838th Air Division
| 838th Air Division | |
|---|---|
C-123 Providers in flight in the late 1950s[a] | |
| Active | 1957; 1963–1966 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command of tactical airlift forces |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lt Gen Ernest C. Hardin Jr. |
| Insignia | |
| 838th Air Division[b][1] |  |
The 838th Air Division is an inactive
Forbes Air Force Base
, Kansas. It was inactivated on 24 December 1969.
The
wing
and the 838th was inactivated along with it.
History
Ardmore Air Force Base
The 838th Air Division was first activated on 25 September 1957 at
463d Troop Carrier Wing at Ardmore. The division's 838th Air Base Group assumed the management of the base from the 463d Air Base Group, which was inactivated upon transferring its resources. However, the 463d Wing was converting from the Fairchild C-123 Provider to become the Air Force's first Lockheed C-130 Hercules wing and it was decided to inactivate the 419th and its Providers before the end of the year, along with the new division.[1] The division commander, Col James L. Daniel Jr., had been the commander of the 463d wing before the division was activated and returned to that command when the division and 419th Group were inactivated on 11 December 1957.[1][2] The 838th Air Base Group was reassigned to the 463d Wing and remained the base host unit.[3]
Pope and Forbes Air Force Bases
The division was reactivated at
315th Troop Carrier Group.[8]
,_USA_-_Air_Force_AN1641439.jpg)
In November 1964, the division moved from Pope to
516th Troop Carrier Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas were transferred to the 838th's command[1][9] Until the division inactivated, its wings frequently deployed aircraft and personnel to Europe, the Far East, and the Panama Canal Zone.[1]
In May 1968, the
AC-119 Shadow gunship configuration. The group's stay with the 838th was short, however and it was returned to reserve status on 1 June 1968, while its 71st Squadron was transferred to the 1st Special Operations Wing.[1][10]
In August 1969, the 516th Wing began training aircrews on the
de Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou. The 838th was inactivated in December 1969 and its units were reassigned directly to Twelfth Air Force.[1][11][9]
Lineage
- Established as the 838 Air Division on 30 August 1957
- Activated on 25 September 1957
- Inactivated on 11 December 1957
- Activated on 13 June 1963 (not organized)
- Organized on 1 July 1963
- Inactivated on 24 December 1969[1]
Assignments
- Ninth Air Force, 25 September – 11 December 1957
- Tactical Air Command, 13 June 1963 (not organized)
- Twelfth Air Force, 1 July 1963 – 24 December 1969[1]
Stations
- Ardmore Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 25 September – 11 December 1957
- Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, 1 July 1963
- Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas, 9 November 1964 – 24 December 1969[1]
Components
Wings
- 313th Troop Carrier Wing (later 313 Tactical Airlift Wing): 9 November 1964 – 24 December 1969[12]
- 463d Troop Carrier Wing: 25 September – 11 December 1957; 1 October 1963 – 9 November 1964
- Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 1963–1964[4]
- 464th Troop Carrier Wing: 1 July 1963 – 9 November 1964
- 516th Troop Carrier Wing (later 516 Tactical Airlift Wing): 9 November 1964 – 24 December 1969[13]
- Dyess Air Force Base, Texas[9]
Groups
- 419th Troop Carrier Group: 25 September – 11 December 1957
- 838th Air Base Group: 25 September – 11 December 1957[3]
- 930th Tactical Airlift Group: 13 May – 1 June 1968[13]
- Bakalar Air Force Base, Indiana
Aircraft
- Fairchild C-123 Provider, 1957, 1963–1964
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules, 1957, 1963–1969
- Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1968
- de Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou, 1969[13]
Commanders
- Col James L. Daniel Jr., 25 September – 11 December 1957
- Brig Gen William T. Daly, 1 July 1963
- Brig Gen Ernest C. Hardin Jr., c. 7 August 1964
- Brig Gen Burl W. McLaughlin, c. January 1965
- Brig Gen Joseph N. Donovan, c. 22 March 1966
- Col William G. Duncan, c. June 1967
- Col Clarence B. Slaughter, c. 1 June – 24 November 1969[1]
See also
References
Notes
- Explanatory notes
- ^ Aircraft are Fairchid C-123B-7-FA Providers, serials 54-641 (transferred to CIA for flights from Taiwan, crashed in the summer of 1965) and 54-636 (later converted to C-123K, transferred to Air America for operations in Laos in 1968) Baugher, Joe (24 July 2023). "1954 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ Approved 10 December 1964. Description: Gules, a fess nebuly counter nebuly debruised by a pile argent bearing a pile azure converging at base point charged in pale with three futuristic aircraft of the second [color mentioned].
- ^ Aircraft is Lockheed C-130A-LM Hercules serial 55-031. This plane was modified to C-130D configuration, later transferred to the Mexican Air Force. Baugher, Joe (27 July 2023). "1955 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 17 August 2023. Photo taken in 1957.
- Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Factsheet 838 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- ^ Bailey, Carl E. (26 December 2007). "Factsheet 463d Airlift Group (AMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Abstract, History 463 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1957". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 256–258
- ^ Ravenstein, pp. 258–260
- ^ "Abstract, Vol. 1 History 464 Troop Carrier Wing Jul–Dec 1964". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ Futrell & Blumenson, pp. 108, 111–112
- ^ Futrell & Blumenson, p. 167
- ^ a b c Ravenstein, pp. 283–284
- ^ Robertson, Patsy (10 May 2011). "Factsheet 71 Special Operations Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ Ravenstein, pp. 160–161
- ^ Components stationed with division headquarters except as noted.
- ^ a b c Components and aircraft in AFHRA Factsheet, 838th Air Division, except as noted
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Futrell, Robert F.; Blumenson, Martin (1980). The Advisory Years to 1965. The United States in Southeast Asia. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. LCCN 80-24547. Archived from the original(PDF) on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Further reading
- McGowan, Sam (2011). Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: Tactical Airlift in the US Army Air Forces and US Air Force from World War II to Viet Nam. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4685-0563-4.
- McGowan, Sam (2011). Trash Haulers: The Story of the C-130 Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Mission. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4685-0190-2.
External links
- "The history of Forbes field". Topeka Capital-Journal. 1 June 1999. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- Simmons, G. (1 June 1999). "A Historical Summary of Ardmore Air Force Base 1953–1959". Retrieved 12 September 2015.
