Air Force District of Washington

The Air Force District of Washington (AFDW), located on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, brings air, space and cyberspace capabilities to the joint team protecting the US capital, and supports local personnel and those serving worldwide. As a direct reporting unit of the US Air Force with major command responsibilities, AFDW provides headquarters support to The US Air Force Band and Honor Guard, located on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC, and to the 11th Wing, 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, 844th Communications Group, and 79th Medical Wing on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

In addition to being a direct reporting unit of the US Air Force, AFDW serves as the Air Force service component for coordination purposes to the Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR) and the supporting command to Joint Task Force NCR Medical (JTF-CapMed). When the JHFQ-NCR transitions to the Joint Task Force NCR (JTF-NCR), the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing activates and becomes the Air Force service component of JTF-NCR. Normally, the Commander of AFDW also serves as the Commander, 320th Air Expeditionary Wing. Air Force Mission Directive 13 delineates missions and assigned duties applicable to AFDW in both its worldwide Air Force service role and its JTF-NCR Air Force service component role.

As one of USAF's direct reporting units, AFDW executes Air Force operations and supports Joint Force and Inter-Agency operations in the NCR while providing superior support to combatant commanders and Air Force elements worldwide. AFDW is responsible to organize, train, equip and provide forces for air expeditionary force deployment, provide ceremonial support, and conduct homeland operations as part of a joint effort, within the NCR. Homeland operations include homeland defense, defense support to civil authorities, emergency preparedness, and support to National Special Security Events.

AFDW also exercises Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) authority over, and provides manpower, personnel, legal, chaplain, finance, logistics, and safety support for designated Air Force activities located within the NCR, selected Field Operating Agencies, and selected Air Force elements. This includes support for approximately 40,000 Air Force military and civilian members of more than 2,000 Air Force elements in more than 500 locations in 108 countries.

The unit was first constituted as the Air Force District of Washington, and activated on 1 October 1985 at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, District of Columbia. There it operated as a direct reporting unit of the US Air Force until it was inactivated on 15 Jul 1994.

The AFDW was reactivated on 7 July 2005 to address 3 broad objectives: Align the Air Force command structure in the NCR on par with that of our sister services; improve Air Force support to the JFHQ-NCR; and, designate a single voice for Air Force cross-service issues in the NCR. On 1 September 2007, AFDW also relocated from Bolling Air Force Base to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.