High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific (USASTAF) was a World War II command and control authority of the strategic United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Theater. USASTAF was the Pacific counterpart of the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (USSTAF). Its mission was to coordinate strategic bombing of the Japanese Home Islands during the expected Invasion of Japan. The atomic bombings of Japan made this unnecessary. The Joint Chiefs agreed to the established of the USASTAF on 2 July 1945, it would have a headquarters in Quam and be commanded by General Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz, and consisted of the combat commands (VII Fighter, XXI Bomber) of the Twentieth Air Force and Eighth Air Force. General Curtis E. Lemay was appointed Spaatz's Chief of Staff.