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Restructuring moves the 315th under 4th Air Force

  • Published
  • By Capt. Wayne Capps
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Joint Base Charleston, S.C. --  The 315th Airlift Wing will change its higher headquarters from 22nd Air Force to 4th Air Force by 1 Oct.

The change is part of an Air Force Reserve wide restructure, moving four flying wings, one flying group and seven smaller units to different chains of command.

According to an Air Force Reserve Command news release, these actions advance the command's efforts to provide operational capabilities and strategic depth across the full spectrum of military operations. They affect units assigned to all three of the command's numbered air forces. The NAFs are 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; 10th AF, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; and 22nd AF, Dobbins ARB, Ga.

"The move to 4th Air Force will be transparent to the majority of 315th personnel," said Col. Steven Chapman, commander of the 315th Airlift Wing. "This move better aligns the different aircraft to the appropriate numbered Air Force."

These realignments are administrative only and do not involve any changes to the units' geographic location, said Col. Greg Vitalis, Headquarters AFRC program manager at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
Also moving from 22nd AF to 4th AF are the 439th AW, Westover ARB, Mass.; 512th AW, Dover AFB, Del.; and 514th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. combining strategic airlift and tanker capabilities under one numbered air force.

Each numbered air force will focus on different kinds of missions.

Fourth AF is responsible for "strategic reach forces," which includes aerial refueling and long-range, strategic airlift missions.

Tenth AF is responsible for "power/vigilance with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, network operations, space, and special operations forces." These forces include fighters, bombers, remotely piloted aircraft, cyber, space operations, and special operations flying and training.

Twenty-Second AF is responsible for "tactical airlift, combat support, training and institutional forces."

The primary mission of each NAF headquarters is the readiness of its assigned forces. The headquarters staffs provide oversight and advocacy to ensure subordinate units are trained, ready to deploy and support operational missions when tasked.

"The number of mission areas supported by Air Force reservists has doubled over the past 10 years. This increase is the result of new requirements in leading-edge missions in space, intelligence, cyberspace, and new weapons systems," said Col. Vitalis.

The demand for reservists on the frontlines has grown as well.

In 1999, about 2,300 reservists filled deployment taskings, according to Col. Vitalis. On any given day since 9/11, about 5,000 Air Force reservists serve in the United States, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere overseas.