The following is a hierarchical outline for the elements of the United States Air Force in Europe at the end of the Cold War. This list is intended to convey the connections and relationships between units and formations. In case of war with the Warsaw Pact, all would have been assigned to NATO.

Below, are listed all United States Air Force units based in Europe on 30 June 1989 and, where required, lists changes that occurred during 1989. The primary source for this listing of units is O.W. Dragoner's United States Air Force 1989, with additions and amendments from the official fact sheets of the Air Force Historical Research Agency. Where the two sources disagree, AFHRA data has been used.

The United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) was a major command of the U.S. Air Force based at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany. In 1989 the commanded had a strength of 60,471 men (6,876 officers and 53,595 enlisted), which were supported by 9,982 civilian contractors and employees. This does not include the personnel of other major commands (i.e. Strategic Air Command, Military Airlift Command, Electronic Security Command, etc.) that operated in Europe too.

The Commander in Chief of USAFE double-hatted as NATO's Commander Allied Air Forces Central Europe (COMAAFCE). The Vice Commander in Chief of USAFE was based along with the commander in Germany, while the Deputy Commander in Chief USAFE was based in Naples at NATO's Allied Forces Southern Europe Headquarters, where he double hatted as Commander Allied Air Forces, Southern Europe (COMAIRSOUTH).

United States Air Forces in Europe United States Air Forces in Europe, at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany European Air Combat Operations Staff (EACOS), at Ramstein Air Base Detachment 1, EACOS, at RAF Greenham Common (UK) 1141st USAF Special Activities Squadron, at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart (West Germany) Detachment 1, 1141st USAFSAS, at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons (Belgium) Detachment 2, 1141st USAFSAS, at AFCENT Headquarters in Brunssum (Netherlands), Detachment 3, 1141st USAFSAS, at AFNORTH Headquarters in Kolsås (Norway), Detachment 4, 1141st USAFSAS, at AFSOUTH Headquarters in Naples (Italy) Detachment 5, 1141st USAFSAS, at Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force Headquarters at Izmir Air Station (Turkey) Detachment 6, 1141st USAFSAS, at AAFCE Headquarters at Ramstein Air Base Detachment 7, 1141st USAFSAS, at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen (West Germany) Detachment 9, 1141st USAFSAS, at Fifth Allied Tactical Air Force Headquarters in Vicenza Air Base (Italy) 7000th Special Activities Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base Detachment 3, 7000th SAS, at Bitburg Air Base (West Germany) 7000th Contracting Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7001st Special Security Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7002nd Civil Engineering Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7025th Air Postal Squadron, at Kapaun Air Station (West Germany) 7027th School Squadron (Kisling NCO Academy), at Kapaun Air Station (West Germany) 7028th School Squadron (Mathies NCO Academy), at RAF Upwood (UK) 7055th Operations Squadron, at Kapaun Air Station (West Germany), training allied troops in the use of US nuclear weapons 7102nd Computer Services Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7103rd Field Printing Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7200th Management Engineering Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7300th Materiel Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base 7350th Air Base Group, at Tempelhof Airport, West Berlin, West Germany 7575th Operations Group, at Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany (Operating reconnaissance and SIGINT flights over East Germany via the West Berlin air corridors)AFHRA shows direct assignment to HQ USAFE; Dragoner shows under 17 AF USAFE Warrior Preparation Center (USAFE WPC), at Einsiedlerhof Storage Annex in Kaiserslautern (West Germany), a computer simulation centre to train US and allied staffs USAFE Air Ground Operations School / USAFE AGOS, at Sembach Air Base (West Germany)

Third Air Force

Third Air Force, at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom 10th Tactical Fighter Wing, at RAF Alconbury 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II 511th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, at RAF Upper Heyford 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111E 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111E 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111E 42d Electronic Combat Squadron, with 18x EF-111A Raven, detached from the 66th Electronic Combat Wing, at Sembach Air Base, West Germany 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, at RAF Lakenheath 492d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111F 493d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111F 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111F 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-111F (Training Squadron) 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, at RAF Bentwaters 78th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II (based at RAF Woodbridge) 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II (based at RAF Woodbridge) 92d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x A-10 Thunderbolt II 527th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, with 16x F-16C Falcon fighters for aggressor training 513th Airborne Command and Control Wing, at RAF Mildenhall 10th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, with Boeing EC-135 303d Tactical Missile Wing, at RAF Molesworth 87th Tactical Missile Squadron, with 64x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles 501st Tactical Missile Wing, at RAF Greenham Common 11th Tactical Missile Squadron, with 96x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles 7020th Air Base Group, at RAF Fairford, USAFE's only B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber base 7274th Air Base Group, at RAF Chicksands

Sixteenth Air Force

Sixteenth Air Force, at Torrejón Air Base, Spain 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, at Torrejón Air Base 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon Detachment 2, at Morón Air Base, Spain 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain, supporting squadrons training at the Bardenas Reales Air-to-Ground Range 487th Tactical Missile Wing, at Comiso Air Base, Italy 302d Tactical Missile Squadron, with 112x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles 40th Tactical Group, at Aviano Air Base, Italy, supporting squadrons training at the Maniago Air-to-Ground Range 7401st Munitions Support Squadron, at Rimini Air Base, Italy 7402d Munitions Support Squadron, at Ghedi Air Base, Italy The United States Logistics Group (TUSLOG), at Ankara Air Station, Turkey 39th Tactical Group, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey 7217th Air Base Group, at Ankara Air Station 7241st Air Base Group, at Izmir Air Station 7022d Air Base Squadron, at Pirinçlik Air Station, Turkey 7391st Munitions Support Squadron, at Balıkesir Air Base 7392d Munitions Support Squadron, at Eskisehir Air Base 7393d Munitions Support Squadron, at Murted Air Base 7394th Munitions Support Squadron, at Erhac Air Base 7206th Air Base Group, at Hellenikon Air Base, GreeceDragoner, 184. Detachment 1, HQ, 7206th ABG – Iraklion AS (Kreta, GR) 7206th Security Police Squadron 7206th Supply Squadron 7206th Air Base Group Hospital 7061st Munitions Support Squadron, at Araxos Air Base, Greece 7275th Air Base Group, at San Vito dei Normanni Air Station, Italy 7276th Air Base Group, at Iraklion Air Station, Crete, Greece 7555th Tactical Training Squadron, at Decimomannu Air Base, Italy, supporting squadrons training at the Air Combat Maneuvering and Instrumentation Range (ACMI) to the West of Sardinia 7116th Tactical Control Flight, at Torrejón Air Base 7120th Air Base Flight, at Morón Air Base

Seventeenth Air Force

Seventeenth Air Force, at Sembach Air Base 65th Air Division, at Lindsey Air Station 52d Tactical Fighter Wing, at Spangdahlem Air Base 23d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 12x F-4G Phantom II Wild Weasel and 12x F-16C Block 25 Falcon 66th Electronic Combat Wing, at Sembach Air Base 42d Electronic Combat Squadron, detached to Third Air Force, at RAF Upper Heyford, UK 43d Electronic Combat Squadron, with EC-130H Compass Call 316th Air Division, at Ramstein Air Base 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Ramstein Air Base 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-16C Block 30 Falcon 377th Combat Support Wing, at Ramstein Air Base 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Fighter Wing, at Zweibrücken Air Base 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, with 22x RF-4C Phantom II 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Bitburg Air Base 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Hahn Air Base 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24 F-16C Block 25 Falcon 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24 F-16C Block 25 Falcon 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24 F-16C Block 25 Falcon 38th Tactical Missile Wing, at Pydna Missile Base, Germany 89th Tactical Missile Squadron, with 96x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles 485th Tactical Missile Wing, at Florennes Air Base, Belgium 71st Tactical Missile Squadron, with 48x BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles 601st Tactical Control Wing, at Sembach Air Base (operating AN/TPS-43 mobile radars) 7100th Combat Support Wing, at Lindsey Air StationDragoner, 193. 7100th Supply Squadron 7100th Transportation Squadron 7100th Comptroller Squadron 7100th Combat Support Wing Medical Center, in Wiesbaden (GE), Medical Center Compound 18th Aeromedical Staging Flight 610th USAF Contingency Hospital, at Lindsey Air Station (GE) 652d USAF Contingency Hospital, in Donaueschingen (GE), Donaueschingen Contingency Hospital Annex 653d USAF Contingency Hospital, in Wiesbaden (GE) 7261st Munitions Support Squadron, in Memmingerberg (GE), Fliegerhorst Memmingen (special weapons storage and maintenance) 7361st Munitions Support Squadron, at Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium (special weapons storage and maintenance) 7362d Munitions Support Squadron, at Volkel Air Base, Netherlands (special weapons storage and maintenance) 7501st Munitions Support Squadron, in Alflen (GE), Büchel Air Base (special weapons storage and maintenance) 7502d Munitions Support Squadron, in Nörvenich (GE), Nörvenich Air Base (special weapons storage and maintenance) 4th Air Support Operations Group, in Frankfurt am Main (Liaison with V US Corps) 8th Air Support Operations Group, in Stuttgart (Liaison with VII US Corps) 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron, with 24x F-15C Eagle, at Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands 7104th Air Base Group, at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium

7455th Tactical Intelligence Wing 7455th Tactical Intelligence Wing, at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany 497th Reconnaissance Technical Group, at Schierstein Kaserne in Wiesbaden, West Germany Det. 1, HQ 497th RTG, at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany (disbanded September 1989) 495th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base (activated September 1989) 496th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, at RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom 7450th Tactical Intelligence Squadron, at Ramstein Air Base Det. 1, 7450th TIS, at Boerfink Mountain Kaserne in Börfink 7451st Tactical Intelligence Squadron, in Wüschheim, operating Metro Tango Station 7452d Special Activities Squadron, in West Berlin 7453d Tactical Electronics Squadron, at Lindsey Air Station 7454th Tactical Intelligence Squadron, in Börfink, operating the USAFE Tactical Fusion Center