Antilles Air Command
Encyclopedia
The Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field
, Puerto Rico
. It was inactivated on 25 August 1946.
On 28 July 1948, unit was reactivated as Antilles Air Division and assumed mission of 24th Composite Wing
. Mission was to act as a supply organization for all Air Force Bases in Caribbean area and to maintain operational and administrative control over these bases. The following bases were under the Division's control:
The division was inactivated on 26 May 1949 with the closure of the Caribbean bases (Ramey was reassigned to Strategic Air Command
).
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Borinquen Field
Ramey Air Force Base
Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. It was inactivated on 25 August 1946.
Lineage
- Established as Antilles Air Task Force on 12 February 1942
- Redesigned as: Curacao Department, VI Fighter Command, Antilles Air Task Force on 21 July 1942
- Redesigned as: Antilles Air Task Force, VI Fighter Command, on 4 September 1942
- Redesigned as: Headquarters, Antilles Air Task Force, on 1 March 1943
- Redesigned as: Antilles Air Command, on 1 June 1943
- Inactivated on 25 August 1946
- Reactivated and Redesignated: Antilles Air Division on 12 January 1948
- Inactivated and Disbanded on 22 January 1949
Assignments
- Sixth Air Force on 20 February 1943-25 August 1946
- Caribbean Air Command, 12 January 1948-22 January 1949
Stations
- San JuanSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, 11 July 1941 - Borinquen FieldRamey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, 1 March-25 August 1946 - Ramey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, 12 January 1948-22 January 1949
Units assigned
- Trinidad WingTrinidad Wing, Antilles Air CommandThe Trinidad Wing, Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Waller Field, Trinidad...
, October 1943-15 March 1944 - 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 11 July 1941-29 March 1942
- Attached to Puerto Rican Department: 29 March 1942-23 March 1943
- Attached to Antilles Air Task Force: 23 March-1 June 1943
- Assigned to Antilles Air Command: 1 July 1943-25 August 1946
- 23d Antisubmarine Squadron:
- Attached to Trinidad Wing, Antilles Air CommandTrinidad Wing, Antilles Air CommandThe Trinidad Wing, Antilles Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Sixth Air Force, based at Waller Field, Trinidad...
: 5 August-December 1943- 32d Fighter Squadron32nd Air Operations SquadronThe 32d Air Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with 32d Air Operations Group, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany...
: 3 August 1943-13 March 1944 - 59th Bombardment Squadron59th Bombardment SquadronThe 59th Bombardment Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment wa with the 319th Bombardment Group, based at Birmingham Airport, Birmingham, Alabama...
: 19 March-26 April 1943
- 32d Fighter Squadron
- Detached to 25th Bombardment Squadron: 26 April-1 August 1943
- 91st Reconnaissance Squadron91st Network Warfare SquadronThe 91st Network Warfare Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, currently assigned to the 67th Network Warfare Wing at Kelly Annex, part of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.-Overview:...
- 91st Reconnaissance Squadron
- Attached: 26 July-21 October 1948
- Assigned: 21 October 1948-22 January 1949
- 101st Bombardment (Photographic) Squadron101st Bombardment (Photographic) SquadronThe 101st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the XIX Tactical Air Command, based at Brooks Field, Texas...
- 101st Bombardment (Photographic) Squadron
- Attached to Trinidad Sector and Base Command, 6 August 1942-1 June 1943
- Assigned to Antilles Air Command: 1 June 1943-15 March 1944
Operational history
Engaged in antisubmarine operations, 1941–1945, Inactivated 1946.On 28 July 1948, unit was reactivated as Antilles Air Division and assumed mission of 24th Composite Wing
24th Wing
The 24th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twelfth Air Force, stationed at Howard Air Force Base, Panama...
. Mission was to act as a supply organization for all Air Force Bases in Caribbean area and to maintain operational and administrative control over these bases. The following bases were under the Division's control:
- Ramey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force BaseRamey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to a small on-site Air Force detachment, and occasional operations by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, a portion of the former Air Force Base is operated by the United States Coast Guard as Coast...
, Puerto RicoPuerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an... - Vernam Air Force BaseVernam Air Force BaseVernam Field is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield located in Clarendon Parish, west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica...
, JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic... - Coolidege Air Force BaseVC Bird International AirportV. C. Bird International Airport is located on the island of Antigua, northeast of St. John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.- History :...
, AntiguaAntiguaAntigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la... - Beane Air Force BaseHewanorra International AirportHewanorra International Airport , near Vieux Fort Quarter, Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean, is the larger of the country's two airports and is managed by the Saint Lucia Air and Seaports Authority ....
, Saint LuciaSaint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an... - Waller Air Force BaseWaller Air Force BaseWaller Air Force Base is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base located in northeastern Trinidad. It is located about 5 miles southwest of Valencia south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway.-History:...
, TrinidadTrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in... - Atkinson Air Force BaseCheddi Jagan International AirportCheddi Jagan International Airport , formerly Timehri International Airport, is the national airport of Guyana. The airport is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in the city of Timehri, south of Guyana's capital, Georgetown.-History:...
, British GuianaBritish GuianaBritish Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
The division was inactivated on 26 May 1949 with the closure of the Caribbean bases (Ramey was reassigned to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
).