838th Air Division

The 838th Air Division (838 AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas. It was inactivated on December 24, 1969.

The unit was an intermediate command echelon of Tactical Air Command. Activated but not manned or equipped in 1957, but reactivated in 1963. The 838 AD provided command and staff supervision for subordinate units, which performed worldwide tactical airlift and participated in tactical exercises and operations such as Desert Strike. Between 1964 and 1969, the units frequently deployed aircraft and personnel to Europe, the Far East, and the Canal Zone with its subordinate units performing tactical airlift missions.

The command was inactivated in 1969 as a result of budget reductions, its units being consolidated directly into Twelfth Air Force.

Lineage

 * Established as 838 Air Division on August 30, 1957.
 * Activated on September 25, 1957
 * Inactivated on December 11, 1957


 * Activated on June 13, 1963
 * Organized on July 1, 1963
 * Inactivated on December 24, 1969.

Assignments

 * Ninth Air Force, September 25 – December 11, 1957
 * Tactical Air Command, June 13, 1963
 * Twelfth Air Force, July 1, 1963 – December 24, 1969.

Stations

 * Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma, September 25 – December 11, 1957
 * Pope AFB, North Carolina, July 1, 1963
 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, November 9, 1964 – December 24, 1969.

Components
Wings
 * 313 Troop Carrier (later, 313 Tactical Airlift) (Forbes AFB)
 * November 9, 1964 – December 24, 1969


 * 463d Troop Carrier Wing (Ardmore AFB; Langley AFB)
 * September 25 – December 11, 1957; October 1, 1963 – November 9, 1964.


 * 464th Troop Carrier Wing (Pope AFB)
 * July 1, 1963 – November 9, 1964


 * 516 Troop Carrier (later, 516 Tactical Airlift) (Dyess AFB)
 * November 9, 1964 – December 24, 1969.

Group
 * 930th Tactical Airlift Group: May 13 – June 1, 1968.

Aircraft

 * C-123 Provider, 1957, 1963–1964
 * C-130 Hercules, 1957, 1963–1969
 * C-7 Caribou, 1969.