34th Air Division

34th Air Division
F-106 of the 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Active	1951–1960; 1966-1969
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of air defense forces
Part of	Air Defense Command
Insignia
34th Air Division emblem (Approved 28 October 1966)[1]

The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.

History

34th Air Division ADC AOR 1951-1960

93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-86A^[2]

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, "from January 1951 until 1960 the 34th administered, trained, operated and supported assigned units, and placed all available combat capable elements in a maximum state of readiness. Initially, its area of responsibility included Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas."^[1] It was inactivated and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the Albuquerque Air Defense Sector on 1 January 1960.

34th Air Division ADC AOR 1966-1969

Reactivated on 1 April 1966, to perform Air Defense "including all or part of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky]], Tennessee, and Virginia"^[1] assuming responsibility for the missions of the Detroit and parts of the Syracuse Air Defense Sectors.

Assumed additional designation of 34th 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. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Fainting Echo, Apache Arrow, and Fainting Knife.^[1]

Inactivated in December 1969^[1] 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

• Established as the 34 Air Division (Defense) on 1 January 1951

Activated on 5 January 1951

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Inactivated on 1 January 1960

• Redesignated 34 Air Division and activated on 20 January 1966

Organized on 1 April 1966

Inactivated on 31 December 1969^[1]

Assignments

• Western Air Defense Force, 5 January 1951 – 1 February 1952
• Central Air Defense Force, 16 February 1953 – 1 January 1960
• Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966
• First Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969.

Stations

• Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 5 January 1951 – 1 January 1960
• Custer Air Force Station, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969^[1]

Components

Wing

• 1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense)^[1]

Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1969

Group

• 343d Fighter Group (Air Defense)^[1]

Duluth MAP, Minnesota, 15 September-14 November 1969

Interceptor squadrons

15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 20 April 1953 – 1 January 1960 Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona 58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 August 1959 – 1 January 1960 Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico 62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 September – 14 November 1969 K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 30 September 1968 – 30 November 1969 Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan

87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1968 Duluth MAP. Minnesota 93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: Attached 10 August 1951 – 1 February 1952; 1–5 February 1952 Assigned 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1960 Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 445th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1968[1] Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan

Missile squadron

• 35th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)^[1]

Niagara Falls Air Force Missile Site, 15 September-19 November 1969

Radar squadrons

612th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Ajo Air Force Station, Arizona, 1 January 1958 – 1 January 1960 661st Radar Squadron Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969 662d Radar Squadron Brookfield Air Force Station, Ohio, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969 664th Radar Squadron Bellefontaine Air Force Station, Ohio, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969 674th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Osceola Air Force Station, Wisconsin, 15 September-14 November 1969 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Antigo Air Force Station, Wisconsin, 1 July 1968 – 14 November 1969 684th Aircraft Control and Radar Squadron Mount Lemmon Air Force Station, Arizona, 1 April 1956 – 1 January 1960 685th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Las Cruces Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 January 1954 – 1 January 1960 686th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1 October 1953 – 1 January 1960 687th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron West Mesa Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 April 1954 – 1 January 1960 697th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Pyote Air Force Station, Texas, 8 December 1956 – 1 January 1960 739th Radar Squadron Wadena Air Force Station, Minnesota, 15 September-14 November 1969

752d Radar Squadron Empire Air Force Station, Michigan, 1 April-14 November 1966 753d Radar Squadron Sault Sainte Marie Air Force Station, Michigan, 15 September-14 November 1969 754th Radar Squadron Port Austin Air Force Station, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969 755th Radar Squadron Arlington Heights Air Force Station, Illinois, 1 July 1968 – 30 September 1969 756th Radar Squadron Finland Air Force Station, Minnesota, 15 September-19 November 1969 763d Radar Squadron Lockport Air Force Station, New York, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 767th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Tierra Amarilla Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 May 1951 – 8 February 1959 768th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Moriarty Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 May 1951 – 1 January 1960 769th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Continental Divide Air Force Station, New Mexico, 1 May 1951 – 1 January 1960 783d Radar Squadron Guthrie Air Force Station, West Virginia, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968 784th Radar Squadron Snow Mountain Air Force Station, Kentucky, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968 904th Aircraft Warning and Control Squadron Winslow Air Force Station, Arizona, 1 April 1955 – 1 January 1960

See also

• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force air divisions

References

Notes

1. "Factsheet 34 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
2. Aircraft is North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre Serial 48-133 at Kirtland AFB NM Aircraft participating in B-36 intercept tests. The wide color bands were painted on the fuselage for identification as a test aircraft. Taken October 1951.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946 - 1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
• Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program (PDF). Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.
• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor. Aerospace Defense Command. 21 (1): 5–11, 26–31, 40–45, 54–59. January 1979.