30th Air Division

30th Air Division
Emblem of the 30th Air Division
Active	1948-1968
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Air Defense Command

30th Air Division ADC AOR 1949-1960

30th Air Division ADC AOR 1966-1968

The 30th Air Division (30th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 18 September 1968.

History

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, the division's initial mission was the air defense of the upper Great Lakes region of the United States. The 30th equipped, administered, trained, and provided operationally ready forces to the appropriate commanders for air defense. The division trained attached and assigned units and supervised and participated in numerous exercises such as Kiowa Knife and Mandan Indian. Moved to Sioux City, Iowa in 1966 as part of an ADC reorganization and became responsible for air defense a large area of the upper Midwest after the inactivation of the Sioux City Air Defense Sector. Assumed additional designation of 30th 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.

The 30th administered and trained subordinate units, and participated in numerous air defense training exercises. In addition, during the 1960s it supervised training of Air National Guard units with a pertinent mobilization assignment.

Inactivated in September 1968 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 30 Air Division (Defense) on 8 November 1949

Activated on 16 December 1949

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Redesignated: 30 Air Division (SAGE) on 1 April 1959

Redesignated: 30th NORAD Region/Air Division on 1 April 1966, replacing Sioux City Air Defense Sector

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 September 1968, assets transferred to 24th NORAD Region/Air Division.

Assignments

• Tenth Air Force, 16 December 1949

Attached to: Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 January 1931 - August 1950

• Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 September 1950 – 1 July 1959
• Air Defense Command, 1 July 1959
• Tenth Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 18 September 1968.

Stations

• Selfridge AFB, Michigan - 16 December 1949 – 7 April 1952
• Willow Run Airport (later, Willow Run AFS), Detroit, Michigan, 7 April 1952
• Truax Field, Wisconsin, 1 April 1959
• Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa, 1 April 1966 – 18 September 1968.

Components

Division

• 31st Air Division

Attached: 27 November 1950 – 1 February 1951

Sectors

• Chicago Air Defense Sector: 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1966

Truax Field, Wisconsin

• Detroit Air Defense Sector: 8 January 1957 – 4 September 1963

Custer AFS, Michigan

• Duluth Air Defense Sector: 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1966

Duluth Airport, Minnesota

• Sault Ste Marie Air Defense Sector: 1 April 1959 – 15 December 1963

K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan

Wings

• 56th Fighter Interceptor Wing: attached 20 February 1950 – 6 February 1952

Selfridge AFB, Michigan

• 328th Fighter Wing: 1 April 1966 – 18 July 1968

Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri

• 343d Fighter Wing: 1 April-1 July 1959

Duluth MAP, Minnesota

• 412th Fighter Wing: 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1960

Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan

• 473d Fighter Wing: 1 April-1 October 1959

K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan

• 507th Fighter Wing: 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

Kincheloe AFB, Michigan

• 4706th (later, 4706 Air Defense) Wing: 16 February 1953 – 1 March 1956

Kincheloe AFB, Michigan

• 4708th Defense (later, 4708 Air Defense) Wing: 6 February 1952 – 18 October 1956

Inactivated and redesignated: 1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 18 October 1956 – 1 April 1959

Selfridge AFB, Michigan

• 4711th Air Defense Wing: 1 March-8 July 1956

Presque Isle AFB, Maine

Groups

• 1st Fighter Group

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 July-8 October 1956

• 15th Fighter Group: 8 July 1956 – 1 September 1958

Niagara Falls MAP, New York

• 54th Fighter Group: 8 July 1956 – 8 January 1958

Greater Pittsburgh Apt, Pennsylvania

• 56th Fighter Group: 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan

• 79th Fighter Group: 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1959

Youngstown MAP, Ohio

• 327th Fighter Group: 1 April-1 June 1959

Truax Field, Wisconsin

• 343d Fighter Group

Duluth IAP, Michigan, 1 April-15 November 1959

• 412th Fighter Group

Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1960

• 473d Fighter Group

K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan, 1 April-1 October 1959

• 507th Fighter Group

Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 February 1961

• 541st Aircraft Control and Warning Group

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 January 1951 – 6 February 1952

Interceptor Squadrons

• 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April-1 May 1960

Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan

• 56th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1959

Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

• 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 25 October 1950 – 4 June 1951

Greater Pittsburgh Apt, Pennsylvania

• 87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1959

Lockbourne AFB, Ohio

• 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1959

Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

Missile Squadrons

• 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC) : 1 March-1 April 1960

Kinchloe AFB, Michigan

• 74th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC-B)

Duluth AF Missile Site, Minnesota, 1960-1972

Radar Squadrons

• 625th Radar Squadron

Hastings AFS, Nebraska, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 639th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lowther AS, Ontario, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 661st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1959

• 662d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Brookfield AFS, Ohio, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1959

• 663d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lake City AFS, Tennessee, 6 February-5 August 1952

• 664th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Bellefontaine AFS, Ohio, 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1959

• 665th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Calumet AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 674th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Osceola AFS, Wisconsin, 1 April-1 July 1959

• 676th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 677th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Alpena AFS, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 30 November 1957

• 692d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Baudette AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959

• 695th Radar Squadron

Pickstown AFS, South Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 707th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Grand Rapids AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959

• 731st Radar Squadron

Sundance AFS, Wyoming, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968

• 738th Radar Squadron

Olathe AFS, Kansas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1988

• 752d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Empire AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 753d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Sault Sainte Marie AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 754th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Port Austin AFS, Michigan, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 755th Radar Squadron

Arlington Heights AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 1 July 1968

• 756th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Finland AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959

• 763d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lockport AFS, New York, 8 July 1956 – 1 September 1958

• 781st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Custer AFS, Michigan, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 782d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Rockville AFS, Indiana, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Snow Mountain AFS, Kentucky, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 787th Radar Squadron

Chandler AFS, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 1 July 1968

• 788th Radar Squadron

Waverly AFS, Iowa, 1 December 1967 – 1 July 1968

• 789th Radar Squadron

Omaha AFS, Nebraska, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 790th Radar Squadron

Kirksville AFS, Missouri, 1 December 1957 – 8 September 1968

• 791st Radar Squadron

Hanna City AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 18 June 1968

• 793d Radar Squadron

Hutchinson AFS, Kansas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 798th Radar Squadron

Belleville AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 18 June 1968

• 809th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Willow Run Airport, Michigan, 26–30 May 1953

• 903d Radar Squadron

Gettysburg AFS, South Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968

• 906th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Willow Run Airport, Michigan, 26–30 May 1953

• 912th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Ramore AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1960

• 913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Pagwa AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960

• 914th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Armstrong AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 1 April-15 November 1969

• 915th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Sioux Lookout AS, Ontario, 1 April 1959 – 15 November 1969

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

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

• Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
• A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
• Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1)
• Air Force Historical Research Agency: 30th Air Division