12th Air Division
| 12th Air Division | |
|---|---|
 12th Air Division emblem | |
| Active |
19 October 1940–6 March 1942 23 August 1942 – 9 October 1944 3 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 1 February 1951 – 31 July 1990 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | see "Stations" section below |
| Equipment | see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below |
| Decorations | see "Lineage and honors" section below |
| Commanders | |
| Commanders | see "Commanders" section below |
The 12th Air Division an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Eighth Air Force, based at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 31 July 1990.
Established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the Panama Canal Zone 20 November 1940–6 March 1942 the organization provided command and control of pursuit groups and squadrons for Sixth Air Force.
Reassigned to Eighth Air Force in England during November 1942 as a bombardment wing, but never made operational . All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat.
Reactivated in 1951, the 12th Air Division was an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command. It conducted training for worldwide bombardment operations. From 1963–1984 and 1988–1990, it maintained an ICBM capability, conducted staff assistance visits, and monitored programs such as retention, domestic actions, and medical capabilities of its subordinate units.
Assure unit Emergency War Order (EWO) capability and combat crew training conducted at Castle and Dyess Air Force bases, continually evaluate qualification training, direct correction or improvement when appropriate, and represent training concerns to higher headquarters.
Inactivated in 1990 as part of the military drawdown of the USAF after the end of the Cold War.
History
Heraldry
Or, a globe azure grid lined of the first between in dexter an airplane palewise ascending argent, exhaust gules and in sinister a missile palewise of the like, overall a gauntlet of the third, grasping an olive branch vert and a lightning flash of the fourth bend sinisterwise and two lightning flashes of the last bendwise, on a chief of the second per chevron inverted seme of mullets argent; all within a diminished bordure of argent (silver gray) (approved on 30 December 1988).
Lineage
- Established as: 12th Pursuit Wing on 19 October 1940
- Activated on 20 November 1940
- Inactivated on 6 March 1942
- Redesignated: 12th Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942
- Activated on 8 September 1942
- Disestablished on 9 October 1944
- Reestablished, and re-designated 12th Bombardment Wing, Light on 3 July 1947
- Activated in the Reserve on 3 August 1947
- Redesignated: 12th Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948
- Inactivated on 27 June 1949
- Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 February 1951
- Organized on 10 February 1951
- Discontinued on 16 June 1952
- Activated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated: 12th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962
- Redesignated: 12th Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971
- Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 March 1973
- Inactivated on 31 July 1990
Assignments
- VI Interceptor Command, 20 November 1940 – 6 March 1942
- Eighth Air Force, 8 September 1942
- VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), c. December 1942 – 9 October 1944
- Eleventh Air Force, 3 August 1947
- First Air Force, 1 July 1948
- Ninth Air Force, 23 February – 27 June 1949
- Fifteenth Air Force, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952
- Fifteenth Air Force, 16 June 1952
- Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1989 – 31 July 1990
Components
Wings
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Groups
- 16 Pursuit: c. 1 December 1940-c. 6 March 1942
- 32 Pursuit: c. 1 January 1941-c. 6 March 1942
- 37 Pursuit: c. 1 February 1940 – 6 March 1942
- 53 Pursuit: c. 1 January – 6 March 1942
- 321 Bombardment: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
- 322 Bombardment: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
Stations
- Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 10 November 1940 – 6 March 1942
- MacDill Field, Florida, 8 September – 28 November 1942
- Gourock, Scotland, 15–16 December 1942
- RAF Chelveston (AAF-105), England, c. 17 December 1942 – 12 January 1943
- Marks Hall (AAF-160), England, 12 January 1943 – 9 October 1944
- Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio, 3 August 1947 – 27 June 1949
- March AFB, California, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952
- March AFB, California, 16 June 1952
- Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 January 1962
- Dyess AFB, Texas, 30 September 1976
- Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990
Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles
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See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Air Force Historical Research Agency: 12th Air Division
External links
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