Air Force activates Air Combat Command conventional forces under 15th AF

By Courtney Albon / August 20, 2020 at 10:30 AM

The Air Force today activated the new 15th Air Force, consolidating its conventional forces under a single numbered air force.

The move, which Air Combat Command Commander Gen. Mike Holmes announced last week, will bring together ACC's command-and-control, fighter and rescue wings and units from the 12th and 9th Air Forces. Maj. Gen. Chad Franks will lead the new 15th AF.

Holmes said during an Aug. 14 Mitchell Institute event the consolidation will allow commanders to refocus on their primary tasks and push decision-making responsibility down the chain of command. In a press release published today, Holmes said the creation of the new 15th AF is "another step toward implementing the Air Force's new force-generation construct."

"This reorganization will streamline and improve the way we present our conventional forces as part of the new USAF construct," Holmes said.

Along with consolidating ACC's conventional forces, the new numbered air force offers a deployable Joint Task Force-capable headquarters, the release states, which provides command and control of ACC forces.

Following today's activation ceremony, the 12th AF will focus on its role for U.S. Southern Command and the existing 9th AF will be inactivated. Air Force Central Command will be re-designated as 9th AF/AFCENT.

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