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The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command. Headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., its main mission is to provide a rapid, tailored, worldwide, air mobility response to combatant commanders’ requirements.

The 15th EMTF reports to the 18th Air Force, which is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

The 15th EMTF extends existing AMC infrastructure, through both in-place employment and rapid forward deployment capabilities, and presents forces to warfighting unified commanders by focusing on meeting the nation’s global air mobility requirements. The 15th EMTF also employs mission-ready command and control, aerial port, and aircraft maintenance personnel, as well as airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation and airfield opening planning, assessment, and execution expertise, to project and sustain combat forces worldwide.

On order, the EMTF commander may deploy as the Director of Mobility Forces (DIRMOBFOR), a Joint Task Force Commander, a Joint Forces Air Component Commander, or any number of roles to rapidly establish air mobility operations in support of contingency efforts, humanitarian operations, exercises and war games.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Postwar 1.2 World War II 1.3 15AF organization August 1944 2 Quotes 3 Further reading 4 External links

Fifteenth Air Force was a Numbered Air Force in U.S. Air Force. In its most recent form, it was Air Mobility Command's intermediate echelon for units in the western United States and Pacific theater.

Activated on 31 March 1946 at Colorado Springs, Colorado, assigned to Strategic Air Command. Moved to March AFB, California, on 7 November 1949. Relieved from assignment to Strategic Air Command and assigned to Air Mobility Command on 1 January 1992 at Travis AFB, California.

Fifteenth Air Force was established on November 1, 1943 in Tunis, Tunisia as part of the United States Army Air Forces in the World War II Mediterranean Theater of Operations as a strategic air force and commenced combat operations the day after it was formed. The first commander was General Jimmy Doolittle.

The new air force drew its operational forces from heavy bombers of the IX Bomber Command, the strategic bomber command of the Ninth Air Force which was relocating to the United Kingdom to become a tactical air force in the European Theater of Operations, the Twelfth Air Force, and by a diversion of groups originally intended for the Eighth Air Force.

Moved to Bari, Italy, on 1 December 1943. Operated out of bases in southern Italy, the Fifteenth Air Force, along with the Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command, became the instruments used by the Allies to carry the strategic air offensive to Axis occupied Europe and Germany.

A total of around 2,110 bombers were lost on operations by its fifteen B-24 and six B-17 bombardment groups, while its seven fighter groups claimed a total of 1,836 enemy aircraft destroyed.

Assigned to United States Strategic Air Forces about February 1944. The Fifteenth was de-activated in Italy September 15, 1945.

5th Bomb Wing (B-17 Flying Fortress)

2 BG	97 BG	99 BG	301 BG	463 BG	483 BG
20 BS	340 BS	346 BS	32 BS	772 BS	815 BS
49 BS	341 BS	347 BS	352 BS	773 BS	816 BS
96 BS	342 BS	348 BS	353 BS	774 BS	817 BS
429 BS	414 BS	416 BS	419 BS	775 BS	840 BS
Based at Amendola (Italie)	Based at Amendola (Italie)	Based at Tortorella (Italie)	Based at Lucera (Italie)	Based at Celone (Italie)	Based at Sterparone (Italie)

47th Bomb Wing (B-24 "Liberator")

98 BG	376 BG	449 BG	450 BG
343 BS	512 BS	716 BS	720 BS
344 BS	513 BS	717 BS	721 BS
345 BS	514 BS	718 BS	722 BS
415 BS	515 BS	719 BS	723 BS
Based at Manduria (Italie)	Based at San Pancrazio (Italie)	Based at Grottaglie (Italie)	Based at Manduria (Italie)

49th Bomb Wing (B-24 "Liberator")

451 BG	461 BG	484 BG
724 BS	764 BS	824 BS
725 BS	765 BS	825 BS
726 BS	766 BS	826 BS
727 BS	767 BS	827 BS
Based at Castellucio (Italie)	Based at Cerignola (Italie)	Based at Torretta (Italie)

55th Bomb Wing (B-24 "Liberator")

460 BG	464 BG	465 BG	485 BG
760 BS	776 BS	780 BS	828 BS
761 BS	777 BS	781 BS	829 BS
762 BS	778 BS	782 BS	830 BS
763 BS	779 BS	783 BS	831 BS
Based at Spinazzola (Italie)	Based at Pantanella (Italie)	Based at Pantanella (Italie)	Based at Venosa (Italie)

304th Bomb Wing (B-24 "Liberator")

454 BG	455 BG	456 BG	459 BG
736 BS	740 BS	744 BS	756 BS
737 BS	741 BS	745 BS	757 BS
738 BS	742 BS	746 BS	758 BS
739 BS	743 BS	747 BS	759 BS
Based at San Giovanni (Italie)	Based at Cerignola (Italie)	Based at Stornara (Italie)	Based at Giulia (Italie)

306th Fighter Wing

1 FG	14 FG	82 FG	325 FG	31 FG	52 FG	332 FG
27 FS	37 FS	95 FS	317 FS	307 FS	2 FS	99 FS**
71 FS	47 FS	96 FS	318 FS	308 FS	4 FS	100 FS
94 FS	48 FS	97 FS	319 FS	309 FS	5 FS	301 FS
						302 FS
Based at Salsola* (Italie) / P-38	Based at Triolo* (Italie) / P-38	Based at Vincenzo (Italie) / P-38	Based at Lesina (Italie) / P-51	Based at San Severo (Italie) / P-51	Based at Madna (Italie) / P-51	Based at Ramitelli (Italie) / P-51

*Sent to Aghione in Corsica from 10 to 21 August 1944 for Operation DRAGOON (landing in South of France)

**Still a part of 86 FG (12AF) with P-40, P-47 and P-51 as planes

Miscellanous

2641 SGP	154 WRS
885 BS*
859 BS**
Based at ? (?) / B-24 "Liberator"	Based at ? (?) / P-38

*Since July 1944 **Since January 1945

"I could see omens of the war’s end almost every day in the blue southern sky when, flying provocatively low, the bombers of the American Fifteenth Air Force crossed the Alps from their Italian bases to attack German Industrial targets.” –-Inside the Third Reich, Memoirs of Albert Speer, Hitler's Minister for Armaments

• 50 Mission Crush, by Donald R. Currier, out of print, ISBN 0-94259-743-5
• B-24 Liberator Units of the Fifteenth Air Force, by Robert F Dorr, Pub NY Osprey, ISBN 1-84176-081-1
• The Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B24s over Germany, 1944-1945 , by Stephen Ambrose, Pub NY Simon & Schuster, 2001.
• P-47 Thunderbolt Aces of the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Force, by Jerry Scutts, Pub Osprey, ISBN 1-85532-906-9
• Bloody Skies: A 15th AAF B-17 Combat Crew, How They Lived and Died, by Melvin W. McGuire and Robert Hadley, Yucca Tree Press, 1993, ISBN 1-881325-06-7
• Flying Colt: Liberator Pilot in Italy, by Robert S. Capps, Manor House (1997). ISBN 0-9640665-1-3
• 456th Bomb Group History: Steed's Flying Colts 1943-1945, 456th Bomb Group Association, Turner Publishing (1994). ISBN 1-56311-141-1

It is my clear understanding that the 14th FG was comprised of the 37th FS, the 48th FS and the 49th FS, not the 47th FS. See John Stanaway's "P-38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO" ISBN 1-85532-698-1.

• The 15th Air Force
• WWII Bomb Groups - European Theater of Operations (ETO)
• 2nd Bombardment Group Association
• The 99th Bomb Group in WWII
• 301st Bombardment Group Heavy
• 463rd Bombardment Group Historical Society
• 461st Bombardment Group Heavy / 764th, 765th, 766th, 767th sqdn
• 483rd Bombardment Group Website
• A website about the U.S.A.A.F.
• B-17 Bombardier with the 463rd BG
• Honor Thy Father: A Tuskegee Airman
• Sgt. Coleman D. Moberly, 463rd BG, Stalag Luft I POW
• Sam Hewitt, 301st BG, Stalag Luft 4 POW

v • d • e Air Mobility Command
Bases	Andrews Air Force Base • Charleston Air Force Base • Dover Air Force Base • Fairchild Air Force Base • Grand Forks Air Force Base • MacDill Air Force Base • McChord Air Force Base • McConnell Air Force Base • McGuire Air Force Base • Pope Air Force Base • Scott Air Force Base • Travis Air Force Base
Forces	15th Expeditionary Task Force • Eighteenth Air Force • 21st Expeditionary Task Force • Tanker Airlift Control Center • USAF Expeditionary Center
Wings	6th Air Mobility Wing • 22d Air Refueling Wing • 43d Airlift Wing • 60th Air Mobility Wing • 62d Airlift Wing • 89th Airlift Wing • 92d Air Refueling Wing • 305th Air Mobility Wing • 319th Air Refueling Wing • 375th Airlift Wing • 436th Airlift Wing • 437th Airlift Wing