Twenty-Fourth Air Force

Twenty-Fourth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)
Shield of the Twenty-Fourth Air Force
Active 7 December 2010 (as Twenty-Fourth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber))
11 August 2009 - 7 December 2010 (as Twenty-Fourth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic))
(7 years, 10 months)[1]
Country  United States of America
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Numbered Air Force
Role Provide combat-ready air force cyber forces for U.S. Cyber Command[2]
Part of Air Combat Command
U.S. Cyber Command
Headquarters Lackland Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, U.S.[3]
Decorations
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Commanders
Current
commander		 Maj Gen Robert Skinner

The Twenty-Fourth Air Force (24 AF) (Air Forces Cyber) (AFCYBER)[4] is a Numbered Air Force (NAF) with the United States Air Force (USAF). The USAF has consolidated its cyberspace combat and support forces into 24 AF.[5] The Twenty-Fourth Air Force is the Air Force component of U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM).

Formation

The Twenty-Fourth Air Force (24 AF) was originally intended to be a part of the now-defunct Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER); however, 24 AF became a component of the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) on 18 August 2009.

In August 2008, then-new Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz placed a stop order suspending implementation of Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER), halting personnel assignments and activation of units. On 6 October 2008, following its annual Corona conference, the Air Force announced that the activation of AFCYBER would not take place, and that a Numbered Air Force, the Twenty-Fourth (24 AF), would gain the cyber warfare mission as part of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).[6]

One key element under 24 AF is the Air Force's primary network warfare wing, the 67th Cyberspace Wing (67 CW), headquartered at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The new NAF also gained the following units:

Over 14,000 Airmen make up the work force of 24 AF. Many of these are in place at other organizations, and Air Force units host cyber specialists from other organizations. Before the command was officially activated, the Air Force had announced six possible locations for the headquarters of 24 AF. The candidate locations were: Barksdale AFB, LA, Lackland AFB, TX, Langley AFB, VA, Offutt AFB, NE, Peterson AFB, CO and Scott AFB, IL.

On 15 May 2009, Air Force officials announced that Lackland is the preferred alternative, and the decision was confirmed on 12 August 2009.[7] The organization officially stood-up on 18 August 2009.[8][9] On 22 January 2010, 24 AF was certified by AFSPC/CC for its Initial Operational Capability (IOC).[10] Full Operational Capability (FOC) was declared on 1 October 2010.[11]

History

In 2014, the 24th provided the "Cyber Mission Force" for the Red Flag exercise for the first time.[12] During U.S. Strategic Command's Global Lightning 14, the 24th operated as a Joint Force Headquarters - Cyber in support of a combatant commander during a large joint exercise for the first time.[13] 24th Air Force was reassigned to Air Combat Command on July 17th, 2018.[14]

Units

Commanders

  • Maj Gen Richard E. Webber, August 2009 - 29 April 2011, first commander[4][15]
  • Maj Gen Suzanne M. Vautrinot, 29 April 2011 - June 2013[4][16]
  • Maj Gen J. Kevin McLaughlin, June 2013 - July 2014[17]
  • Maj Gen Burke E. "Ed" Wilson, July 2014 – July 2016[18]
  • Maj Gen Christopher "Wedge" Weggeman, July 2016 – July 2018
  • Maj Gen Robert Skinner, July 2018 – Present

References

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

  • Lord, William T., Major General, USAF (Fall 2008), USAF Cyberspace Command To Fly and Fight in Cyberspace, Strategic Studies Quarterly, United States Air Force, p. 15
  1. ↑ "Twenty-Fourth Air Force (AFSPC)". af.mil. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Air Forces Cyber > Home" (PDF). www.24af.af.mil. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Lackland chosen as cyber numbered Air Force headquarters". Af.mil. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Tech. Sgt. Scott McNabb. "24th AF becomes AFCYBER". Af.mil. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". af.mil. Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Air Force senior leaders take up key decisions". Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Lackland chosen as cyber numbered Air Force headquarters". Afspc.af.mil. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  8. ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "New Cyber Command Activated At Lackland AFB", 18 August 2009.
  9. ↑ Gen. C. Robert Kehler (19 August 2009). "Twenty-Fourth Air Force Activation". 24af.af.mil. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  10. ↑ 24 AF link "Air Force Cyber Numbered Air Force achieves initial operational capability, 26 Jan 2010 Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine."
  11. ↑ "24th AF reaches full capability". Airforcetimes.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  12. ↑ Eshel, Tamir (15 March 2014). "Cyber Operations Become Part of the Red-Flag Game Plan". defense-update.com. Defense Update. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  13. ↑ Hein, Meredith (18 June 2014). "Global Lightning electrifies the joint fight". www.afspc.af.mil. USAF. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "24th Air Force joins Air Combat Command, welcomes new commander".
  15. ↑ "MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD E. WEBBER > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "MAJOR GENERAL SUZANNE M. "ZAN" VAUTRINOT > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  17. ↑ "LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES K. "KEVIN" MCLAUGHLIN > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
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