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 is a major command with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., in the Shreveport - Bossier City community. AFGSC is responsible for the nation's three intercontinental ballistic missile wings, two B-52 Stratofortress wings and the only B-2 Spirit wing. It is the Air Force's newest command, activated Aug. 7, 2009.
Mission Develop and provide combat-ready forces for nuclear deterrence and global strike operations -- safe, secure, effective -- to support the president of the United States and combatant commanders.
Vision
American Airmen with special trust and responsibility for the most powerful weapons in our nation's arsenal ... an elite, highly disciplined team ... building a model command.
What We Value - Individual responsibility for mission success
- Critical self-assessment of our performance
- Uncompromising adherence to all directives
- Superior technical and weapons system expertise
- Pride in our nuclear heritage and mission
- Respect for the worth and dignity of every Airman
- Safety in all things
Personnel Approximately 23,000 professionals are assigned to the command and deployed to locations around the globe.
Organization
AFGSC has six wings, two geographically-separated squadrons and one detachment in the continental United States. Major units and bases include:
Eighth Air Force, with headquarters at Barksdale AFB, in the Bossier City - Shreveport, La. metro area, supports U.S. Joint Forces Command, and is designated as U.S. Strategic Command's Task Force 204, providing on-alert, combat-ready forces to the president. The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. Eighth Air Force controls long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets throughout the United States and overseas locations. Its flexible, conventional and nuclear deterrence mission provides the capability to deploy forces and engage enemy threats from home station or forward positioned, anywhere, any time. The 8th Air Force motto is "Deterrence through strength, global strike on demand."
Eighth Air Force hasthree bomber wings -- the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo.; the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La.; and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D.
Twentieth Air Force, with headquarters at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., also supports U.S. Strategic Command. Twentieth Air Force is responsible for maintaining and operating the Air Force's ICBM force. Designated as STRATCOM's Task Force 214, 20th Air Force provides on-alert, combat-ready ICBMs to the president.
Twentieth Air Force has three ICBM wings -- the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.; the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; and the 91st Missile at Minot AFB, N.D.
Other units
In addition, two squadrons, the 576th Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb., fall under the command as well an Air Operations Group at Otis Air National Guard Base in Mass., and a detachment at 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. Approximately 450 Minuteman III missiles provide a critical component of America's on-alert strategic forces. As the nation's "silent sentinels," ICBMs, and the people 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 controlled by F.E. Warren AFB, Malmstrom AFB and Minot AFB.
Bomber Capabilities
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.
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.
Command Emblem The globe reflects the command's global capabilities with the golden wings representing the dominance in the air and reflecting 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 the AFGSC warfighting mission should deterrence fail, and is a reminder of the command's lineage to Strategic Air Command.
History
Jan. 12, 2009 - Air Force officials officially established Air Force Global Strike Command (Provisional) at Bolling AFB, 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.
Aug. 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 AFB. The ceremony was officiated by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, and attended by both Louisiana U.S. senators, the governor of Louisiana, and about 1,000 Airmen and guests.
Dec. 1, 2009 - The command assumed the Air Force's Minuteman III ICBM mission. With the assumption of 20th Air Force, the command gained three missile wings, including 20th Air Force's responsibility for all of the 450 ICBMs. The 576th Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as well as the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb., also officially re-aligned under AFGSC. These units were previously part of Air Force Space Command.
Feb. 1, 2010 - The command assumed the Air Force's strategic long-range nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52 bomber missions. With the assumption of the 8th Air Force mission, the command gained three bomb wings. These units were previously part of Air Combat Command.
