Third Air Force Third Air Force also provided air defense and conducted combat training for personnel of newly formed units in World War II. After the war it served Tactical Air Command, then inactivated. The Third Air Force returned to active service in 1951 as one of the tactical air forces of United States Air Forces in Europe. - Lineage
- Established as Southeast Air District on October 19, 1940. Activated on December 18, 1940, at MacDill Field, Florida, assigned to Southern Defense Command, U.S. Army. Moved to Tampa, Florida, in January 1941. Redesignated 3d Air Force on April 9, 1941, and Third Air Force on September 18, 1942. Assigned to Army Air Forces about September 1943 and to Continental Air Forces on April 16, 1945. Moved to Greenville Army Air Base, South Carolina, and assigned to Tactical Air Command on March 21, 1946. Inactivated on November 1, 1946. Organized on May 1, 1951 at Victoria Park Estate (later, U.S. Air Base, South Ruislip; South Ruislip Air Station), England, with assignment to United States Air Forces in Europe. Moved to RAF Mildenhall, England, in April 1972.
- The preceding web-site text was obtained from the Air Force Historical Agency. The text layout has been modified to conform to this webpage and for ease of reading.
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