21st Air Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 21st Air Division


caption= Emblem of the 21st Air Division
dates= 1942-1983
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Command and Control
size=
command_structure= Tactical Air Command (ADTAC)
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nickname=
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battle_honours=The 21st Air Division (21st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 23 September 1983

History

Lineage

* Established as 21 Bombardment Wing on 16 Dec 1942: Activated on 22 Dec 1942: Redesignated I Staging Command on 27 Sep 1945: Inactivated on 3 Apr 1946
* Activated in the Reserve on 20 Dec 1946: Redesignated: 21 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 31 Dec 1946: Redesignated: 21 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 Apr 1948: Inactivated on 27 Jun 1949
* Redesignated 21 Air Division on 5 Feb 1951: Activated on 16 Feb 1951: Inactivated on 8 Apr 1952: Organized on 8 Apr 1952: Discontinued on 16 Oct 1952
* Activated on 16 Oct 1952: Redesignated 21 Strategic Aerospace Division on 15 Feb 1962: Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Sep 1964
* Redesignated 21 Air Division, and activated, on 20 Jan 1966: Organized on 1 Apr 1966: Discontinued, and inactivated, on 31 Dec 1967
* Activated on 19 Nov 1969: Inactivated on 23 Sep 1983

Assignments

* Second Air Force, 22 Dec 1942
* Continental Air Forces, 18 Jul 45: Fourth Air Force, c. 23 Nov 1945-3 Apr 1946
* Continental Air Command: Fourteenth Air Force, 20 Dec 1946: Ninth Air Force, 22 Dec 1948: Fourteenth Air Force, 1 Feb-27 Jun 1949
* Strategic Air Command, 16 Feb 1951-16 Jul 1952: Fifteenth Air Force, 16 Jul-1 Jul 1955: Eighth Air Force, 1 Jul 1955: Second Air Force, 1 Jan 1959-1 Sep 1964
* Air Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966: First Air Force, 1 Apr 1966-31 Dec 1967
* Aerospace Defense Command, 19 Nov 1969
* Tactical Air Command, 1 Oct 1979-23 Sep 1983.

Stations

* Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas, 22 Dec 1942
* Topeka AAF, Kansas, 31 May 1943
* Merced AAFld (later, Castle Field), California, 7 Oct 1945-3 Apr 1946
* Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 20 Dec 1946-27 Jun 1949
* Forbes AFB, Kansas, 16 Feb 1951-1 Sep 1964
* McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 Apr 1966-31 Dec 1967
* Hancock Field, New York, 19 Nov 1969
* Griffiss AFB, New York, 31 Aug-23 Sep 1983.

Components

Air Forces
* Air Forces Iceland: 31 Dec 1969-1 Oct 1975.

Wings
* 40 Bombardment (later, 40 Strategic Aerospace): 20 Jun 1960-1 Sep 1964
* 44 Bombardment: 4 Aug 1951-8 Apr 1952. 8 Apr-16 Jun 1952
* 48 Staging: 18 Jul 1945-c. 21 Mar 1946
* 52 Fighter: 1 Apr 1966-1 Dec 1967: 52 Fighter Group: 19 Nov-31 Dec 1969
* 55 Strategic Reconnaissance: 1-16 Oct 1952. 16 Oct 1952-1 Sep 1964
* 68 Strategic Reconnaissance: 10 Oct 1951-8 Apr 1952. 8 Apr-c. 15 May 1952
* 90 Bombardment (later, 90 Strategic Reconnaissance): 14 Mar 1951-8 Apr 1952. 8 Apr-16 Oct 1952. 16 Oct 1952-20 Jun 1960
* 308 Bombardment: attached 10 Oct 1951-8 Apr 1952; 8-17 Apr 1952 (Hunter AFB): 373 Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Oct 1951-8 Apr 1952; 8-17 Apr 1952 (B-29): 374 Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Oct 1951-8 Apr 1952; 8-17 Apr 1952 (B-29): 375 Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 Oct 1951-8 Apr 1952; 8-17 Apr 1952 (B-29)
* 310 Bombardment: attached 28 Mar-4 Sep 1952
* 376 Bombardment: attached 1 Jun-10 Oct 1951
* 551 Airborne Early Warning and Control: 4-31 Dec 1969.

Groups
* 95 Bombardment: 29 May 1947-27 Jun 1949
* 333 Bombardment: attached 15 Jul 1942-21 Feb 1943
* 346 Bombardment: attached 7 Sep 1942-25 Feb 1943
* 384 Bombardment: 16 Jul 1947-27 Jun 1949.

Squadrons
* 26 Air Defense Missile (BOMARC): 19 Nov 1969-30 Apr 1972: Otis AFB, Massachusetts
* 35 Air Defense Missile (BOMARC): 19 Nov-31 Dec 1969: Niagara Falls APT, New York
* 46 Air Defense Missile (BOMARC): Apr 1966-1 Dec 1967; 19 Nov 1969-31 Oct 1972: McGuire AFB, New York

* 27 Fighter Interceptor: 19 Nov 1969-1 Jul 1971: Loring AFB, Maine (F-106A)
* 49 Fighter Interceptor: 19 Nov 1969-23 Sep 1983: Griffiss AFB, New York (F-106A)
* 60 Fighter Interceptor: 19 Nov 1969-30 Apr 1971: Otis AFB, Massachusetts (F-101B)
* 83 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Jul 1971-30 Jun 1972: Loring AFB, Maine, (F-106A)
* 87 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Aug 1981-23 Sep 1983: K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan (F-106A)
* 95 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-1 Dec 1967: Dover AFS, Delaware (F-106A)
* 539 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-31 Aug 1967. : McGuire AFB, New Jersey (F-106A)

Operational History

The 21st functioned as a staging wing, and later as a command, processing heavy bombardment crews and aircraft for overseas movement, and then processing men returning from overseas, from 1942–1946.

From December 1946, it performed routine training duties in the Reserve through 27 June 1949. Beginning in February 1951, the division trained aircrews for medium bombardment wings, bomber replacement crews, and replacements for strategic reconnaissance slots until September 1964.

It took on an air defense role in January 1966, assuming responsibility for defense of parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. During this time, it participated in air defense training exercises, accomplished live and simulated intercepts, and directed numerous flying sorties until inactivation in December 1967. Upon reactivation in 1969, it carried out the same duties but changed geographic locations and covered most of New England except for the upper half of Maine.

The Division's emblem consists of a Shield divided by a diagonal line from the upper right to middle left, light blue and white, a sword slanting from upper left to lower right, the point to lower right base, the hilt and pommel yellow encircled with five stars, yellow, the lower blade of the sword over a branch of olive in base green. (Approved 17 July 1952)

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/0021ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 21st Air Division]