Surf Wiki
Save to docs
geography/united-states

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

20th Air Division

20th Air Division
FieldValue
unit_name20th Air Division
<div class"center"[[File:Air Defense Command.svg60px]] [[File:Tactical Air Command Emblem.svg60px]]
image85th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron North American F-86D-40-NA Sabre 52-3725.jpg
image_size300
captionF-86D Sabre of the 20th Air Division's [85th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron](85th-fighter-interceptor-squadron) at Scott AFB in 1957
dates1955–1960; 1966–1967; 1969–1983
countryUnited States
branch
roleCommand of air defense forces
command_structureTactical Air Command
identification_symbol[[File:USAF 20th Air Division Crest.jpg165px]]
identification_symbol_label20th Air Division Emblem
(approved 20 August 1956)

(approved 20 August 1956)

20th Air Division ADC AOR 1955–1960

The 20th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida where it was inactivated on 1 March 1983.

During most of the division's history it served with Air Defense Command as a regional command and control headquarters. Between 1955 and 1967 the division controlled air defense units in the central United States. It controlled a slightly different areas of the midwestern US from 1955 to 1960 and again from 1966 to 1967. Its area of responsibility shifted to the east coast if the United States from 1969 to 1983. It was shifted to its final station on paper in 1983 and was immediately inactivated.

History

The 20th Air Division was assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence. It served as a regional command and control headquarters, controlling fighter interceptor and radar units over several areas of responsibility during the Cold War. For three years it also commanded a surface-to-air missile squadron.

The division was initially activated as an intermediate command organization under Central Air Defense Force at Grandview Air Force Base (later Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base) in June 1955. The division was responsible for the interceptor and radar units within an area that covered parts of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, and virtually all of Kansas and Missouri.

On 1 October 1959 ADC activated the Sioux City Air Defense Sector and its Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) DC-22 Direction Center and assigned it to the division. The 20th also operated a Manual Control Center (MCC-2) at Richards-Gebaur. The division was inactivated in 1960 when ADC reorganized its regional air defense units, and the 33d Air Division assumed command of most of its former units.

20th Air Division ADC AOR 1966–1967

The division was reactivated in 1966 under Tenth Air Force as a SAGE organization, replacing the Chicago Air Defense Sector when ADC discontinued its air defense sectors and replaced them with air divisions. The 20th provided air defense from the Truax Field, Wisconsin DC-7/CC-2 SAGE blockhouse for parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and all of Illinois. The division also acted as the 20th NORAD Region after activation of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado. Operational control of the division was transferred to NORAD from ADC.

In addition to the active duty interceptor and radar units, the division supervised Air National Guard units that flew interception sorties using (among other aircraft) McDonnell F-101 Voodoos and Convair F-106 Delta Darts. At the same time the division controlled numerous radar squadrons. It was inactivated in 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.

20th Air Division/NORAD Region ADC AOR 1969–1983

The 20th Air Division was activated for a third time in November 1969 under Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM). The division also controlled a CIM-10 Bomarc surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile squadron near Langley Air Force Base until the squadron's inactivation in October 1972.

ADCOM was inactivated on 1 October 1979. The atmospheric defense resources (interceptors and warning radars) of ADCOM were reassigned to Tactical Air Command, which formed Air Defense, Tactical Air Command as the headquarters to control them. After 1981, the division controlled units equipped with McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft. Its subordinate units continued to participate in intensive academic training, numerous multi-region simulated (non-flying) exercises, and flying exercises.

The division moved to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida in March 1983

Lineage

  • Established as the 20 Air Division (Defense) on 8 June 1955 : Activated on 8 October 1955 : Inactivated on 1 January 1960
  • Activated on 20 January 1966 (not organized) : Organized on 1 April 1966 : Discontinued and inactivated, on 31 December 1967
  • Activated on 19 November 1969 : Inactivated on 1 March 1983

Assignments

  • Central Air Defense Force, 8 October 1955 – 1 January 1960
  • Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966
  • Tenth Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1967
  • Aerospace Defense Command, 19 November 1969
  • Air Defense, Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979 – 1 March 1983

Stations

  • Grandview Air Force Base (later, Richards Gebaur Air Force Base0, Missouri, 8 October 1955 – 1 January 1960
  • Truax Field, Wisconsin, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1967
  • Fort Lee Air Force Station, Virginia, 19 November 1969
  • Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, 1 March 1983

Components

Sector

  • Sioux City Air Defense Sector: 1 October 1959 – 1 January 1960

Groups

Squadrons

Fighter-Interceptor
Missile
Radar

Aircraft and Missiles

  • North American F-86 Sabre, 1956–1959
  • Northrop F-89 Scorpion, 1956–1957
  • McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, 1959–1960
  • Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, 1957–1960
  • Convair F-106 Delta Dart, 1969–1981
  • CIM-10 BOMARC, 1969–1972; F-15, 1981–1983

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

  • "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor (January 1979) Aerospace Defense Command, (Volume 21, Number 1)

References

  1. (5 October 2007). "Factsheet 20 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  2. Cornett & Johnson, p. 53
  3. Cornett & Johnson. p. 31
  4. Cornett & Johnson, p. 59
  5. Cornett & Johnson, P. 55
  6. Cornett & Johnson, pp. 36–38
  7. Cornett & Johnson, p. 150
  8. Cornett & Johnson, p. 46
  9. (28 October 2009). "Eastern Air Defense Sector History". Eastern Air Defense Sector Public Affairs.
  10. Lineage, Including assignment, components, stations and aircraft in AFHRA Factsheet. except as noted
  11. (24 February 2009). "Factsheet 53 Wing (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  12. Cornett & Johnson, p. 79
  13. (27 December 2007). "Factsheet 328 Armament Systems Wing (AFMC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  14. Cornett & Johnson, p. 85
  15. Mueller, pp. 564–565
  16. Cornett & Johnson, p. 86
  17. (14 April 2014). "Factsheet 48 Flying Training Squadron (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  18. (31 March 2008). "Factsheet 85 Test and Evaluation Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  19. (1 April 2008). "Factsheet 95 Fighter Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
  20. Cornett & Johnson, p. 105
  21. Cornett & Johnson, p. 154
  22. Cornett & Johnson, p. 155
  23. Cornett & Johnson, p. 156
  24. Cornett & Johnson, p. 97
  25. Cornett & Johnson, p. 157
  26. Cornett & Johnson, p. 159
  27. Cornett & Johnson, p. 160
  28. Cornett & Johnson, p. 161
  29. Cornett & Johnson, p. 162
  30. Cornett & Johnson, p. 163
  31. Cornett & Johnson, p. 164
  32. Cornett & Johnson, p. 166
  33. Cornett & Johnson, p. 168
  34. Cornett & Johnson, p. 169
  35. Cornett & Johnson, p. 170
  36. Cornett & Johnson, p. 101
  37. Cornett & Johnson, p. 102
  38. Cornett & Johnson, p. 172
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

air-divisions-of-the-united-states-air-force air-defense-divisions-of-the-united-states-air-force military-units-and-formations-established-in-1955 military-units-and-formations-disestablished-in-1983 1955-establishments-in-missouri 1983-disestablishments-in-florida
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 20th Air Division — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report