31st Air Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 31st Air Division


caption= Emblem of the 31st Air Division
dates= 1948-1968
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Command and Control
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command_structure= Air Defense Command
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battle_honours=The 31st Air Division (31st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 31 Dec 1969

History

Lineage

* Established as 31 Air Division (Defense) on 7 Sep 1950: Activated on 8 Oct 1950: Inactivated on 1 Feb 1952
* Organized on 1 Feb 1952: Inactivated on 1 Jan 1960
* Redesignated 31 Air Division, and activated, on 20 Jan 1966: Organized on 1 Apr 1966: Inactivated on 31 Dec 1969..

Assignments

* Air Defense Command: Eastern Air Defense Force, 8 Oct 1950:: Attached [30th Air Division|30 Air Division [Defense] ] , 27 Nov 1950-1 Feb 1951: Central Air Defense Force, 20 May 1951-1 Jan 1960
* Air Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966: Fourteenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1966 - 1 Jul 1968 (ConAC): Tenth Air Force, 1 Jul 1968-31 Dec 1969.

Stations

* Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 Oct 1950 - 1 Feb 1952
* Fort Snelling (later, Snelling AFS), Minnesota, 1 Feb 1952 - 1 Jan 1960
* Oklahoma City AFS, Oklaholma, 1 Apr 1966 - 31 Dec 1969.

Components

Sectors
* Duluth Air Defense: 20 Dec 1957-1 Jan 1959
* Grand Forks Air Defense: 8 Dec 1957-1 Jan 1959.

Groups
* 521 Air Defense: 16 Feb 1953-18 Aug 1955.: Redesignated: 53 Fighter: 18 Aug 1955-1 Mar 1956: Sioux City Apt, Iowa
* 515 Air Defense: 16 Feb 1953-18 Aug 1955: Redesignated: 343 Fighter: 18 Aug 1955-1 Jan 1959: Duluth MAP, Minnesota
* 514 Air Defense: 16 Feb 1953-18 Aug 1955: Redesignated: 475 Fighter: 18 Aug 1955-2 Jan 1958: Minneapolis-Saint Paul MAP, Minnesota
* 478 Fighter: 8 Feb 1957-1 Jan 1959: Grand Forks AFB, North DakotaSquadrons
* 11 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Dec 1952-16 Feb 1953: Duluth MAP, Minnesota
* 18 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Dec 1952-16 Feb 1953: Minneapolis-Saint Paul MAP, Minnesota
* 54 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Dec 1952-16 Feb 1953: Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
* 87 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Nov 1952-16 Feb 1953: Sioux City Apt, Iowa
* 331 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-1 Mar 1967: Webb AFB, Texas
* 432 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Dec 1952-16 Feb 1953: Truax Field, Wisconson
* 433 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Nov 1952-16 Feb 1953: Truax Field, Wisconson

Operational History

The division equipped, administered, trained, and provided combat ready forces within an area covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and other parts of the Midwest. Later, beginning in 1966, the 31st covered an area including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Creek Chief, Pawnee Knife, and Mandan Hunt.

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/0031ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency:31st Air Division]