force History  The Center operates under the policy 
guidance of the Air Force Historian. The Center has two basic missions: 
to research, write, and publish books and other studies on the history 
of the Air Force; and to provide historical support through the Air 
Force Historian to USAF Headquarters.
Joint Services Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Agency  The 
Agency serves as DOD's executive agent for three areas: JCS Operational 
Evasion and Escape matters; Code of Conduct/Survival, Evasion, 
Resistance, and Escape training; and the POW/MIA program.
Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency  The Agency provides the 
Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of the Air Force, 
and Chief of Staff of the Air Force with command, control, 
communications, and computer systems (C4) to satisfy critical national 
defense requirements, automated systems for preparing and submitting the 
President's budget, and decisionmaking aides for top DOD officials. The 
Agency also secures C4 for the National Command Authority to evaluate 
global events and respond to crises.

Direct Reporting Units

11th Support Wing  The 11th Support Wing provides logistical and 
administrative support to Air Force activities in the Washington, DC, 
area that do not have their own internal support, including USAF 
Headquarters and the Air Force Secretariat. In addition, it represents 
the Air Force in matters pertaining to the National Capital Region.
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center  The Center manages the 
Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation (OPT) Program; assesses the 
operational utility of all major and selected nonmajor Air Force systems 
with using, implementing, and supporting commands, as required; and is 
responsible for recommending policy and planning, directing, evaluating, 
and reporting on the Air Force OPT Program.
U.S. Air Force Academy  The Academy provides instruction and experience 
to cadets so that they graduate with the knowledge and character 
essential to leadership and the motivation to become USAF career 
officers.

For further information concerning the Department of the Air Force, 
contact the Office of the Director of Public Affairs, Department of the 
Air Force, 1670 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330-1670. Phone, 
703-697-6061.