12th Air Division

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12th Air Division
Active1940–1942; 1942–1944; 1947–1949; 1951–1990
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleCommand of Strategic strike forces
Insignia
12th Air Division emblem (approved 30 December 1988)[1]
12th Air Division emblem (approved c. December 1986)[2]
Patch with 12th Strategic Missile Division emblem [3]
12th Air Division emblem (approved 16 April 1952)[4]

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.

History

The division was established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the

Sixth Air Force until 6 March 1942.[1]

It was 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 All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat.[1]

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 intercontinental ballistic missile capability, conducted staff assistance visits, and monitored programs such as retention, domestic actions, and medical capabilities of its subordinate units.

Its mission was to 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.

It was inactivated in 1990 as part of the military drawdown of the USAF after the end of the Cold War.[1]

Lineage

  • Established as the 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 redesignated 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[1]

Assignments

Components

Wings

  • 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing
    (later 6th Strategic Wing): 1 July 1965 – 25 March 1967; 2 July 1968 – 30 June 1971
  • 22d Bombardment Wing
    (later 22d Air Refueling Wing): 10 February 1951 – 1 January 1962 (detached 5 September – 4 December 1951, 7 December 1953 – 5 March 1954, 1 April – 5 July 1957); 1 August 1972 – 1 October 1985
  • 28th Bombardment Wing
    : 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990
  • 44th Bombardment Wing
    (later 44 Strategic Missile Wing): 10 February – 4 August 1951; 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990
  • 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
    : 2 July 1966 – 30 June 1971; 1 October 1982 – 1 October 1985
  • 93d Bombardment Wing
    : 1 October 1985 – 15 July 1988
  • 95th Bombardment Wing
    : 1 July 1964 – 25 June 1966
  • 96th Bombardment Wing
    : 1 July 1973 – 15 July 1988
  • 99th Strategic Weapons Wing
    : 10 August 1989 – 31 July 1990
  • 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
    (later 100 Air Refueling Wing): 25 June 1966 – 30 June 1971; 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1976
  • 106th Bombardment Wing
    : by September 1951 – 1 December 1952
  • 303d Bombardment Wing
    : 15 March 1960 – 15 June 1964
  • 308th Strategic Missile Wing
    : 30 June 1971 – 1 April 1973
  • 320th Bombardment Wing
    : 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (detached 3 June – 4 September 1954, 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957); 23 January 1987 – 15 July 1988
  • 330th Bombardment Wing
    : attached 1 May – 16 June 1951 (not operational for entire period)
  • 381st Strategic Missile Wing
    : 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1973
  • 384th Air Refueling Wing
    : 1 December 1972 – 1 July 1973
  • 390th Strategic Missile Wing: 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984
  • 4080th Strategic Wing: 12 July 1963 – 25 June 1966[1]

Groups

Stations

Aircraft and Missiles

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).

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Factsheet 12 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Approved insignia for: 12th Air Division". National Archives Catalog. 3 December 1986. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ Replaced 16 April 1952 emblem
  4. ^ Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 381–382

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency