One of ten Major Commands in the United States Air force, Air Combat Command is headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. The Command was established on 1 June 1992 through the merger of inactivated Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command.
Air Combat Command comprises four active-duty numbered Air Forces—1st, 9th, 12th, and 25th—and also gains command and control of units from the Air Force Reserve’s 10th Air Force when it is mobilized. In all, the Command is responsible for the operation of over 1,300 aircraft across 34 wings and 19 air bases, and 94,000 active-duty and civilian personnel serving at more than six dozen operating locations across the globe.
In addition to units from the Air Force Reserve’s 10th Air Force, the Command also takes control of many Air National Guard (ANG) units when they mobilize, bringing the total number of Reserve and ANG aircraft and personnel under their command bailiwick to 700-plus and 49,000, respectively. It is also responsible for aerial search and rescue operations conducted inside CONUS (the CONtiguous United States).