32d Air Division

32d Air Division
Emblem of the 32d Air Division
Active	1949–1969
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Air Defense Command

32d Air Division AOR 1949-1963

32d Air Division AOR 1966-1969

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Lockheed F-94C-1-LO Starfire 51-13555 Griffiss AFB, New York, 1954

F-104As of the 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron over Biscane Bay, Florida

The 32d Air Division (32d AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to First Air Force, being stationed at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.

History

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, the 32d organized, administered, equipped, trained, and prepared for operation, all of its assigned units. The division participated in exercises such as Creek Brave, Top Rung and Natchez Echo. Initially, it assumed responsibility for an area including Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and part of New York. During the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962), the division controlled numerous deployments and aerial sorties.

Later, beginning in 1966, the area expanded to include Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and parts of South Carolina, Louisiana and Florida when it assumed responsibility for the mission of the inactivated Montgomery Air Defense Sector. Assumed additional designation of 32d 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.

Inactivated in November 1969 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 the 23d Air Division.

Lineage

• Established as 32d Air Division (Defense) on 8 November 1949

Activated on 8 December 1949

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Inactivated on 15 August 1958

• Redesignated 32d Air Division (SAGE) on 21 October 1958

Activated on 15 November 1958

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 4 September 1963

• Redesignated 32d NORAD Region/Air Division, and activated, on 20 January 1966

Organized on 1 April 1966, replacing Montgomery Air Defense Sector

Inactivated on 31 December 1969, assets transferred to 20th NORAD Region/Air Division.

Assignments

• First Air Force, 8 December 1949
• Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 September 1950 – 1 February 1952.
• Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 – 15 August 1958
• Eastern Air Defense Force, 15 November 1958
• Air Defense Command, 1 August 1959 – 4 September 1963
• Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966
• Fourteenth Air Force, 1 April 1966
• First Air Force, 1 July 1968 – 31 December 1969

Stations

• Stewart AFB, New York, 8 December 1949 – 12 February 1952
• Hancock Field (later, Syracuse AFS), New York, 12 February 1952 – 15 August 1958
• Dobbins AFB, Georgia, 15 November 1958
• Oklahoma City AFS, Oklahoma, 1 August 1961 – 4 September 1963
• Gunter AFB, Alabama, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969.

Components

Sectors

• Bangor Air Defense Sector: 8 January 1957 – 15 August 1958

Topsham AFS, Maine

• Montgomery Air Defense Sector: 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1963

Gunter AFS, Alabama

• Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector (Manual): 1 July – 1 September 1961.

Inactivated and redesignated: 4752d Air Defense Wing

Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri

Wings

• 33d Fighter-Interceptor Wing: attached 20 February 1950 – 1 February 1952

Otis AFB, Massachusetts

• 4624th Air Defense Wing: 1 October 1956 – 15 August 1958

Also known as: Syracuse Air Defense Sector

Syracuse Air Force Station, New York

• 4707th Defense (later, 4707 Air Defense) Wing: 16 February 1953 – 1 March 1956

Niagara Falls MAP, New York

• 4711th Defense (later, 4711 Air Defense) Wing: 16 February 1953 – 1 March 1956

Presque Isle AFB, Maine

• 4752d Air Defense Wing: 1 September 1961 – 25 June 1963

Oklahoma City AFS, Oklahoma

Groups

• 14th Fighter Group: 1 March 1956 – August 1958

Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont

• 23d Fighter Group: 1 March 1956 – 1 August 1958

Presque Isle AFB, Maine

• 540th Aircraft Control and Warning Group

Stewart AFB, New York, 1 January 1951 – 6 February 1952

• 4727th Air Defense Group: 8 February 1957 – 1 August 1958

Griffiss AFB, New York

Interceptor squadrons

• 27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 March 1956 – 8 February 1957

Griffiss AFB, New York

• 49th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 16 June 1956 – 1 August 1958

Hanscom Field, Massachusetts

• 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 November 1958 – 1 February 1961

Pinecastle AFB, Florida

• 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969

Homestead AFB, Florida

• 444th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961

Charleston AFB, South Carolina

• 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 March 1956 – 8 February 1957

Griffiss AFB, New York

• 482d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961

Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina

Radar squadrons

• 609th Radar Squadron

Eufaula AFS, Alabama, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 614th Radar Squadron

Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, North Carolina, 1 December 1952 – 16 February 1953; 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961

• 627th Radar Squadron

Crystal Springs AFS, Mississippi, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 644th Radar Squadron

Richmond AFS, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 645th Radar Squadron

Patrick AFB, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 654th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Brunswick AFS, Maine, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1956; 1 March 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 655th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Watertown AFS, New York, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953; 1 March 1956 – 1 September 1958

• 657th Radar Squadron

Houma AFS, Louisiana, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 660th Radar Squadron

MacDill AFB, Florida, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 663d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lake City AFS, Tennessee, 15 November 1958 – 1 June 1961

• 671st Radar Squadron

Key West NAS, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Barrington AS, Nova Scotia, 1 December 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 678th Radar Squadron

Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 679th Radar Squadron

Jacksonville NAS, Florida, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 691st Radar Squadron

Cross City AFS, Florida, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 693d Radar Squadron

Dauphin Island AFS, Alabama, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 698th Radar Squadron

Thomasville AFS, Alabama, 15 November 1958 – 1 November 1959; 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969

• 702d Radar Squadron

Savannah AFS, Georgia, 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 762d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

North Truro AFS, Massachusetts, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 763d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lockport AFS, New York, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953

• 764th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Saint Albans AFS, Vermont, 1 March 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 765th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Charleston AFS, Maine, 1 March 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 766th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Caswell AFS, Maine, 1 March 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 783d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Guthrie AFS, West Virginia, 15 November 1958 – 1 June 1961

• 784th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Snow Mountain AFS, Kentucky, 15 November 1958 – 1 June 1961

• 792d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

North Charleston AFS, South Carolina, 1 November 24 December 1953; 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961

• 799th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Joelton AFS, Tennessee, 15 November 1958 – 1 June 1961

• 810th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Winston-Salem AFS, North Carolina, 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961

• 861st Radar Squadron

Aiken AFS, South Carolina, 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961; 1 April 1966 – 14 November 1969

• 867th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Flintstone AFS, Georgia, 15 November 1958 – 25 July 1960

• 908th Radar Squadron

Marietta AFS, Georgia, 15 November 1958 – 1 July 1961; 1 April 1966 – 8 September 1968

• 911th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Lyndonville AFS, Vermont, 1 March 1956 – 15 August 1958

• 912th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Ramore AS, Ontario, 10 March 1952 – 21 December 1952

• 913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Pagwa AS, Ontario, 10 March 1952 – 20 December 1952

• 915th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Sioux Lookout AS, Ontario, 10 March 1952 – 16 December 1952

• 916th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Beausejour AS, Manitoba, 12 February-1 December 1952

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:32d Air Division