Until September 1947, the legal authority over these units resided in the War Department. Active units appear in the regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve, or Air National Guard. A list of all constituted units of the Army, whether active or inactive, including Army Air Service, Army Air Corps, and Army Air Forces units manned under Table of Organization and Equipment authorizations. Attachment of a unit does not make the attached unit formally an element or component of the organization to which it is attached. To withdraw all personnel from an active unit and remove the unit entirely from the Army list.
Designation also applies to named activities and certain functions.
To further identify a unit and clarify its designation, descriptive words are sometimes added parenthetically. Shortly before and during World War II, this action was also used to withdraw all personnel from an active unit and simultaneously remove the unit from the Army list. Any military organization having a headquarters component. Most groups and all higher echelon organizations are establishments, and always have a headquarters to which people are assigned. Certain Air Force units are named rather than numbered.