Air Force Global Strike Command

Air Force Global Strike Command Image provided by the Institute of Heraldry. In accordance with Chapter 3 of AFI 84-105, commercial reproduction of this emblem is NOT permitted without the permission of the proponent organizational/unit commander. The image is 7x7 inches @ 300 dpi.
Air Force Global Strike Command, activated August 7, 2009, is a major command with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in the Shreveport-Bossier City community. AFGSC is responsible for the nation's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings, the Air Force’s entire bomber force, to include B-52, B-1 and B-2 wings, the Long Range Strike Bomber program, Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) systems, and operational and maintenance support to organizations within the nuclear enterprise.

 
Mission
The Command's mission is to provide strategic deterrence, global strike and combat support.

Vision
Innovative leaders providing safe, secure and lethal combat-ready forces for nuclear and conventional global strike…today and tomorrow!

Organizations
Approximately 33,700 professionals are assigned to two Numbered Air Forces, nine wings, two geographically-separated squadrons and one detachment in the continental United States and deployed to locations around the globe.  Major units include:

20th Air Force:  Headquarters, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
- 90th Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
- 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB, N.D. 
- 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont. 
- 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
- 582nd Helicopter Group at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. (UH-1N)
- 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron at Camp Guernsey, Wyo. 
- 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.

8th Air Force:  Headquarters, Barksdale AFB, La.
- 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La. (B-52)
- 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D (B-52)
- 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas (B-1)
- 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D. (B-1)
- 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo (B-2)
625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb.

Air Force Reserve total force integration assets include: 
- 307th Wing (AFRC), Barksdale AFB, La. (B-52) 
- 131st Bomb Wing (ANG), Whiteman AFB, Mo. (B-2)

Other AFGSC assets:
- USAF Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center (USAF NC3)
- Air Operations Group, Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
- Detachment, Langley AFB, Va. 

ICBM Capabilities
America's alert ICBMs are ready to launch on any given day, and America's ICBM team plays a critical role in maintaining global stability and ensuring the nation's safety and security. 400 Minuteman III missiles provide a critical component of America's on-alert strategic forces. As the nation's "silent sentinels," ICBMs and the Airmen who operate them have remained on continuous, around-the-clock alert since 1959.

AFGSC is the Air Force's lead command for and largest operator of UH-1N Iroquois helicopters. The UH-1N supports ICBM operations in missile fields. 

Bomber Capabilities
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, nuclear and conventional heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes reaching 50,000 feet. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles. It can carry precision-guided ordnance with worldwide precision navigation.

The B-1B is a long-range strategic bomber, capable of flying intercontinental missions without refueling. It is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system, carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory for theater operations. The B-1B's synthetic aperture radar is capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles as well as self-targeting and terrain-following modes. In addition, an extremely accurate Global Positioning System-aided Inertial Navigation System enables aircrews to navigate without the aid of ground-based navigation aids as well as engage targets with a high level of precision.

The B-2 Spirit is a long-range nuclear and conventional stealthy bomber. The bomber can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes that can reach 50,000 feet. Its unrefueled range is at least 6,000 nautical miles. The B-2 brings massive firepower, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through the most challenging defenses.

History
January 12, 2009 - Air Force officials officially established Air Force Global Strike Command (Provisional) at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. with supporting detachments at Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command, and commanded by Brig. Gen. James M. Kowalski. The provisional command was responsible for implementing the Secretary of the Air Force's Program Action Directive and Programming Plan.

 

August 7, 2009 - Air Force Global Strike Command stood up and was tasked to oversee all of the U.S. Air Force's long-range nuclear-capable bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile forces in a ceremony at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

 

December 1, 2009 - The command assumed the U.S. Air Force's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile mission with the assumption of 20th Air Force and the 576th Flight Test Squadron. These units were previously part of Air Force Space Command.

 

February 1, 2010 - The command assumed the U.S. Air Force's strategic long-range nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bomber missions with the assumption of the 8th Air Force mission. These units were previously part of Air Combat Command.

 

February 2, 2011 - New START signed.

 

March 20, 2011 - Three B-2s from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, flew a long-range strike mission to support Operation Odyssey Dawn. 

 

October 17, 2011 - Units assigned to AFGSC awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for period covering June 1, 2008 - May 31, 2010.

 

December 1, 2011 - USAF re-aligned the weapons storage areas from AFMC to AFGSC.

 

March 28, 2013 - Two B-2 bombers conduct a long-duration, round-trip training mission from Whiteman AFB to the Republic of Korea as part of the ongoing bilateral Foal Eagle training exercise.

 

October 1, 2015 - 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas, and 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, (B-1B Lancer) and Long-Range Strike Bomber Program transfer from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command. The 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, transfers from Air Force Material Command. The realignment enhances the Air Force’s global strike capabilities by placing all bombers under a single command.

 

October 1, 2016 - The United States Air Force Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center (USAF NC3 Center) was established at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. USAF NC3 is a sub-organization of Air Force Global Strike Command tasked to provide technical and operational support to maintain the health of communication links between the National Military Command Authority and the nuclear warfighters of the U.S. Air Force.

 

September 29, 2017 – USSTRATCOM designation of AFGSC as Air Forces Strategic - Air (AFSTRAT). AFSTRAT is the USSTRATCOM warfighting air-component.

 

Command Emblem
The globe reflects the command's global capabilities and the golden wings represent the dominance in the air and reflect our lineage to the Army Air Corps. The blue field alludes to the sky, the primary domain of the Air Force. The star represents clarity of purpose to maintain readiness and deter adversaries. The red disc symbolizes past and present Airmen who have made individual sacrifices to achieve mission goals. The lightning flashes, symbolic of speed and power, represent our war-fighting mission should deterrence fail, and remind us of our lineage to Strategic Air Command.
 

(Current as of November 2017)

 

Point of contact
Air Force Global Strike Command, Public Affairs Office; 245 Davis Avenue East, Suite 198; Barksdale AFB, LA 71110; DSN 781-1305 or 318-456-7844
e-mail: afgsc.paworkflow@us.af.mil