34th Air Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 34th Air Division


caption= Emblem of the 34th Air Division
dates= 1951-1969
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
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battle_honours=The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, being stationed at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 Dec 1969.

History

Lineage

* Established as 34 Air Division (Defense) on 1 Jan 1951: Activated on 5 Jan 1951: Inactivated on 1 Feb 1952
* Organized on 1 Feb 1952: Inactivated on 1 Jan 1960
* Redesignated 34 Air Division, and activated, on 20 Jan 1966: Organized on 1 Apr 1966: Inactivated on 31 Dec 1969

Assignments

* Air Defense Command: Western Air Defense Force, 5 Jan 1951-1 Feb 1952: Central Air Defense Force, 16 Feb 1953-1 Jan 1960
* Air Defense Command, 20 Jan 1966: First Air Force, 1 Apr 1966-31 Dec 1969.

Stations

* Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 5 Jan 1951-1 Jan 1960
* Custer AFS, Michigan, 1 Apr 1966-31 Dec 1969

Components

Wing
* 1 Fighter: 1 Apr 1966-1 Dec 1969: Selfridge AFB, Michigan

Group
* 343 Fighter: 15 Sep-14 Nov 1969: Duluth Airport, Minnesota

Squadrons
* 15 Fighter Interceptor: 20 Apr 1953-1 Jan 1960: Selfridge AFB, Michigan
* 35 Air Defense Missile (BOMARC) : 1 Apr 1966-15 Sep 1969: Niagara Falls Airport, New York
* 58 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Aug 1959-1 Jan 1960: Walker AFB, New Mexico
* 62 Fighter Interceptor: 15 Sep-14 Nov 1969: K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
* 75 Fighter Interceptor: 30 Sep 1968-30 Nov 1969: Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan
* 87 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-30 Sep 1968: Duluth Airport. Minnesota
* 93 Fighter Interceptor: : Attached 10 Aug 1951-1 Feb 1952; 1-5 Feb 1952: Assigned 6 Feb 1952-1 Jan 1960: Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
* 445 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-30 Sep 1968: Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan

Operational History

From January 1951–December 1969, the 34th administered, trained, operated and supported assigned units, and placed all available combat capable elements in a maximum state of readiness. Initially, its area of responsibility included Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas. In 1966, the area changed to include all or part of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Fainting Echo, Apache Arrow, and Fainting Knife.

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/0034ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 34th Air Division]