The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. Strategic Command's Task Force 204, providing on-alert, combat-ready forces to the president. Strategic Command, and is designated as U.S. Eighth Air Force, with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base in the Bossier City – Shreveport, Louisiana metro area, supports U.S. 5.3.2 Divisions (Strategic Air Command)Įighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in Air Force Global Strike Command.5 Lineage, assignments, components, and stations.2.2.5 Destroying the German oil industry.2.1 Start of offensive operations against Nazi-occupied territory.Elements of 8 AF engaged in combat operations during the Korean War (1950–1953) Vietnam War (1961–1975), as well as Operation Desert Storm (1990–1991) over Iraq and occupied Kuwait in the First Persian Gulf War. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment.ĭuring the Cold War (1945–1991), 8 AF was one of three Numbered Air Forces of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), with a three-star general headquartered at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts commanding USAF strategic bombers and missiles on a global scale. The Eighth Air Force includes the heart of America's heavy bomber force: the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the Rockwell B-1 Lancer supersonic bomber, and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber aircraft.Įstablished on 22 February 1944 by the redesignation of VIII Bomber Command at RAF Daws Hill in High Wycombe, England, the Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II (1939/41–1945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe area of responsibility carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the Low Countries, and Germany and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic – Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm World War II – Asiatic-Pacific Theater Īir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device World War II – European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Strategic Command īarksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, U.S. Strategic Command and serves as the air component for global strike for U.S. Provides conventional and nuclear bomber forces to U.S. United States Army ( Army Air Forces, 19 January 1942 – 18 September 1947) United States Air Force (18 September 1947 – present) 3 June 2008 – present (as Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic))Ģ2 February 1944 – 3 June 2008 (as Eighth Air Force)ġ9 January 1942 – 22 February 1944 (as VIII Bomber Command)