Air Force District of Washington | |
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Air Force District of Washington emblem
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Active | 1985 - 1994 2005 - present (Reactivated) |
Country | United States |
Branch | United States Air Force |
Type | Direct Reporting Unit |
Part of | Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region |
Garrison/HQ | Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, Maryland |
Nickname(s) | AFDW |
Motto(s) | Pride... Teamwork... Success |
Anniversaries | 7 July |
Commanders | |
Current commander |
Major General Darryl W. Burke |
The Air Force District of Washington (AFDW) is a Direct Reporting Unit of the United States Air Force. AFDW oversees Air Force operations in the Washington, D.C. region (also known as the "National Capital Region" or "NCR").
AFDW originates back to the post-World War II era when Bolling Field Command was established on 15 December 1946. Bolling Field Command absorbed functions from various support organizations in the Washington, D.C. vicinity. It was redesignated Headquarters Command, USAF, on 17 March 1958. When Headquarters Command, USAF, inactivated on 1 July 1976, many of its functions passed to Military Airlift Command. The Air Force District of Washington was constituted and activated, on 1 October 1985. it was inactivated on 15 Jul 1994, due to declining defense budgets. AFDW was reactivated on 7 July 2005, to realign the Air Force command structure in the NCR with the other military services, improve Air Force support to Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR).
As a Direct Reporting Unit, AFDW is directly subordinate to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters, United States Air Force, and serves as the Air Force service component to the JFHQ-NCR. AFDW was originally headquartered on Bolling Air Force Base, but changed to Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington (JBA-NAFW).
The AFDW mission is, "Contingency Response, Ceremonial Honors and Operational Support across the Nation's Capital and Worldwide." Its vision is, "Renowned for Excellence, Prepared to Respond."
AFDW oversees two wings and one group on JBA-NAFW: the 11th Wing, the 79th Medical Wing and the 844th Communication Group. The 79th Medical Wing and 844th Communications Group both have specialized missions and serve as a single Air Force voice in the National Capital Region (NCR) for their respective fields of expertise. The 11th Wing fulfills duties as the host base organization of JBA-NAFW, while also supporting AFDW requirements. AFDW also supports airmen in more than 2,000 Air Force Elements in more than 500 locations in 108 countries.