9th Space Division

The 9th Space Division (9th SD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Force Space Command, being stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 October 1991.

History
The organization has had several periods of activation over its lifetime. Initially established in April 1949 as the 9th Air Division (Tactical) under Fourteenth Air Force, Continental Air Command at Pope AFB, North Carolina, the command had no units assigned but was to act as a headquarters over tactical units. It was inactivated in August 1950.

It was redesignated and reactivated in October 1954 by Air Defense Command (ADC) and assigned to Western Air Defense Force (WADF) at Geiger Field, Washington,  taking over control of air defense units in eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho from the 25th Air Division (AD), after the 25th AD was realigned over the Washington and Oregon coastal area west of the Cascade Mountains. It participated in the United States Air Force collateral mission of antisubmarine warfare and administered, equipped, and trained for combat. It was inactivated in 1958 when the Spokane Air Defense Sector was established by ADC to take over its responsibilities.

The third incarnation of the organization began in 1961 with its reactivation as the 9th Aerospace Defense Division was associated with the North American Aerospace Defense Command by ADC, assuming responsibility for the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, the Missile Defense Alarm System, the Space Detection and Tracking System, the NORAD Combat operations Center, the Bomb Alarm System, and the Nuclear Detonation System. It was inactivated in 1968 when its mission was elevated to a Numbered Air Force level, being assumed by the Fourteenth Aerospace Force on 1 July.

The most recent incarnation the 9th Space Division began in 1990 when Air Force Space Command (AFSPACECOM) reactivated the organization to provide an action mechanism to "operationalize" the space launch capabilities of Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC) and Western Space and Missile Center (WSMC) units transferred from Air Force Systems Command to AFSPACECOM during 1990–1991. ESMC and WSMC became respectively the 45th Space Wing and 30th Space Wing within two months of the Division's inactivation in 1991.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 9th Air Division (Tactical) on 7 April 1949
 * Activated on 1 May 1949
 * Inactivated on 1 August 1950


 * Redesignated 9th Air Division (Defense) on 21 June 1954
 * Activated on 8 October 1954
 * Inactivated on 15 August 1958


 * Redesignated 9th Aerospace Defense Division, and activated on 14 July 1961
 * Organized on 15 July 1961
 * Discontinued and inactivated on 1 July 1968


 * Redesignated 9th Space Division on 11 September 1990
 * Activated on 1 October 1990
 * Inactivated on 1 October 1991.

Assignments

 * Fourteenth Air Force, 1 May 1949 – 1 August 1950
 * Western Air Defense Force, 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Air (later, Aerospace) Defense Command, 14 July 1961 – 1 July 1968
 * Air Force Space Command, 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1991.

Stations

 * Pope AFB, North Carolina, 1 May 1949 – 1 August 1950
 * Geiger Field, Washington, 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Ent AFB, Colorado, 15 July 1961 – 1 July 1968
 * Patrick AFB, Florida, 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1991.

Components
Centers
 * Eastern Space and Missile Center: 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1991
 * Patrick AFB, Florida


 * Western Space and Missile Center: 1 October 1990 – 1 October 1991
 * Vandenberg AFB, California

Wings
 * 71 Surveillance (later, 71 Missile Warning) Wing: January 1962 – 1 July 1968
 * Ent AFB, Colorado


 * 73d Aerospace Surveillance Wing: 1 January 1967 – 1 July 1968.
 * Ent AFB, Colorado

Groups
 * 10th Aerospace Defense Group: 1 January 1967 - 1 July 1968
 * Vandenburg AFB, California


 * 84th Fighter Group (Air Defense), 18 August 1955 - 15 August 1958
 * Geiger Field, Washington


 * 530th Air Defense Group: 18 February 1953 - 18 August 1955
 * Geiger Field, Washington


 * 4721st Air Defense Group: 1 December 1956 - 15 August 1958.
 * Larson AFB, Washington

Squadrons


 * 1 Aerospace Surveillance and Control (later, l Aerospace Control): 1 October 1961 – 1 July 1968
 * Ent AFB, Colorado


 * 2 Surveillance (Sensor): 1 February 1962 – 1 January 1967
 * Ent AFB, Colorado


 * 10 Aerospace Defense: 1 August 1964 – 1 January 1967
 * Vandenberg AFB, California


 * 31st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 18 August 1955
 * Larson AFB, Washington


 * 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 18 August 1955 – 1 December 1956
 * Larson AFB, Washington


 * 323d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 18 August 1955
 * Larson AFB, Washington


 * 538th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 18 August 1955 – 1 December 1956
 * Larson AFB, Washington


 * 4755th Ground Observer Squadron: 1 January 1955-25 March 1959
 * Geiger Field, Washington


 * 634th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 20 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * McChord AFB, Washington


 * 636th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Condon AFS, Oregon


 * 637th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Othello AFS, Washington


 * 638th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Curlew AFS, Washington


 * 760th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 October 1954 – 15 August 1958
 * Colville AFS, Washington


 * 821st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 September 1957 – 15 August 1958
 * Baker AFS, Oregon


 * 822d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 September 1956 – 15 August 1958
 * Cottonwood AFS, Idaho


 * 823d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron: 8 April 1955 – 15 August 1958
 * Mica Peak AFS, Washington