Misplaced Pages

#589410

42-915: It was a sub-command of the Northwest African Air Forces which was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC). These new Allied air force organizations were created at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 to promote cooperation between the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the American United States Army Air Forces , and their respective ground and naval forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) during

84-508: A "Command Chief") as principal senior NCO enlisted adviser. Colonels are also found leading at directorate and division levels on the Secretariat, Air Staff (United States) , MAJCOM , or Numbered Air Force staff. A Space Force colonel typically commands a delta . In the modern armed forces, the colonel's eagle is worn facing forward with head and beak pointing towards the wearer's front. Of all U.S. military commissioned officer rank, only

126-733: A Confederate general , stating that he would only accept permanent promotion when the Confederacy had defeated the U.S. and achieved its independence. After the end of the Civil War, the rank of colonel again became rare as the forces of the United States Army downsized and became extremely small. However, many U.S. colonels were appointed in the volunteers during the Spanish–American War , prominent among them Theodore Roosevelt and David Grant Colson . World War I and World War II saw

168-421: A commanding officer from one air force and a deputy from the other air force. In keeping with this plan, Spaatz's deputy of NAAF was Air Vice-Marshal James Robb who handled operations. Strong consideration was also given to the concept that air, naval, and ground forces should coordinate effectively to provide optimum support of ground troops. In 1942–1943, when the role of air power was still being explored on

210-411: A lieutenant colonel as deputy commander, a major as executive officer , and a command sergeant major as a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) advisor. An Air Force colonel typically commands a wing consisting of 1,000 to 4,000+ airmen with another colonel as the vice commander, four other colonels as group commanders , which are the major components of wings, and a Chief Master Sergeant (i.e.,

252-518: A pay grade of "O-5". Officers in pay grade O-6 visiting or on temporary assignment to other installations are also accorded "Distinguished Visitor" (DV) status for lodging and other appropriate protocol honors. When flying on military aircraft as either crew or passenger, they are also accorded "Code" status as a "Code 7" in accordance with Department of Defense Flight Information Publication General Planning (DoD FLIP GP). Most Army colonels have attended or otherwise completed via seminar or correspondence

294-629: A result of passage of the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act . Contemporary U.S. colonels usually command Army infantry, artillery, armor, aviation, special forces, or other types of brigades or regiments as well as large installations; USMC regiments , Marine Expeditionary Units , Marine Aircraft Groups, or installations such as Marine Corps Bases or Marine Corps Air Stations; USAF groups or wings ; and USSF deltas . An Army colonel typically commands brigade-sized units (4,000 to 6,000 soldiers), with another colonel or

336-509: A total of some 2,300 men), under Colonel Reuben Tucker , suffered a total of 229 casualties on the night of 11 July 1943: 81 dead, 132 wounded, and 16 missing. Northwest African Air Forces 1943-02-18 Tunisia Campaign Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) was a component of the Allied Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) during February–December 1943. It was responsible primarily for air operations during

378-519: A war college or a senior staff college equivalent to study joint warfare and war itself. It is possible to make Colonel without war college if the board file is as strong or stronger than a war college graduate. Most Army colonels receive postgraduate level senior joint professional military education (JPME) at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania prior to promotion. The 2009 graduating class

420-462: Is a split between the services on which mirror image of the eagle should be worn. In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Space Force, the eagle is always worn with "the head of the eagle to the wearer's right or to the front," with the olive branch clutched in the eagle's right (or forward) hand talons (see Department of the Army Pamphlet 670-1, paragraph 21-6 [a][1]). In

462-636: The Casablanca Conference in January 1943 when they established a new Allied air force organization known as the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as Air Commander-in-Chief. NAAF was organized on a successful tripartite (or "tri-force") air interdiction model – consisting of specialised strategic , coastal , and tactical air forces – pioneered by Air Marshal Arthur Tedder and Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham of Middle East Command in Egypt and Libya during 1942. Effective coordination of air and ground forces

SECTION 10

#1732844635590

504-546: The National Defense University or one of the other U.S. military services. Some people known as "colonels" are actually recipients of honorary colonel ranks from a state governor and are not officers of the U.S. military. In the 19th century, the honorary colonels were military appointments and they still are nominally appointed to a governor's staff, but without military rights or duties. Examples of honorary colonels include Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC fame,

546-546: The Normandy Landings . The new MAAF organization contained separate strategic, coastal, and tactical air forces under a single unified structure: Colonel (United States) A colonel ( / ˈ k ɜːr n əl / ) in the United States Army , Marine Corps , Air Force and Space Force , is the most senior field-grade military officer rank , immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below

588-1542: The Second World War . Effective February 18, 1943, the NATCC and other MAC commands existed until December 10, 1943 when MAC was disbanded and the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) were established. Brigadier General Paul Williams was the commander of NATCC. The components of NATCC at the time of the Allied invasion of Sicily (codenamed "Operation Husky") on July 10, 1943 are illustrated below. Northwest African Troop Carrier Command Brigadier General Paul L. Williams 10th Squadron , C-47 11th Squadron , C-47 12th Squadron , C-47 28th Squadron , C-47 14th Squadron , C-47 15th Squadron , C-47 53rd Squadron , C-47 59th Squadron , C-47 No. 295 Squadron (Det.), Halifax No. 296 Squadron , Albemarle - - 4th Squadron , C-47 7th Squadron , C-47 8th Squadron , C-47 51st Squadron , C-47 29th Squadron , C-47 47th Squadron , C-47 48th Squadron , C-47 49th Squadron , C-47 16th Squadron , C-47 17th Squadron , C-47 18th Squadron , C-47 35th Squadron , C-47 32nd Squadron , C-47 50th Squadron , C-47 61st Squadron , C-47 62nd Squadron , C-47 36th Squadron , C-47 44th Squadron , C-47 45th Squadron , C-47 Note: In mid-1943, to facilitate transport and supply operations for Operation Husky,

630-708: The Tunisian Campaign and bombing of Italy . Its commander was Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz of the United States Army Air Force . NAAF was created following a reorganization of the command structure of Allied air forces in the Mediterranean Theatre . The other components of MAC were Middle East Command (MEC), AHQ Malta , RAF Gibraltar and 216 Group . The first units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) arrived in

672-559: The AWC distance learning program. Still other USAF colonels a JPME program via the National Defense University (i.e., National War College , Eisenhower School ) or the program of another service (e.g., Army War College, College of Naval Warfare at the Naval War College , Marine Corps War College ). The AWC resident program includes participation by officers from various other branches of the U.S. armed forces and Allied nations. Completion of

714-654: The AWC or an equivalent program is a de facto requirement for promotion to colonel in the USAF, to include the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard . Marine colonels may graduate from the Marine Corps War College or, like all other branches, may receive credit via non-resident attendance at another installation, via correspondence, or will be graduates of an equivalent senior JPME program sponsored by

756-581: The British Army in the North American colonies. Upon the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War , colonial legislatures would grant commissions to men to raise a regiment and serve as its colonel. Thus, the first U.S. colonels were usually respected men with ties in local communities and active in politics. With the post-war reduction of the U.S. Army, the rank of colonel disappeared, and

798-661: The MAC structure when it was detached to No. 242 Group. Prior to the invasion of Sicily ( Operation Husky ) in July 1943, No. 242 Group was assigned to Lloyd's NACAF on Malta. NAAF was the first official command based upon the "tri-force" model. Successfully practiced and developed during the Tunisian , Pantellerian , Sicilian , and Italian campaigns, the tripartite model was retained by subsequent Allied air forces for D-Day Normandy and D-Day Southern France . Even some of today's air forces consider

840-727: The Middle East in June 1942 and were organized as the Ninth Air Force . In November 1942, the U.S. Army 12th Air Force established a foothold in Algeria following Operation Torch . Cooperation between the Allied air forces was an important priority in the Mediterranean theatre and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , and their staffs addressed this priority at

882-769: The USAAF 315th Troop Carrier Group (34th & 43rd Squadrons) was sent from England to Tunisia and assigned to the Mediterranean Air Transport Service which along with NATCC, was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command. A tragedy occurred over the Farello Airstrip, when American anti-aircraft gunners mistook American troop carrier transports for enemy planes. On the night of July 11, 1943, 23 of 144 aircraft failed to return to Tunisia. Another 37 planes were badly damaged. The aircraft loss ratio

SECTION 20

#1732844635590

924-610: The United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, NOAA, and the PHSCC, the eagle is worn with "the head facing forward" on the wearer's right side of the garrison cover (see Marine Corps Order P1020.34G, Uniform Regulation, paragraph 4005d[1]). Since respective service's officer insignia is worn on the left side and the rank insignia is worn on the right hand side of the Marine, Navy, Coast Guard and NOAA garrison caps,

966-407: The authorization to directly commission new officers up to the rank of colonel. The pay grade for colonel is O-6. When worn alone, the insignia of rank seen at right is worn centered on headgear and fatigue uniforms. When worn in pairs, the insignia is worn on the officer's left side while a mirror-image reverse version is worn on the right side, such that both of the eagles' heads face forward, to

1008-532: The battlefield, classic close air support was essentially pioneered and developed by Tedder as Commander-in-Chief of Middle East Command and Coningham as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of Air Headquarters Western Desert . The importance of flexible coordination between air, naval, and ground forces took much time to realize let alone implement during the Desert war. Finally, it was Tedder (Churchill's second choice for Middle East Commander when Air Vice-Marshal Owen Boyd

1050-471: The campaign is considered and controlled as a combined operation in the full sense of that term." In particular, the flexibility between Coningham's WDAF and the 8th Army has been contrasted with the more rigid relationship between the Luftwaffe and German ground forces. The United States 12th Air Force , the largest air force ever assembled soon after its inception several months earlier, ceased to exist in

1092-477: The colonel's eagle has a distinct right and left insignia. All other commissioned officer rank insignia can be worn on either the right or left side. Colonels are sometimes referred to (but not addressed as) full colonels , bird colonels , or full bird colonels because lieutenant colonels are also referred to and addressed in correspondence as "colonel". Referring to an "O-6", a colonel's pay grade, also may differentiate colonels and lieutenant colonels , who have

1134-520: The eagle is facing to the eagle's left with the olive branch clutched in the eagle's left hand talons, which is a mirror opposite to the wear of the single eagle for Army, Air Force, and Space Force officers. The U.S. rank of colonel is a direct successor to the same rank in the British Army . The first colonels in the United States were appointed from colonial militias maintained as reserves to

1176-454: The historical precedents of the "tri-force" model. On December 10, 1943, MAC was disbanded and the Allied air forces in the MTO were again reorganized as the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF) with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as Air Commander-in-Chief. In mid-January 1944, Lieutenant General Ira Eaker took over MAAF when Eisenhower chose Tedder to oversee air operations and planning for

1218-465: The insignia lacks the scroll in the eagle's mouth and the rosette above its head. On the Great Seal, the olive branch is always clutched in the eagle's right-side talons, while the bundle of arrows is always clutched in the left-side talons. The head of the eagle faces towards the olive branch, rather than the arrows, advocating peace rather than war. As a result, the head of the eagle always faces towards

1260-513: The largest numbers of colonels ever appointed in the U.S. military. This was mostly due to the temporary ranks of the National Army and the Army of the United States , where those who would normally hold the rank of Captain in the peacetime Regular Army were thrust into the rank of colonel during these two wars. The Military Promotion System was revised and standardized for all the services in 1980 as

1302-624: The new MAC organizational structure. The 12th simply disappeared as its groups were distributed among the various new NAAF commands above. The sole reference to the 12th Air Force among the higher tier commands was Brigadier General Edwin House's XII Air Support Command which along with Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst 's Western Desert Air Force, Air Commodore Laurence Sinclair 's Tactical Bomber Force, and Air Commodore Sir Kenneth Cross ' No. 242 Group , became subordinate commands of Coningham's NATAF. Later, XII Air Support Command became even less obvious in

Northwest African Troop Carrier Command - Misplaced Pages Continue

1344-476: The rank of brigadier general . Colonel is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the other uniformed services . By law, an officer previously required at least 22 years of cumulative service and a minimum of three years as a lieutenant colonel before being promoted to colonel. With the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (NDAA 2019), military services now have

1386-463: The regiments were known by the title "Colonel of Volunteers", in contrast to Regular Army colonels who held permanent commissions. During the Civil War, the Confederate army maintained a unique insignia for colonel, which comprised three yellow stars worn on the collar of a uniform. Robert E. Lee wore this insignia due to his former rank in the United States Army and refused to wear the insignia of

1428-719: The successful coordination of strategic, coastal, and tactical units of the Middle East Command under Tedder during the campaigns in Egypt and Libya in 1942. Accordingly, the Northwest African Air Forces had three major combined combat commands. The following support commands were also assigned to NAAF: To foster cooperation between the British RAF and the American USAAF in particular, the commands listed above and their various sub-commands were intended to have

1470-478: The viewer's left. Some colonel eagles from the 1920s to the 1950s faced the arrows, though this is no longer done. The full-sized colonel eagle is 3/4 inches tall and 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches in diameter from the tips of each wing. However, when worn as a single insignia with no matching pair, such as on the patrol cap , garrison cap / flight cap , or the front of the Army, Air Force, or Space Force OCP uniform, there

1512-466: The war's conclusion. A number of other colonels were appointed by brevet – an honorary promotion usually for distinguished service in combat. The American Civil War saw a large influx of colonels as the rank was commonly held in both the Confederate army and Union Army by those who commanded a regiment. Since most U.S. regiments were state formations and were quickly raised, the colonels in command of

1554-528: The wearer's front. The insignia for a colonel is a silver eagle which is a stylized representation of the eagle dominating the Great Seal of the United States (which is the coat of arms of the United States). As on the Great Seal, the eagle has a U.S. shield superimposed on its chest and is holding an olive branch and bundle of arrows in its talons . However, in simplification of the Great Seal image,

1596-474: Was 336 including 198 army officers and the rest divided among other military branches, domestic inter-agency representatives and other foreign military leaders. A high concentration of USAF colonels graduate from the Air War College (AWC) at Maxwell AFB , Alabama via in-residence at Maxwell AFB, while other USAF colonels complete AWC via a non-resident seminar program paralleling the in-residence program or

1638-535: Was a key feature of the tripartite model. Consequently, the main combat commands of NAAF emulated MEC. This tripartite command structure was regarded as successful; it was therefore retained when NAAF was superseded in December 1943, by the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). From February 18, 1943, the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz became the largest and primary sub-command of MAC. The Casablanca planners modeled NAAF after

1680-515: Was captured) who finally realized, despite the encumbrances of the current military dogma and commander egos, that every campaign must be planned and executed as a "joint operation" by all three forces. Soon after being named Air Officer Commanding of RAF Middle East in June 1941, Tedder said: "In my opinion, sea, land and air operations in the Middle East Theater are now so closely inter-related that effective coordination will only be possible if

1722-609: Was not re-introduced until 1802. The first insignia for the rank of colonel consisted of gold epaulettes worn on the blue uniform of the Continental Army . The rank of colonel was relatively rare in the early 19th century, partly because the U.S. Army was very small, and the rank was usually obtained only after long years of service. During the War of 1812 the Army grew rapidly and many colonels were appointed, but most of these colonels were discharged when their regiments were disbanded at

Northwest African Troop Carrier Command - Misplaced Pages Continue

1764-530: Was very high, at 16%. Brigadier General Charles Keerans, Jr. , the Assistant Division Commander (ADC) of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division , was aboard one of the planes that did not return. The 504th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (including the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 504th PIR, along with the 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion , Company 'C' of the 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion and numerous medical and signal units attached, for

#589410