7th Air Division

The 7th Air Division (7 AD) served the United States Air Force with distinction from early 1944 through early 1992, earning an outstanding unit decoration and a service streamer along the way.

The division provided air defense of the Hawaiian Islands April 1944 – September 1948.

In 1951 as part of the Strategic Air Command, the division controlled deployed bombardment and reconnaissance forces between 1951 and 1965. It participated in alerts, exercises, operational readiness inspections, evaluations, and intensive training programs to provide an advanced combat ready force. It also assumed responsibility for air base construction and improvement, which included building complexes to accommodate bombers, fighters, and special functions such as communications, weapons storage, aircraft parts, and navigational aids.

From 1978, the division was activated in Europe to provide command and control for SAC units assigned to USAFE, primarily air refueling and reconnaissance organizations, but also ground support units such as the 3920th Strategic Wing. It assured that assigned units trained to conduct strategic warfare according to the Emergency War Order. It also assured that assigned units could conduct strategic reconnaissance and air refueling and function as the nucleus of a SAC advanced echelon in event of contingency operations.

Lineage

 * Established as 7 Fighter Wing on 31 March 1944
 * Activated on 21 April 1944
 * Redesignated 7 Air Division on 15 December 1947
 * Inactivated on 1 May 1948


 * Organized on 1 May 1948
 * Discontinued on 3 September 1948


 * Activated on 20 March 1951
 * Inactivated on 16 June 1952


 * Organized on 16 June 1952
 * Discontinued on 30 June 1965


 * Activated on 1 July 1978
 * Inactivated on 1 February 1992

Assignments

 * Seventh Air Force, 21 April 1944
 * Attached VII Fighter Command, 24 April – 15 August 1944


 * Army Air Forces (AAF), Pacific Ocean Area, 15 August 1944
 * Provisional Army Air Forces, Middle Pacific, attached 1 July 1945 and assigned, 22 November 1945
 * Seventh Air Force (later, Pacific Air Command), 1 January 1946 – 1 May 1948
 * Pacific Air Command, 1 May – 3 September 1948
 * Strategic Air Command, 20 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952-30 June 1965; 1 July 1978
 * Eighth Air Force, 31 January 1982 – 1 February 1992

Components
Wings
 * 17th Reconnaissance Wing: 1 October 1982 – 30 June 1991
 * 81st Fighter Wing: 1 May – 3 September 1948
 * 306th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1978 – 1 February 1992
 * 706th Strategic Missile Wing: 20 February 1958 – 1 April 1960 (not operational)
 * Hickam (later, 6502) Composite Wing: 1 May – 3 September 1948.

Groups
 * 11th Strategic Group: 15 November 1978 – 7 August 1990
 * 15th Fighter Group: attached 1 August 1944 – 5 February 1945; attached 30 November 1945 – 1 March 1946; assigned 22 April – 15 October 1946
 * 21st Fighter Group: assigned 3 July – 10 November 1944, attached 10 November 1944 – 9 February 1945
 * 30th Bombardment Group: 15 August 1945 – 1 March 1946 (not operational 15 February – 1 March 1946)
 * 81st Fighter Group: 15 October 1946 – 1 May 1948
 * 508th Fighter Group: attached 6 January – 25 November 1945.

Squadrons
 * 6th Night Fighter Squadron: attached 27 September – 11 December 1944; assigned 12 May 1945 – 1 March 1946; assigned 22 April – 31 May 1946
 * 19 Surveillance: 1 December 1979 – 1 May 1983
 * 41 Photographic Reconnaissance: 18 April – 13 June 1945
 * 43 Reconnaissance, Long Range, Photographic: attached 20 September 1945 – 22 February 1946 (further attached to 30 Bombardment Group for same period)
 * 548th Night Fighter Squadron: 16 September – 20 October 1944
 * 549th Night Fighter Squadron: 20 October – 1 November 1944.

Stations

 * Fort Shafter, Hawaii (Territory), 21 April 1944
 * Wheeler Field (later, AAB; AFB), Hawaii (Territory), 18 November 1946 – 1 May 1948
 * Hickam AFB, Hawaii (Territory), 1 May 1948 – 3 September 1948
 * South Ruislip, England, 20 March 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952
 * U.S. Air Base High Wycombe (later, High Wycombe Air Station), England, 1 July 1958 – 30 June 1965
 * Ramstein AB, West Germany (later, Germany), 1 July 1978 – 1 February 1992

Aircraft / Missiles / Space Vehicles

 * A-24 Banshee: 1944;
 * B-24 Liberator: 1944–1945;
 * B-25 Mitchell: 1944–1945;
 * B-26 Marauder: 1944–1945;
 * P-38 Lightning: 1944–1945;
 * P-39 Airacobra: 1944;
 * P-40 Warhawk: 1944;
 * P-47 Thunderbolt: 1944–1945;
 * P-51 Mustang: 1944–1946;
 * P-61 Black Widow: 1944–1946;
 * P-70: 1944;
 * RA-24: 1944–1945;
 * UC-7: 1944–1945;
 * A-26 Invader: 1945–1946;
 * B-17 Flying Fortress: 1945–1946;
 * B-24 Liberator: 1945–1946;
 * CQ-3 Expeditor: 1945;
 * F-5 (reconnaissance): 1945;
 * F-7 Cutlass: 1945–1946;
 * L-5 Sentinel: 1945–1946;
 * P-51 Mustang: 1946–1947;
 * PQ-14 Cadet: 1945–1946;
 * TB-17: 1945–1946;
 * TB-25: 1945;
 * ERB-17: 1946;
 * B-26 Invader: 1948;
 * C-46 Commando: 1948;
 * C-54 Skymaster: 1948;
 * F-47: 1948;


 * L-5 Sentinel: 1948;
 * P-47 Thunderbolt: 1948;
 * SB-17: 1948.
 * B-29 Superfortress: 1951–1952;
 * B/RB-45 Tornado: 1951–1952;
 * B-50 Superfortress: 1951–1952;
 * F-84 Thunderjet: 1951;
 * KB-29: 1951–1952;
 * RB-29: 1951–1952;
 * RB-36: 1951–1952.
 * B-29 Superfortress: 1952–1953;
 * B-50 Superfortress: 1952–1953;
 * F-84 Thunderjet: 1953, 1955;
 * KB-29: 1952–1953;
 * RB-36: 1952–1954.
 * B-36 Peacemaker: 1952–1956;
 * B/RB-50 Superfortress: 1952–1956;
 * C-47 Skytrain: 1952–1953;
 * B-47 Stratojet: 1953–1965;
 * KC-97 Stratotanker: 1953–1958, 1962–1964;
 * RB-47: 1954, 1956–1965;
 * ERB-29: 1955–1956;
 * RB-57: 1959;
 * U-2 Dragon Lady: 1962;
 * B-58 Hustler: 1964.

After activation on 1 July 1978, the division controlled aircraft such as the: KC-135 Stratotanker, B-52 Stratofortress, RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, SR-71 Blackbird, and U-2 Dragon Lady.