34th Air Division

34th Air Division

Emblem of the 34th Air Division
Active 1951–1969
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Role Command and Control
Part of Air Defense Command

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 December 1969.

Contents

History

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, from January 1951 – until 1960 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. Redesignated Albuquerque Air Defense Sector on 1 January 1960.

Reactivated on 1 April 1966, to perform Air Defense including all or part of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia assuming responsibility for the missions of the Detroit and parts of the Syracuse Air Defense Sectors.

Assumed additional designation of 34th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent AFB in April 1966. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Fainting Echo, Apache Arrow, and Fainting Knife.

Inactivated in December 1969 as ADC phased down its interceptor mission as the chances of a Soviet bomber attack on the United States seemed remote, its mission being consolidated into North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Lineage

Activated on 5 January 1951
Inactivated on 1 February 1952
Inactivated on 1 January 1960
Organized on 1 April 1966 as redesignation of Detroit Air Defense Sector
Inactivated on 31 December 1969

Assignments

Stations

Components

Wing

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1966-1 December 1969

Group

Duluth MAP, Minnesota, 15 September-14 November 1969

Interceptor squadrons

Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
Walker AFB, New Mexico
K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan
Duluth MAP. Minnesota
Attached 10 August 1951 – 1 February 1952; 1–5 February 1952
Assigned 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1960
Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan

Missile squadron

Niagara Falls Air Force Missile Site, 15 September-19 November 1969

Radar squadrons

Ajo AFS, Arizona, 1 January 1958-1 January 1960
Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1966-14 November 1969
Brookfield AFS, Ohio, 1 April 1966-30 September 1969
Bellefontaine AFS, Ohio, 1 April 1966-30 September 1969
Osceola AFS, Wisconsin, 15 September-14 November 1969
Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 July 1968-14 November 1969
Mount Lemmon AFS, Arizona, 1 April 1956-1 January 1960
Las Cruces AFS, New Mexico, 1 January 1954-1 January 1960
Walker AFB, New Mexico, 1 October 1953-1 January 1960
West Mesa AFS, New Mexico, 1 April 1954-1 January 1960
Pyote AFS, Texas, 8 December 1956-1 January 1960
Wadena AFS, Minnesota, 15 September-14 November 1969
Empire AFS, Michigan, 1 April-14 November 1966
Sault Sainte Marie AFS, Michigan, 15 September-14 November 1969
Port Austin AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1966-14 November 1969
Arlington Heights AFS, Illinois, 1 July 1968-30 September 1969
Finland AFS, Minnesota, 15 September-19 November 1969
Lockport AFS, New York, 1 April 1966-15 September 1969
Tierra Amarilla AFS, New Mexico, 1 May 1951-8 February 1959
Moriarty AFS, New Mexico, 1 May 1951-1 January 1960
Continental Divide AFS, New Mexico, 1 May 1951-1 January 1960
Guthrie AFS, West Virginia, 1 April 1966-18 June 1968
Snow Mountain AFS, Kentucky, 1 April 1966-18 June 1968
Winslow AFS, Arizona, 1 April 1955-1 January 1960

See also

References

United States Air Force portal
Military of the United States portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links