31st Air Division

31st Air Division

Active 1950–1960; 1966-1969
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Command of air defense forces
Part of Air Defense Command
Insignia
31st Air Division emblem (Approved 19 March 1954)[2]

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 December 1969.

History

31st Air Division ADC AOR 1950-1960

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, 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. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Creek Chief, Pawnee Knife, and Mandan Hunt.[2]

31st Air Division ADC AOR 1966-1969

Later, beginning in 1966, the 31st assumed responsibility for the former Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector and covered an area including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.[2] Assumed additional designation of 31st NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966.

Inactivated in December 1969[2] 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 8 October 1950
Inactivated on 1 February 1952
Inactivated on 1 January 1960
Organized on 1 April 1966
Inactivated on 31 December 1969[2]

Assignments

Eastern Air Defense Force, 8 October 1950 (attached 30th Air Division, 27 November 1950 – 1 February 1951
Central Air Defense Force, 20 May 1951 – 1 January 1960
Fourteenth Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 1 July 1968 (ConAC)
Tenth Air Force, 1 July 1968 – 31 December 1969[2]

Stations

Components

Sectors

Duluth Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota[2]

Groups

53d Fighter Group: 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1956
Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa
343d Fighter Group: 18 August 1955 – 1 January 1959
Duluth Municipal Airport, Minnesota
475th Fighter Group: 18 August 1955 – 2 January 1958
Minneapolis-Saint Paul Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota
Minneapolis-Saint Paul Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Duluth Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa[2]

Interceptor squadrons

Duluth Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Minneapolis-Saint Paul Municipal Airport, Minnesota
Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota
Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa

Webb Air Force Base, Texas
Truax Field, Wisconsin
Truax Field, Wisconsin[2]

Radar squadrons

  • 650th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Dallas Center Air Force Station, Iowa, 1 July 1955 – 1 March 1956
  • 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Antigo Air Force Station, Wisconsin, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
Sweetwater Air Force Station, Texas, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969
  • 687th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
West Mesa Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
  • 692d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Baudette Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 October 1958 – 1 January 1959
  • 703d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Texarkana Air Force Station, Arkansas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
  • 707th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Grand Rapids Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 July 1956 – 1 January 1959
  • 739th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Wadena Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 February 1953 – 1 January 1959
Rapid City Air Force Base, South Dakota, 1–16 February 1953
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969
Perrin Air Force Station, Texas, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969

Oklahoma City Air Force Station, Oklahoma, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
  • 756th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Finland Air Force Station, Minnesota, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1959
  • 785th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Finley Air Force Station, North Dakota, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
  • 786th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Minot Air Force Station, North Dakota, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
  • 787th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Chandler Air Force Station, Minnesota, 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1959
  • 788th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Waverly Air Force Station, Iowa, 6 February 1952 – 1 March 1956
  • 789th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Omaha Air Force Station, Nebraska, 6 February 1952 – 1 March 1956
  • 791st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Hanna City Air Force Station, Illinois, 6 February 1952 – 1 March 1956
  • 808th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Rochester Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 September 1955 – 9 September 1957
  • 903d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron]
Gettysburg Air Force Station, South Dakota, 1 March 1956 – 1 January 1959
Sioux Lookout Air Station, Ontario, 16 December 1952 – 1 January 1959
Beausejour Air Station, Manitoba, 1 December 1952 – 1 January 1959

See also

References

Notes

  1. Aircraft shown is F-104A, serial 56-821
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Factsheet 31 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  3. The simultaneous inactivation and activation on 1 February 1952 reflects a change between a Table of Organization unit and a Table of Distribution unit.

Bibliography

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

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