Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil (DRCOA1::LENOCHS)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re:  Aircraft Maintenance (sort of)
Message-ID: <1991Mar1.052255.28544@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 1 Mar 91 05:22:55 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 93
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: "DRCOA1::LENOCHS" <lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil>
    While the war was going on, several postings were made concerning the 
    organization of various military units.  I didn't see one for the USAF, 
    so I thought I'd post this.
    
    MAJCOM - Major Air Command.  These are functionally based groupings of 
    units.  They are:
    AFCC     AF Communications Command - provides, operates and maintains 
             telecommunications and air traffic control facilities for the 
             AF and other agencies.  Also provides software and hardware 
             support for data processing equipment.  Does programming for 
             day-to-day business functions at the Standard Systems Center 
             in Montgomery, AL.
    AFLC     AF Logistics Command - provide logistics support for the AF 
             and the military assistance program.  Controls procurement and 
             acquisitions.  Acts as program manager for mature systems.  
             Control movement of supplies.  Repair assets.  (If on the 
             Fortune 500, AFLC would be number 3.)
    AFSC     AF Systems Command - R&D arm of the AF.  Take technology and 
             make it practical.  Acts as program manager for developing 
             systems.  Runs Edwards (aircraft development) and Eglin 
             (armament development).
    ATC      Air Training Command - guess what?  These folks do the 
             training!  ATC is responsible for Basic Training (held in 
             beautiful, metropolitain, downtown San Antonio), and technical 
             training (done both at 'schools' and in the field.  They also 
             do the recruiting and run ROTC.
    AU       Air University - AU runs the professional military education 
             programs for NCOs and officers.  AU runs the OJT program for 
             all job descriptions AF-wide (including printing - they have 
             an *enormous* printing plant in Montgomery AL).  AU also does 
             the in-house think tank stuff.
    AAC	     Alaskan Air Command - self explanatory
    ESC	     Electronic Security Command - all the electronic warfare types 
             work for ESC, including crypto and intercept types.
    MAC	     Military Airlift Command - transport, weather, rescue, special 
             ops, medevac and the Aerospace Audiovisual service (I have no 
             clue as to how MAC relates to that).
    PACAF    Pacific Air Forces - self-explanatory.
    SPACECMD Space Command - formed to control US military space 
             activities.  Commander is also CinC NORAD.
    SAC	     Strategic Air Command - the big bomber and recce folks (peace 
             our profession, war is just our hobby).
    TAC	     Tactical Air Command - the fighters not assigned to PACAF, AAC 
             or USAFE and all tankers (and boy, did TAC and SAC duke it out 
             over *THAT* one!!)
    USAFE    United States Air Forces, Europe - you guessed it!!
    
    In order of precedence:
    
    MAJCOM
      NUMBERED AIR FORCE
        WING
    	  GROUP
    	    SQUADRON
    	      FLIGHT
     	 	ELEMENT
    
    I'd love to explain how things are organized on a generic basis, but 
    there are too many variations to let me do so (besides, others are 
    knowledgable on the subject and I don't like to get *too* badly 
    flamed), but this is how the 'typical' fighter wing looked in 1987:
    
    50 TFW, Hahn AB, Germany
    |
    ---> Deputy Commander for Maintenance (DCM)
    |	 |
    |	 ---> 50th Equipment Maintenance Squadron (50 EMS)
    |	 ---> 50th Componant Repair Squadron (50 CRS)
    |	 ---> 50th Aircraft Generation Squadron (50 AGS)
    |	      |
    |	      |-->  10th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (10 AMU)
    |	      |--> 313th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (313 AMU)
    |	      ---> 496th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (496 AMU)
    |	      
    ---> Deputy Commander for Operations (DO)
    	      |-->  10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (10 TFS)
    	      |--> 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron (313 TFS)
    	      ---> 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron (496 TFS)
    
    Other squadrons also exist on base, such as Supply, the Combat Support 
    Group (personnel, finance, etc), Transportation, which "belong" to the 
    wing and are numbered 50th.
    
    Communications is handled by AFCC, so the comm squadron has a different 
    number (1976th??).  
    
    Anyhow, there it is.  
     
    
    Loyd M. Enochs (ex-USAF) - Dynamics Research Corporation - Andover, MA