9th Space Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 9th Space Division


caption= Emblem of the 9th Space Division
dates= 1949-1991
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Command and Control
size=
command_structure= Air Defense Command
Air Force Space Command
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battle_honours=The 9th Space Division (9th SD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Force Space Command, being stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 Oct 1991.

History

Lineage

* Established as 9 Air Division (Tactical) on 7 Apr 1949: Activated on 1 May 1949: Inactivated on 1 Aug 1950
* Redesignated 9 Air Division (Defense) on 21 Jun 1954: Activated on 8 Oct 1954: Inactivated on 15 Aug 1958
* Redesignated 9 Aerospace Defense Division, and activated on 14 Jul 1961: Organized on 15 Jul 1961: Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Jul 1968
* Redesignated 9 Space Division on 11 Sep 1990: Activated on 1 Oct 1990: Inactivated on 1 Oct 1991.

Assignments

* Continental Air Command: Fourteenth Air Force, 1 May 1949-1 Aug 1950
* Air Defense Command: Western Air Defense Force, 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958
* Air (later, Aerospace) Defense Command, 14 Jul 1961-1 Jul 1968
* Air Force Space Command, 1 Oct 1990-1 Oct 1991.

Stations

* Pope AFB, North Carolina, 1 May 1949-1 Aug 1950
* Geiger Field, Washington, 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958
* Ent AFB, Colorado, 15 Jul 1961-1 Jul 1968
* Patrick AFB, Florida, 1 Oct 1990-1 Oct 1991.

Components

Centers
* Eastern Space and Missile: 1 Oct 1990-1 Oct 1991: Patrick AFB, Florida
* Western Space and Missile: 1 Oct 1990-1 Oct 1991: Vandenberg AFB, California

Wings
* 71 Surveillance (later, 71 Missile Warning): Jan 1962-1 Jul 1968: Ent AFB, Colorado
* 73 Aerospace Surveillance: 1 Jan 1967-1 Jul 1968.: Ent AFB, ColoradoGroups
* 10 Aerospace Defense: 1 Jan 1967-1 Jul 1968: Vandenburg AFB, California
* 84 Fighter (Air Defense): 18 Aug 1955-15 Aug 1958: Geiger Field, Washington
* 530 Air Defense: 8 Oct 1954-18 Aug 1955: Pope AFB, North Carolina
* 4721 Air Defense: 1 Dec 1956-15 Aug 1958.: Larson AFB, Washington

Squadrons
* 1 Aerospace Surveillance and Control (later, l Aerospace Control): 1 Oct 1961-1 Jul 1968: Ent AFB, Colorado
* 2 Surveillance (Sensor): 1 Feb 1962-1 Jan 1967: Ent AFB, Colorado
* 10 Aerospace Defense: 1 Aug 1964-1 Jan 1967: Vandenberg AFB, California
* 31 Fighter Interceptor: 8 Oct 1954-18 Aug 1955: Larson AFB, Washington
* 322 Fighter Interceptor: 18 Aug 1955-1 Dec 1956: Larson AFB, Washington
* 323 Fighter Interceptor: 8 Oct 1954-18 Aug 1955: Larson AFB, Washington
* 538 Fighter Interceptor: 18 Aug 1955-1 Dec 1956: Larson AFB, Washington
* 634 Aircraft Control and Warning: 20 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: McChord AFB, Washington
* 636 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: Walker AFB, New Mexico
* 637 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: Orthello AFS, Washington
* 638 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: Curlew AFS, Washington
* 680 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: Bonners Ferry AFS, Idaho
* 760 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958: Colville AFS, Washington
* 821 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Sep 1957-15 Aug 1958: Baker AFS, Oregon
* 822 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Sep 1956-15 Aug 1958: Cottonwood AFS, Idaho
* 823 Aircraft Control and Warning: 8 Apr 1955-15 Aug 1958: Geiger Field, Washington

Operational History

From October 1954–August 1958, this division conducted air defense of the area in the Western Air Defense Force Region (the northwestern tip of Montana, all of Idaho, most of the eastern half of Washington) and supported the operations of the Strategic Air Command and the Military Air Transport Service. It participated in the United States Air Force collateral mission of antisubmarine warfare and administered, equipped, and trained for combat.

Assigned to the Aerospace Defense Command, the 9th Aerospace Division assumed responsibility for the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, the Missile Defense Alarm System, the Space Detection and Tracking System, the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) Combat operations Center, the Bomb Alarm System, and the Nuclear Detonation System from 1961–1968.

The 9th Space Division provided the Air Force Space Command (AFSPACECOM) with an action mechanism to "operationalize" the space launch capabilities of Eastern Space and Missile Center and Western Space and Missile Center units transferred to AFSPACECOM during 1990–1991.

References

* Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).

External links

* [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/airdivision_pages/0009sd.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 9th Space Division]