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30th Air Division
USAF 30th Air Division Crest
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
30thAD - Map - 1949-1960

30th Air Division ADC AOR 1949-1960

30thAD - Map - 1966-1968

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[]

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

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[]

Attached: 27 November 1950 – 1 February 1951

Sectors[]

Truax Field, Wisconsin
Custer AFS, Michigan

Duluth Airport, Minnesota
K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan

Wings[]

  • 56th Fighter Interceptor Wing: attached 20 February 1950 – 6 February 1952
Selfridge AFB, Michigan
Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri
Duluth MAP, Minnesota
Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan
K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan

Kincheloe AFB, Michigan
Kincheloe AFB, Michigan
Inactivated and redesignated: 1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 18 October 1956 – 1 April 1959
Selfridge AFB, Michigan
Presque Isle AFB, Maine

Groups[]

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 July-8 October 1956
Niagara Falls MAP, New York
Greater Pittsburgh Apt, Pennsylvania
K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
Youngstown MAP, Ohio
Truax Field, Wisconsin

Duluth IAP, Michigan, 1 April-15 November 1959
Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1960
K. I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan, 1 April-1 October 1959
Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 February 1961
Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1 January 1951 – 6 February 1952

Interceptor Squadrons[]

Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
Greater Pittsburgh Apt, Pennsylvania

Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana

Missile Squadrons[]

Kinchloe AFB, Michigan
Duluth AF Missile Site, Minnesota, 1960-1972

Radar Squadrons[]

Hastings AFS, Nebraska, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
Lowther AS, Ontario, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960
Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1959
Brookfield AFS, Ohio, 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1959
Lake City AFS, Tennessee, 6 February-5 August 1952
Bellefontaine AFS, Ohio, 1 September 1958 – 1 April 1959
Calumet AFS, Michigan, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960
Osceola AFS, Wisconsin, 1 April-1 July 1959
Antigo AFS, Wisconsin, 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960
Alpena AFS, Michigan, 8 July 1956 – 30 November 1957
Baudette AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959
Pickstown AFS, South Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
Grand Rapids AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959
Sundance AFS, Wyoming, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968
Olathe AFS, Kansas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1988
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
Port Austin AFS, Michigan, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
Arlington Heights AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 1 July 1968
Finland AFS, Minnesota, 1 April-1 July 1959

  • 763d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
Lockport AFS, New York, 8 July 1956 – 1 September 1958
Custer AFS, Michigan, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
Rockville AFS, Indiana, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
Snow Mountain AFS, Kentucky, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953
Chandler AFS, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 1 July 1968
Waverly AFS, Iowa, 1 December 1967 – 1 July 1968
Omaha AFS, Nebraska, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
Kirksville AFS, Missouri, 1 December 1957 – 8 September 1968
Hanna City AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 18 June 1968
Hutchinson AFS, Kansas, 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968
Belleville AFS, Illinois, 1 December 1967 – 18 June 1968
Willow Run Airport, Michigan, 26–30 May 1953
Gettysburg AFS, South Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968
Willow Run Airport, Michigan, 26–30 May 1953
Ramore AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 8 July 1956 – 1 April 1960
Pagwa AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 1 April 1959 – 1 April 1960
Armstrong AS, Ontario, 21 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 1 April-15 November 1969
Sioux Lookout AS, Ontario, 1 April 1959 – 15 November 1969

See also[]

References[]

PD-icon 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
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