13th AF

The 13th Air Force (13th AF) was activated on 14 December 1942 during World War II, initially operating from New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It played a key role in the Pacific Theater, conducting air operations in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and the Philippines, supporting Allied advances against Japanese forces. After the war, the 13th AF was based primarily in the Philippines and later Guam, maintaining regional security and participating in operations during the Cold War, Vietnam War, and beyond. The unit was inactivated in 2012 as part of a major reorganization of the United States Air Force's Pacific forces.