The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is now headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organization has provided 70 years of continuous air power to the Pacific since its establishment in September 1941.
Lineage
Established as Philippine Department Air Force on 16 August 1941
Activated on 20 September 1941 Redesignated: Far East Air Force on 16 November 1941 Redesignated: 5 Air Force February5 1942 Redesignated: Fifth Air Force* on 18 September 1942.
* Fifth Air Force is not to be confused with a second "Fifth" air force created as a temporary establishment to handle combat operations after the outbreak of hostilities on 25 June 1950, in Korea. This numbered air force was established as Fifth Air Force, Advance, and organized at Itazuki AB, Japan, assigned to Fifth Air Force, on 14 July 1950. It moved to Taegu AB, South Korea, on 24 July 1950, and was redesignated Fifth Air Force in Korea at the same time. After moving, it apparently received command control from U.S. Far East Air Forces. The establishment operated from Pusan, Taegu, and Seoul before being discontinued on 1 December 1950.
Assignments
Philippine Department, U.S. Army, 20 September 1941
US Forces in Australia (USFIA), 23 December 1941
Redesignated: US Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), 5 January 1942 American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), 23 February 1942
Allied Air Force, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), 2 November 1942
Far East Air Forces (Provisional), 15 June 1944
Far East Air Forces, 3 August 1944
Redesignated: Pacific Air Command, United States Army, 6 December 1945 Redesignated: Far East Air Forces, 1 January 1947 Redesignated Pacific Air Forces, 1 July 1957—present
- Stations
Nichols Field, Luzon, 20 September 1941
RAAF Base Darwin, Australia, 31 December 1941
Bandoeng, Java, 18 January 1942
Brisbane AAB, Australia,c 1 March 1942
Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea, 15 June 1944
Owi Airfield, Schouten Islands, Netherlands East Indies, 10 August 1944
Bayug Airfield, Leyte, Philippines, c. 20 November 1944
McGuire Field, Mindoro, Philippines, January 1945
Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines, April 1945
Hamasaki (Motobu Airfield), Okinawa, 4 August 1945
Irumagawa AB, Japan, c. 25 September 1945
Tokyo, Japan, 13 January 1946
Nagoya, Japan, 20 May 1946
Seoul AB (K-16), Korea, 1 December 1950
Taegu AB (K-2), Korea, 22 December 1950
Seoul AB (K-16), 15 June 1951
Osan AB, Korea, 25 January 1954
Nagoya AB (later, Nagoya AS; Moriyama AS), Japan, 1 September 1954
Fuchu AS, Japan, 1 July 1957
Yokota AB, Japan, 11 November 1974–present
