Tactical Air Command
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Tactical Air Command (TAC) was a command of the United States Air Force charged with battlefield-level (tactical) air combat, including light bombardment, close air support of ground troops, interdiction of enemy forces, and air transport of ground troops. TAC was also responsible for tactical ballistic missiles.
Tactical Air Command was established 21 March 1946, along with the Strategic Air Command. When the USAF was officially formed as a separate service (beginning operations 18 September 1947) TAC became one of its commands. On 1 December 1948 it was temporarily reduced to the status of operational headquarters under the Continental Air Command, but it was restored to major air command status two years later, on 1 December 1950.
In the 1950s TAC developed the Composite Air Strike Force (CASF) concept, a mobile rapid-deployment strike concept designed to respond to "brush fire" conflicts around the world. A CASF included fighter bomber aircraft for both conventional and nuclear attack missions, as well as transport, tanker, and tactical reconnaissance assets. TAC composite air strike forces were intended to augment existing combat units already in place as part of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), or the Alaskan Air Command (AAC). The first deployment of the Composite Air Strike Force took place in July 1958 in response to an imminent coup d'etat in Lebanon. TAC scrambled forces across the Atlantic to Turkey, where their presence was intended to force an end to the crisis. A similar CASF was deployed in response to conflicts between China and Taiwan in 1958.
When Strategic Air Command abandoned its fighter escort force in 1957, those aircraft were transferred to TAC, further augmenting its strength.
TAC was heavily involved in the American war in Vietnam from 1964 to 1973, and subsequent U.S. conflicts.
Following the 1991 Gulf War and the end of the Cold War, U.S. military planners perceived a serious blurring between the responsibilities of TAC and SAC. General John M. Loh, who served as USAF Vice Chief of Staff before becoming TAC commander on 26 March 1991, was heavily involved in the restructuring decisions.
As a result, in spring 1992 the decision was made to merge most SAC and TAC resources, while simultaneously reorganizing the Military Airlift Command (MAC). The commands were consolidated as the Air Combat Command on 1 June 1992, again under the command of General Loh.
