21st Air Division
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| 21st Air Division | |
|---|---|
 Official crest of the 21st Air Division |
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| Active | 16 December 1942–3 April 1946 20 December 1946–27 June 1949 5 February 1951–1 September 1964 20 January 1966–31 December 1967 19 November 1969–23 September 1983 |
| 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 |
Contents |
[edit] History
The 21st functioned as a staging wing, and later as a command, processing heavy bombardment crews and aircraft for overseas movement, and then processing men returning from overseas, from 1942–1946. From December 1946, it performed routine training duties in the Reserve through 27 June 1949. Beginning in February 1951, the division trained aircrews for medium bombardment wings, bomber replacement crews, and replacements for strategic reconnaissance slots until September 1964. It took on an air defense role in January 1966, assuming responsibility for defense of parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. During this time, it participated in air defense training exercises, accomplished live and simulated intercepts, and directed numerous flying sorties until inactivation in December 1967. Upon reactivation in 1969, it carried out the same duties but changed geographic locations and covered most of New England except for the upper half of Maine.
[edit] Background of name
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[edit] Mission
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[edit] Operations
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[edit] Lineage and honors
Established as 21 Bombardment Wing on 16 December 1942. Activated on 22 December 1942. Redesignated I Staging Command on 27 September 1945. Inactivated on 3 April 1946.
Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946. Redesignated: 21 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 31 December 1946; 21 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948. Inactivated on 27 June 1949.
Redesignated 21 Air Division on 5 February 1951. Activated on 16 February 1951. Inactivated on 8 April 1952.
Organized on 8 April 1952. Discontinued on 16 October 1952.
Activated on 16 October 1952. Redesignated 21 Strategic Aerospace Division on 15 February 1962. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 September 1964.
Redesignated 21 Air Division, and activated, on 20 January 1966. Organized on 1 April 1966. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 31 December 1967.
Activated on 19 November 1969. Inactivated on 23 September 1983.
[edit] Service streamers
This unit earned the following organizational service streamers:
World War II: American Theater.
[edit] Campaign streamers
This unit earned the following organizational campaign streamers:
none
[edit] Armed forces expeditionary streamers
none
[edit] Decorations
This unit earned the following unit decorations:
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (2): 1 July 1973–30 June 1974; 1 July 1974–30 June 1975.
[edit] Awards
none
[edit] Emblem
Shield divided by a diagonal line from the upper right to middle left, light blue and white, a sword slanting from upper left to lower right, the point to lower right base, the hilt and pommel yellow encircled with five stars, yellow, the lower blade of the sword over a branch of olive in base green. (Approved 17 July 1952)
[edit] Assignments
Second Air Force, 22 December 1942; Continental Air Forces, 18 July 1945; Fourth Air Force, c.23 November 1945–3 April 1946.
Fourteenth Air Force, 20 December 1946; Ninth Air Force, 22 December 1948; Fourteenth Air Force, 1 February 1949–27 June 1949.
Strategic Air Command, 16 February 1951–8 April 1952.
Strategic Air Command, 8 April 1952; Fifteenth Air Force, 16 July 1952–16 October 1952.
Fifteenth Air Force, 16 October 1952; Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1955; Second Air Force, 1 January 1959–1 September 1964.
Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966; First Air Force, 1 April 1966–31 December 1967.
Aerospace Defense Command, 19 November 1969; Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979–23 September 1983.
[edit] Components
Air Forces:
- Air Forces Iceland: 31 December 1969–1 October 1975.
Wings:
- 40 Bombardment (later, 40 Strategic Aerospace): 20 June 1960–1 September 1964.
- 44 Bombardment: 4 August 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–16 June 1952.
- 48 Staging: 18 July 1945–c.21 March 1946.
- 52 Fighter: 1 April 1966–1 December 1967.
- 55 Strategic Reconnaissance: 1 October 1952–16 October 1952; 16 October 1952–1 September 1964.
- 68 Strategic Reconnaissance: 10 October 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–c.15 May 1952.
- 90 Bombardment (later, 90 Strategic Reconnaissance): 14 March 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–16 October 1952; 16 October 1952–20 June 1960.
- 308 Bombardment: attached 10 October 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–17 April 1952.
- 310 Bombardment: attached 28 March 1952–4 September 1952.
- 376 Bombardment: attached 1 June 1951–10 October 1951.
- 551 Airborne Early Warning and Control: 4 December 1969–31 December 1969.
Groups:
- 52 Fighter: 19 November 1969–31 December 1969.
- 95 Bombardment: 29 May 1947–27 June 1949.
- 333 Bombardment: attached 15 July 1942–21 February 1943.
- 346 Bombardment: attached 7 September 1942–25 February 1943.
- 384 Bombardment: 16 July 1947–27 June 1949.
Squadrons:
- 26 Air Defense Missile: 19 November 1969–30 April 1972.
- 27 Fighter Interceptor: 19 November 1969–1 July 1971.
- 35 Air Defense Missile: 19 November 1969–31 December 1969.
- 46 Air Defense Missile: April 1966–1 December 1967; 19 November 1969–31 October 1972.
- 49 Fighter Interceptor: 19 November 1969–23 September 1983.
- 60 Fighter Interceptor: 19 November 1969–30 April 1971.
- 83 Fighter Interceptor: 1 July 1971–30 June 1972.
- 87 Fighter Interceptor: 1 August 1981–23 September 1983.
- 95 Fighter Interceptor: 1 April 1966–1 December 1967.
- 373 Bombardment: attached 10 October 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–17 April 1952.
- 374 Bombardment: attached 10 October 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–17 April 1952.
- 375 Bombardment: attached 10 October 1951–8 April 1952; 8 April 1952–17 April 1952.
- 539 Fighter Interceptor: 1 April 1966–31 August 1967.
[edit] Stations
Smoky Hill Army Air Field (later, Salina Municipal Airport), Kansas, 22 December 1942; Topeka Army Air Field (later, Forbes Air Force Base, Forbes Field, Kansas, 31 May 1943; Merced Army Air Field (later, Castle Field, Castle Air Force Base), California, 7 October 1945–3 April 1946.
Memphis Municipal Airport (later, Memphis International Airport), Tennessee, 20 December 1946–27 June 1949.
Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 16 February 1951–8 April 1952.
Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 8 April 1952–16 October 1952.
Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 16 October 1952–1 September 1964.
McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, 1 April 1966–31 December 1967.
Hancock Field, New York, 19 November 1969; Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, 31 August 1983–23 September 1983.
[edit] Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles
B-29 Superfortress, 1951–1952; RB-29 Superfortress, 1951, 1952; TB-29 Superfortress, 1951–1952; KC-97 Stratotanker, 1952; RB-50 Superfortress, 1952.
B-29 Superfortress, 1952; RB-29 Superfortress, 1952–1954; TB-29 Superfortress, 1952; KC-97 Stratotanker, 1952, 1955–1962; RB-50 Superfortress, 1952–1954; KB-29 Superfortress, 1953–1954; EB/RB-47 Stratojet, 1954–1964; B-47 Stratojet, 1960–1962; Atlas (CGM-16), 1964; BOMARC (IM-99), 1966–1967; F-101 Voodoo, 1966–1967.
BOMARC (IM-99), 1969–1972; C-121 Constellation, 1969; EC-121 Warning Star, 1969; F-101 Voodoo, 1969–1971; F-106 Delta Dart, 1969–1983.
[edit] Commanders
Brigadier General Albert F. Hegenberger, 22 December 1942; Colonel Henry W. Harms, c. February 1944; Colonel Cornelius W. Cousland, 26 December 1944; Colonel Wallace S. Dawson, 21 January 1945; Colonel Ralph E. Koon, 29 May 1945; Brigadier General James M. Fitzmaurice, 19 July 1945–c. April 1946.
Brigadier General Everett R. Cook, 1947–1949.
Major General David W. Hutchison, 16 March 1951–8 April 1952.
Major General David W. Hutchison, 8 April 1952–16 October 1952.
Major General David W. Hutchison, 16 October 1952; Brigadier General Joseph D. C. Caldara, 4 December 1952; Brigadier General David Wade, 15 April 1954; Brigadier General Henry R. Sullivan Jr., 25 July 1955; Brigadier General Ariel W. Nielsen, 7 September 1957; Brigadier General Richard O. Hunziker, 16 July 1960; Colonel Richard N. Ellis, 16 August 1962–unknown.
None (not manned), 20 January 1966–31 March 1966; Colonel Albert L. Evans, 1 April 1966–31 December 1967.
Major General George V. Williams, 19 November 1969; Major General James L. Price, 15 February 1972; Major General Ray A. Robinson Jr., by 30 September 1973; Major General Richard H. Schoeneman, 11 August 1975; Brigadier General Carl S. Miller, 7 November 1977; Colonel Gary K. Carroll, 22 January 1979; Brigadier General Alonzo L. Ferguson, 1 February 1980; Brigadier General Kenneth W. North, 7 August 1982–23 September 1983.
