834th Airlift Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 834th Airlift Division


caption= Emblem of the 834th Airlift Division
dates= 1957-1992
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= United States Air Force
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role= Command and Control
size=
command_structure= Military Airlift Command
garrison=
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equipment=
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nickname=
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battles=
* Vietnam Service (1966-1971)
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battle_honours=The 834th Airlift Division (834th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force, being stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. It was inactivated on 1 April 1992.

History

Lineage

* Established as 834 Air Division on 30 Aug 1957: Activated on 25 Sep 1957: Inactivated on 1 Apr 1959
* Activated on 24 Jun 1964: Organized on 1 Jul 1964: Inactivated on 1 Dec 1971
* Activated on 31 Jan 1972: Inactivated on 31 Dec 1974
* Redesignated 834 Airlift Division on 23 Aug 1978: Activated on 1 Oct 1978: Inactivated on 1 Apr 1992.

Assignments

* Tactical Air Command: Ninth Air Force, 25 Sep 1957: Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 1957: Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jan 1958-1 Apr 1959
* Tactical Air Command, 24 Jun 1964: Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1964
* Pacific Air Forces: Seventh Air Force, 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971
* Tactical Air Command: Twelfth Air Force, 31 Jan 1972
* Military Airlift Command: Twenty-Second Air Force, 1-31 Dec 1974; 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992.

Stations

* England AFB, Louisiana, 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959; 1 Jul 1964-15 Oct 1966
* Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971
* Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 31 Jan 1972-31 Dec 1974
* Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992

Components

Center
* Pacific Airlift: 1 Oct 1978-15 Jan 1981.

Wings
* 3 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jul 1964-8 Nov 1965
* 27 Tactical Fighter: attached 15 Jul 1958-18 Feb 1959
* 31 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jan 1965-1 Aug 1966
* 313 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar 1972-30 Sep 1973
* 314 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar 1972-31 Dec 1974
* 315 Air Commando (later, 315 Special Operations; 315 Tactical Airlift): 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971
* 366 Fighter Bomber (later, 366 Tactical Fighter): 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959
* 374 Tactical Airlift: 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992
* 401 Fighter Bomber (later, 401 Tactical Fighter): 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959; 1 Jul 1964-27 Apr 1966
* 463 Tactical Airlift: 1 Jun 1972-31 Dec 1974
* 483 Troop Carrier (later, 483 Tactical Airlift): 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971
* 516 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar-1 Jun 1972.

Group
* 616 Military Airlift: 9 Aug 1990-1 Apr 1992.

Aircraft

* F-84 Thunderstreak, 1957
* F-100 Super Sabre, 1957-1959; 1964-1966
* F-101 Voodoo, 1958-1959
* C-47/EC-47 Skytrain, 1966-1971
* C-123 Provider, UC-123, 1966-1971
* C-130 Hercules, 1966-1971, 1972-1974, 1978-1992
* C-7, 1967-1971, 1972
* C-5 Galaxy, 1970-1971, 1978-1992
* A-37, 1971
* O-2, 1971
* C-9, 1978-1992
* C-141 Starlifter, 1978-1992.

Operational History

The 834th Airlift Division assumed command and control over two fighter bomber wings and the 834th Air Base Group at England AFB, Louisiana in Sep 1957. As an intermediate echelon between the wings and Tactical Air Command's Ninth, Twelfth and Eighteenth air forces, the division supervised operations and training, tactical exercises firepower demonstrations, and conducted periodic evaluations and inspections to ensure combat readiness of aircrews and equipment.

By June 1964, the conflict in Southeast Asia demanded much of the 834th's efforts. Late in 1966 the division moved, without personnel or equipment, to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, to join PACAF's Seventh Air Force. Through Dec 1971 it served as a single manager for all tactical airlift operations in South Vietnam, using air transport to haul cargo and troops, which were air-landed or air-dropped, as combat needs dictated. In addition, the 834th supervised transport operations (primarily C-47's) of the Vietnamese Air Force and six A-4 Wallaby transports operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. The 834th's flying components also performed defoliation missions, propaganda leaflet drops, and other special missions. During its last few months, the 834th worked toward passing combat airlift control to Seventh Air Force.

From Mar 1972 to Dec 1974 the division supervised Twelfth Air Force C-130 tactical airlift operations and participated in a series of tactical airlift exercises and joint training missions with U.S. Army units. Squadrons and detachment-size elements frequently deployed to points in Europe, the Canal Zone, Africa, Thailand, and elsewhere. The 834th flew many humanitarian missions to such widespread places as Africa, the Philippines, Colombia, and Honduras.

In Oct 1978, it assumed responsibility for managing Military Airlift Command resources in the Pacific. For this mission, the 834th provided a single commander for MAC airlift units in the Pacific theater; command and control of theater-assigned airlift forces for Pacific Air Forces; theater tactical airlift war planning and Pacific exercise planning; and aerial ports in the Pacific area to support the air movement of personnel, cargo, equipment, patients, and mail. The division participated in tactical exercises such as Team Spirit, Ulchi Focus Lens, and Capstan Dragon.

References

External links