21st Air Division

The 21st Air Division (21st AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on 23 September 1983.

World War II
Initially established in 1942 as the 21st Bombardment Wing, the organization functioned as a staging wing for Second Air Force, and later as a command, processing heavy bombardment crews and aircraft for overseas movement, and then processing men returning from overseas, from 1942–1946. From December 1946, it performed routine training duties in the Air Force Reserve through 27 June 1949 when it was inactivated due to budget reductions.

Strategic Air Command
Reactivated as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command in February 1951 at Forbes AFB, Kansas. The 21st Air Division controlled B-47 Stratojet medium bombardment wings at Forbes AFB, Kansas and Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana. It was responsible for aircrew training, bomber replacement crews, and replacements for strategic reconnaissance slots until September 1964 when the B-47 was phased out of the inventory.

Air Defense Command
The command was reactivated by Air Defense Command (ADC) in January 1966 at McGuire AFB, New Jersey as one of ten new Air Divisions organized by the command to replace inactivating Air Defense Sectors in an organizational realignment. Assumed additional designation of 21st NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent AFB in April 1966.

Under ADC the 21st AD was placed under First Air Force and assumed the jurisdiction of the former New York Air Defense Sector, controlling interceptor and radar units over eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the New York City/Long Island area and the coast of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including Cape Cod. This included operations of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) blockhouse DC-01.

During this time, it participated in air defense training exercises, accomplished live and simulated intercepts, and directed numerous flying sorties until inactivation in December 1967 as part of an ADC consolidation of intermediate level command and control organizations, driven by budget reductions required to fund USAF operations in Southeast Asia.

The 21st AD was re-activated in November 1969 under Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) at Hancock Field, New York. The command provided air defense over most of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and the New England area, commanding interceptor and radar stations. Also included were ADCOM radar stations located in Newfoundland, Canada. In addition command of the SAGE DC-03/CC-01 blockhouse was assumed by the 21st AD, as well as CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile squadrons near Otis AFB, Massachusetts, Niagara Falls, New York and McGuire AFB, New Jersey.

In 1975, a new JCS Unified Command Plan designated Air Defense Command as a specified command and changed its name to the Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) on 1 July 1975. Air Defense ADCOM was reorganized on 1 October 1979. The atmospheric defense resources (interceptors and warning radars) of ADCOM. including the 21st AD were reassigned to Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It moved to Griffiss AFB, New York in 1983 when Hancock Field was closed.

In 1983, when the air defense mission of CONUS was reassigned to the Air National Guard, the 21st Air Division (ADTAC) was inactivated.

Lineage

 * Established as 21st Bombardment Wing on 16 December 1942
 * Activated on 22 December 1942
 * Redesignated I Staging Command on 27 September 1945
 * Inactivated on 3 April 1946


 * Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946
 * Redesignated: 21st Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 31 December 1946
 * Redesignated: 21st Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948
 * Inactivated on 27 June 1949


 * Redesignated 21st Air Division on 5 February 1951
 * Activated on 16 February 1951
 * Inactivated on 8 April 1952
 * Organized on 8 April 1952
 * Discontinued on 16 October 1952


 * Activated on 16 October 1952
 * Redesignated 21st Strategic Aerospace Division on 15 February 1962
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 September 1964


 * Reactivated on 20 January 1966
 * Organized on 1 April 1966, replacing New York Air Defense Sector
 * Assumed additional designations 21st NORAD/CONRAD Region, 1 April 1966
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 31 December 1967


 * Re-established and activated on 19 November 1969
 * Assumed additional designation 21st ADCOM Region, 8 December 1978
 * Inactivated on 23 September 1983, assets transferred to Northeast Air Defense Sector

Assignments

 * Second Air Force, 22 December 1942
 * Continental Air Forces, 18 July 1945


 * Fourth Air Force, c. 23 November 1945 – 3 April 1946
 * Fourteenth Air Force, 20 December 1946
 * Ninth Air Force, 22 December 1948
 * Fourteenth Air Force, 1 February – 27 June 1949


 * Strategic Air Command, 16 February 1951


 * Fifteenth Air Force, 16 July 1952
 * Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1955
 * Second Air Force, 1 January 1959 – 1 September 1964


 * Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966
 * First Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1967
 * Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM), 19 November 1969
 * Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), 1 October 1979 – 23 September 1983

Stations

 * Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas, 22 December 1942
 * Topeka AAF, Kansas, 31 May 1943
 * Merced AAFld (later, Castle Field), California, 7 October 1945 – 3 April 1946
 * Memphis Municipal Airport, Tennessee, 20 December 1946 – 27 June 1949
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 16 February 1951 – 1 September 1964
 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1967
 * Hancock Field, New York 19 November 1969
 * Griffiss AFB, New York, 31 August – 23 September 1983.

World War II

 * 48th Staging Wing: 18 July 1945-c. 21 March 1946


 * 95th Bombardment Group: 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
 * 333d Bombardment Group: attached 15 July 1942 – 21 February 1943
 * 346th Bombardment Group: attached 7 September 1942 – 25 February 1943
 * 384th Bombardment Group: 16 July 1947 – 27 June 1949

Strategic Air Command

 * 40th Bombardment (later, 40 Strategic Aerospace) Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 20 June 1960 – 1 September 1964


 * 44th Bombardment Wing
 * Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana, 4 August 1951 – 8 April 1952. 8 April – 16 June 1952


 * 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 1–16 October 1952; 16 October 1952 – 1 September 1964


 * 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing
 * Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana, 10 October 1951 – 8 April 1952. 8 April-c. 15 May 1952


 * 90th Bombardment (later, 90 Strategic Reconnaissance) Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 14 March 1951 – 8 April 1952. 8 April – 16 October 1952. 16 October 1952 – 20 June 1960.


 * 308th Bombardment Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, attached: 10 October 1951 – 8 April 1952; 8–17 April 1952


 * 310th Bombardment Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, attached: 28 March – 4 September 1952


 * 376th Bombardment Wing
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, attached: 1 June – 10 October 1951


 * 373d Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 8 April 1952; 8–17 April 1952
 * 374th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 8 April 1952; 8–17 April 1952
 * 375th Bombardment Squadron: attached 10 October 1951 – 8 April 1952; 8–17 April 1952

Air Defense Command

 * Air Forces Iceland: 31 December 1969 – 1 October 1975

Fighter-Interceptor units

 * 52d Fighter Wing
 * Suffolk County AFB, New York, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1967


 * 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing
 * Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 4–31 December 1969


 * 27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Loring AFB, Maine, 19 November 1969 – 1 July 1971


 * 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Griffiss AFB, New York, 19 November 1969 – 23 September 1983


 * 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 19 November 1969 – 30 April 1971


 * 83d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Loring AFB, Maine, 1 July 1971 – 30 June 1972


 * 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan1 Aug 1981-23 September 1983


 * 95th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * Dover AFB, Delaware, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1967


 * 539th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 April 1966 – 31 August 1967

Missile units

 * 26th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)
 * Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 19 November 1969 – 30 April 1972


 * 35th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)
 * Niagara Falls Air Force Missile Site, New York, 19 November – 31 December 1969


 * 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)
 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1967; 19 November 1969 – 31 October 1972

Radar units

 * 12th Missile Warning Group
 * Thule AB, Greenland, 1 October 1976 – 1 October 1979


 * 762d Air Defense Group
 * North Truro AFS, Massachusetts, 1 March 1970 – 1 January 1974


 * 765th Air Defense Group
 * Charleston AFS, Maine, 1 March 19790-1 January 1974


 * 6th Missile Warning Squadron
 * Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 October 1978 – 1 October 1979


 * 640th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
 * Stephenville AS, Newfoundland, Canada, 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971


 * 641st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
 * Melville AS, Labrador, Canada, 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971


 * 648th Radar Squadron
 * Highlands AFS, New Jersey, 1 April – 1 July 1966


 * 648th Radar Squadron
 * Benton AFS, Pennsylvania, 19 November 1969 – 30 June 1975


 * 655th Radar Squadron
 * Watertown AFS, New York, 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 656th Radar Squadron
 * Saratoga Springs AFS, 19 November 1969 – 30 June 1977


 * 680th Radar Squadron
 * Palermo AFS, New Jersey, 19 November 1969 – 30 May 1970


 * 763d Radar Squadron
 * Lockport AFS, New York, 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 764th Radar Squadron
 * Saint Albans AFS, Vermont, 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 765th Radar Squadron
 * Charleston AFS, Maine, 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 766th Radar Squadron
 * Caswell AFS, Maine, 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 772d Radar Squadron
 * Gibbsboro AFS, New Jersey, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1967; 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 773d Radar Squadron
 * Montauk AFS, New Jersey, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1967; 19 November 1969 – 8 December 1978


 * 907th Radar Squadron
 * Bucks Harbor AFS, Maine, 19 November 1969 – 30 June 1979


 * 924th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
 * Saglek AS, Labrador, Canada, 31 March 1970 – 30 June 1971

Air Base units

 * 4683d Air Base Group
 * Thule AB, Greenland, 31 December 1969 – 31 March 1977


 * 4684th Air Base Group
 * Sondrestrom AB, Greenland, 31 December 1969 – 1 December 1979

Emblem
The Division's emblem consists of a Shield divided by a diagonal line from the upper right to middle left, light blue and white, a sword slanting from upper left to lower right, the point to lower right base, the hilt and pommel yellow encircled with five stars, yellow, the lower blade of the sword over a branch of olive in base green. (Approved 17 July 1952)