page_title: Tactical Air Command
section_title: United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
hierarchical_section_title: Tactical Air Command / History / United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
caption_attribution_description: English: F-86Fs of the 417th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, Hahn Air Base Germany.
context_page_description: Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 June 1992 and its personnel and equipment absorbed by Air Combat Command.
  Tactical Air Command was established to provide a balance between strategic, air defense, and tactical forces of the post–World War II U.S. Army Air Forces followed by, in 1947, the U.S. Air Force. In 1948, the Continental Air Command assumed control over air defense, tactical air, and air reserve forces. After two years in a subordinate role, Tactical Air Command was established as a major command.
  In 1992, after assessing the mission of TAC and to accommodate a decision made regarding Strategic Air Command, Headquarters United States Air Force inactivated TAC and incorporated its resources into the newly created Air Combat Command.
context_section_description: Even with the active war in Korea raging, in the early 1950s Europe received a higher priority of air power than Korea by the Truman Administration and the Department of Defense. Deterring the threat of a Communist takeover of Western Europe was considered more important to the long-term survival of the United States than a Communist victory in Korea.
  In September 1950, NATO's Military Committee had called for an ambitious buildup of conventional forces to meet the Soviets, subsequently reaffirming this position at the February 1952 meeting of the Atlantic Council in Lisbon which had established a goal of ultimately fielding 96 divisions in the event of a conventional war in 1954. In support of this, the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), which consisted of 16 wings totaling 2,100 aircraft, was programmed to expand to 28 wings, 22 of them in NATO's Central Region alone, backed by deployed Strategic Air Command units sent from CONUS.
  The USAF reassigned combat wings from TAC to USAFE during the period from April 1951 through December 1954. These were:
  81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing
  Reassigned to: RAF Bentwaters, United Kingdom
  47th Bombardment Wing, Light
  Deployed to: RAF Sculthorpe, United Kingdom
  (Remained assigned to TAC's 49th Air Division)
  20th Fighter-Bomber Wing
  Reassigned to: RAF Wethersfield, United Kingdom
  406th Fighter-Bomber Wing
  Reassigned to: RAF Manston, United Kingdom
  66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
  Reassigned to: Sembach Air Base, West Germany
  10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
  Reassigned to: Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany
  50th Fighter-Bomber Wing
  Reassigned to: Hahn Air Base, West Germany
  21st Fighter Bomber Wing
  Reassigned to: Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France
  48th Fighter Bomber Wing
  Activated at: Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France
  (Replaced ANG 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing)
  388th Fighter Bomber Wing
  Reassigned to: Etain-Rouvres Air Base, France
  60th Troop Carrier Wing
  Reassigned to: Dreux-Louvillier Air Base, France
  465th Troop Carrier Wing
  Reassigned to: Toul-Rosières Air Base, France
  38th Tactical Bombardment Wing (Light)
  Reassigned to: Laon-Couvron Air Base, France
  These wings gave USAFE and NATO approximately 500 fighters, 100 light bombers, 100 tactical reconnaissance aircraft, 100 tactical airlift transports, and 18,000 USAF personnel.
caption: North American F-86F-30-NA Sabres of the 50th FBW flying over West Germany. AF Ser. No. 52-4656 is in front. The 50th was formed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico in 1953, then transferred to Hahn Air Base, West Germany. The 50 FW was assigned to USAFE for nearly 40 years throughout the Cold War.
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