17th Air Force

Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force
Army General William E. "Kip" Ward (left), U.S. Africa Command commander, and Maj. Gen. Ronald R. Ladnier, commander of Seventeenth Air Force, unfurl the Seventeenth Air Force's guidon during an assumption-of-command ceremony at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. SSgt. Josh Woolridge,37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, and MSgt. Garrick Lewis, drop zone support lead for Seventeenth Air Force, explain how to "cook" meals-ready-to-eat to members of the Ugandan Peoples Defense Forces Members of the Senegal 3d Infantry Brigade Honor Platoon greet 17 AF Commander Brig. Gen. Mike Callan
Active	17 April 1953 – 30 September 1996 1 October 2008 – 24 April 2012
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Garrison/HQ	Rabat-Sale, Morocco (1953–1956) Wheelus Air Base Libya (1956–1959) Ramstein Air Base West Germany (1959–1973) Sembach Air Base Germany (1973–1996) Ramstein Air Base Germany (2008–2012)
Insignia
Emblem of the Seventeenth Air Force

SSgt. Josh Woolridge,37th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, and MSgt. Garrick Lewis, drop zone support lead for Seventeenth Air Force, explain how to "cook" meals-ready-to-eat to members of the Ugandan Peoples Defense Forces

Seventeenth Expeditionary Air Force (17 EAF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command served the United States Air Forces in Europe during (1953–1996) and United States Air Forces Africa during 2008-2012. Upon reactivation on 1 October 2008, it became the air and space component of United States Africa Command. In this capacity, Seventeenth Air Force was referred to as U.S. Air Forces Africa (AFAFRICA). 17 AF was inactivated in April 2012.

Seventeenth Air Force housed the traditional A-staff and special staff functions which are responsible for developing strategy and plans to execute air and space operations in support of U.S. Africa Command objectives. In addition, 17 AF housed the "tailored" 617th Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) which provided command and control capabilities for the planning and execution of aerial missions on the African continent. Seventeenth Air Force also had a collaborative relationship with the 110th Air Operations Group, Michigan Air National Guard.