Headquarters 12th Air Force is taking on an expanded mission and a new name. As part of the Air Force transformation, 12th Air Force transitions today into a warfighting headquarters and became Air Forces Southern (12th Air Force) provisional.

“Along with the name change AFSOUTH is also changing its mission focus to a full-time Air Force component for U.S. Southern Command,” said Terry Lingrel, AFSOUTH chief of manpower.

“The AFSOUTH commander has been designated as a standing Combined Forces Air and Space Component Commander with a Combined Air Operation Center that directly supports SOUTHCOM. Additionally, AFSOUTH is a dual-roled warfighting headquarters, simply meaning that it’s still responsible for training and equipping its assigned wings and units,” he said.