  the 16th air expeditionary task force (16 aetf) is a provisional united states air force unit assigned to the united states air forces in europe. it was last activated at izmir air base, turkey on 1 december 2006, and inactivated on 30 april 2008. the 16 aetf may be activated or inactivated at any time. formerly designated as sixteenth air force, the command was the first newly established numbered air force (naf) by the usaf after world war ii, it was activated in 1954 as a joint military group to provide command and control of usaf activities in spain, being designated a naf in 1956. in 1957 16th af was realigned under strategic air command to provide command and control of sac bases and b-47 stratojet rotational units assigned and deployed to spain and morocco. in 1966 after sac withdrew its forces from europe, 16th af became part of the united states air forces in europe, providing command and control of usafe forces initially in spain and north africa, and later in italy and turkey until 2006. it later became a provisional air expeditionary task force under usafe as part of the global war on terrorism. ==history== ===cold war=== sixteenth air force served both strategic air command and united states air forces in europe. established as joint united states military group, air administration (spain), on 20 may 1954. activated on 20 may 1954 at madrid, spain, it was attached to the joint u.s. military group, which oversaw implementation of the 1953 spanish-american defense cooperation agreement. in 1956, the administration was re-designated as headquarters, 16th af, and aligned directly under headquarters, u.s. air force. existing spanish air force bases were expanded near madrid, sevilla and zaragoza. in 1957, 16th af 
Military_units_and_formations_established_in_1954 Numbered_air_forces_of_the_United_States_Air_Force Strategic_Air_Command_units