Twenty-Third Air Force

Twenty-Third Air Force (Air Forces Special Operations Forces) was a Numbered Air Force that was assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command. It was stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida and was active from 1 January 2008 until 4 April 2013. It served as the operational headquarters for Air Force special operations forces assigned to joint and combined combined commands. Starting in 2012, it transferred operational control of some of its units to other headquarters; its remaining functions were assumed by the Air Force Special Operations Command Air Operations Center when it was inactivated the following year.

This article is about Twenty-Third Air Force (Air Force Special Operations Forces). For Twenty-Third Air Force established in 1983, see Air Force Special Operations Command.

Twenty-Third Air Force
18th Flight Test Squadron testing a V-22 Osprey
Active2008–2013
Country United States
Branch  United States Air Force
RoleSpecial Operations
Part of  Air Force Special Operations Command
Insignia
Emblem of Twenty-Third Air Force (approved 27 December 2007)[1]

History

Prior to 1983, USAF special operations forces (SOF) were primarily assigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC) and were generally deployed under the control of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) or, as had been the case during the Vietnam War, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Just as it had relinquished control of the C-130 theater airlift fleet to Military Airlift Command (MAC) in 1975, TAC relinquished control of Air Force SOF to MAC in December 1982.

Twenty-Third Air Force was originally established on 1 March 1983 at Scott AFB, Illinois as an additional Numbered Air Force in MAC with responsibility for all Air Force SOF units, personnel, aircraft and installations as well as Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service (ARRS) and weather reconnaissance units, personnel and aircraft that were already extant in MAC. On 1 August 1987, Twenty-Third Air Force relocated to Hurlburt Field, Florida. Twenty-Third Air Force later served as the core organization for the formation of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Twenty-Third Air Force was subsequently inactivated on 22 May 1990 concurrent with AFSOC's establishment as an Air Force major command (MAJCOM).[2]

On 1 January 2008, Twenty-Third Air Force was reestablished at Hurlburt Field as Air Force Special Operations Command's only Numbered Air Force with responsibility for Air Force Special Operations Forces.[1] It was established as the headquarters to execute Air Force Special Operations Command missions supporting United States Special Operations Command.[3]

The mission of Twenty-Third Air Force was to provide special operations forces to deployed air commanders. Its mission was to monitor and control global special operations activity to senior leadership; providing trained special operations command and control, intelligence, and weather support elements to theater special operations commanders and executing command and control for air, space and cyberspace operations supporting United States Special Operations Command.[3]

Its 623d Air and Space Operations Center included personnel and equipment to form joint special operations air components, responsible for planning and executing joint special operations air activities. and integrating special operations operations with conventional air operations. The 23d Weather Squadron provided global weather coverage for Joint, Army and Air Force special operations missions. The 11th Intelligence Squadron created intelligence products tailored for special operations missions. Finally, the 18th Flight Test Squadron evaluated aircraft, equipment, and tactics to assess their mission capability.[3]

Upon its inactivation its mission was transferred to its subordinate 623d Air Operations Center, which was reassigned to Air Force Special Operations Command and renamed the Air Force Special Operations Command Operations Center.[4]

Lineage
  • Established as Twenty-Third Air Force
Activated on 1 March 1983
Inactivated on 22 May 1990
  • Reestablished as Twenty-Third Air Force (Air Force Special Operations Forces) on 30 November 2007[1]
Activated on 1 January 2008[1]
Inactivated on 4 April 2013[4]

Assignments
  • Air Force Special Operations Command, 1 January 2008 – 4 April 2013[1][4]

Components
  • 623d Air and Space Operations Center (later 623d Air Operations Center), 1 January 2008 – 4 April 2013[1][4]
  • 23d Weather Squadron, 1 January 2008 – 28 March 2013 (attached to 1st Special Operations Group after 31 July 2012)[5]
  • 11th Intelligence Squadron, 1 January 2008 – 31 July 2012[6]
  • 18th Flight Test Squadron, 1 January 2008 – 12 February 2013[7][8]

Stations
  • Hurlburt Field, Florida, 1 January 2008 – 4 April 2013[1][4]

List of commanders
  • Brig Gen Michael W. Callan, 1 January 2008
  • Brig Gen Thomas J. Trask, 14 July 2008
  • Brig Gen Richard S. Haddad, 7 January 2009
  • Col Marshall B. Webb, 3 April 2009
  • Col Thomas Trask, 3 April 2009

References

Notes
  1. Kane, Robert B. (17 July 2009). "Factsheet Twenty-Third Air Force (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  2. https://www.afhra.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/432605/air-force-special-operations-command-usaf/
  3. Staff writer, no byline (17 August 2011). "Library: Fact Sheet Twenty-third Air Force". Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  4. Staff writer, no byline (5 April 2013). "23rd AF deactivates [sic]". Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  5. Robertson, Patsy (5 September 2013). "Factsheet 23d Special Operations Weather Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  6. Dollman, TSG David (21 October 2016). "Factsheet 11th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  7. Robertson, Patsy (22 April 2008). "Factsheet 18 Flight Test Squadron (AFSOC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  8. Sanchez, Raquel (12 February 2013). "AFSOC stands up Air Warfare Center". Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs. Retrieved 30 October 2017.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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