Eighth Air Force

Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)
The Shield of the Eighth Air Force
Active	3 June 2008 – present (as Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic)) 22 February 1944 – 3 June 2008 (as Eighth Air Force) 19 January 1942 – 22 February 1944 (as VIII Bomber Command) (82 years, 3 months)[1]
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force (18 September 1947 – present) United States Army ( Army Air Forces, 19 January 1942 – 18 September 1947)
Type	Numbered Air Force
Role	Provides conventional and nuclear bomber forces to U.S. Strategic Command and serves as the air component for global strike for U.S. Strategic Command[2]
Part of	Air Force Global Strike Command U.S. Strategic Command
Headquarters	Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Nickname(s)	"The Mighty Eighth"[a]
Motto(s)	"Peace Through Strength"
Engagements	World War II – European-African-Middle Eastern Theater World War II – Asiatic-Pacific Theater[1]
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Commanders
Current commander	Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost
Mobilization Assistant to the Commander	Brig. Gen. Scheid P. Hodges
Command Chief	CCM Steve C. Cenov
Notable commanders	James Doolittle Ira C. Eaker Carl "Tooey" Spaatz Samuel E. Anderson

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). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic – Global Strike, one of the air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). 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.

VIII Bomber Command of the United States Army Air Forces was established early in 1942, the first combat units arrived in the United Kingdom in June and combat operations began in July with first heavy bomber operations in August. Its bomber units were deployed in the UK, chiefly around East Anglia. From June 1943 it was the daylight bombing part of the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany.

VIII Bomber Command was redesignated as Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944. 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;^[3] and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment.

During 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. Elements of 8 AF engaged in combat operations during the Korean War (1950–1953); Vietnam War (1961–1975), as well as the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), (1990–1991) over Iraq and occupied Kuwait in the First Persian Gulf War.

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