The 12th Air Division an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the

Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...

, based at

Ellsworth Air Force Base Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located about northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota, just north of the town of Box Elder, South Dakota, Box Elder. The host unit at Ellsworth is the 28th Bomb Wing (28 BW). Assi ...

, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 31 July 1990.

History

The division was established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

on 20 November 1940. The organization commanded pursuit groups and squadrons for Sixth Air Force until 6 March 1942. It was reassigned to

in England during November 1942 as a bombardment wing, but never made operational . All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat. Reactivated in 1951, the 12th Air Division was an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command. It conducted training for worldwide bombardment operations. From 1963–1984 and 1988–1990. It maintained an

intercontinental ballistic missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

capability, conducted staff assistance visits, and monitored programs such as retention, domestic actions, and medical capabilities of its subordinate units. Its mission was to assure unit Emergency War Order (EWO) capability and combat crew training conducted at Castle and Dyess Air Force Bases, continually evaluate qualification training, direct correction or improvement when appropriate, and represent training concerns to higher headquarters. It was inactivated in 1990 as part of the military drawdown of the USAF after the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

Lineage

* Established as the 12th Pursuit Wing on 19 October 1940 : Activated on 20 November 1940 : Inactivated on 6 March 1942 * Redesignated: 12th Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942 : Activated on 8 September 1942 : Disestablished on 9 October 1944 * Reestablished and redesignated 12th Bombardment Wing, Light on 3 July 1947 : Activated in the Reserve on 3 August 1947 : Redesignated: 12th Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948 : Inactivated on 27 June 1949 * Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 February 1951 : Organized on 10 February 1951 : Discontinued on 16 June 1952 * Activated on 16 June 1952 : Redesignated: 12th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962 : Redesignated: 12th Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971 : Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 March 1973 : Inactivated on 31 July 1990

Assignments

* Unknown, 20 November 1940 * 6th Interceptor Command, 25 October 1941 – 6 March 1942 *

, 8 September 1942 * VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), c. December 1942 – 9 October 1944 *

Eleventh Air Force The Eleventh Air Force (11 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska.This unit is not related to the Eleventh Air Force headquarte ...

, 3 August 1947 *

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...

, 1 July 1948 * Ninth Air Force, 23 February – 27 June 1949 *

Fifteenth Air Force The Fifteenth Air Force (15 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base. It was reactivated on 20 August 2020, merging the previous units of the Ninth Air Force ...

, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952 * Fifteenth Air Force, 16 June 1952 * Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1989 – 31 July 1990

Components

Wings * 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing (later 6th Strategic Wing): 1 July 1965 – 25 March 1967; 2 July 1968 – 30 June 1971 * 22d Bombardment Wing (later 22d Air Refueling Wing): 10 February 1951 – 1 January 1962 (detached 5 September – 4 December 1951, 7 December 1953 – 5 March 1954, 1 April – 5 July 1957); 1 August 1972 – 1 October 1985 *

28th Bombardment Wing The 28th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The wing is also the "host unit" at Ellsworth ...

: 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990 * 44th Bombardment Wing (later 44 Strategic Missile Wing): 10 February – 4 August 1951; 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990 *

55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing The 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The wing is primarily stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, but maintains one of its groups and associated squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ar ...

: 2 July 1966 – 30 June 1971; 1 October 1982 – 1 October 1985 * 93d Bombardment Wing: 1 October 1985 – 15 July 1988 * 95th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1964 – 25 June 1966 * 96th Bombardment Wing: 1 July 1973 – 15 July 1988 * 99th Strategic Weapons Wing: 10 August 1989 – 31 July 1990 *

100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing The 100th Air Refueling Wing (100th ARW), nicknamed ''the Bloody Hundredth'', is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk ...

(later 100 Air Refueling Wing): 25 June 1966 – 30 June 1971; 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1976 * 106th Bombardment Wing: by September 1951 – 1 December 1952 *

303d Bombardment Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

: 15 March 1960 – 15 June 1964 *

308th Strategic Missile Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many socie ...

: 30 June 1971 – 1 April 1973 *

320th Bombardment Wing 3 (three) is a number, numeral (linguistics), numeral and numerical digit, digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cu ...

: 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (detached 3 June – 4 September 1954, 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957); 23 January 1987 – 15 July 1988 *

330th Bombardment Wing 33 may refer to: *33 (number) *33 BC * AD 33 * 1933 *2033 Music * ''33'' (Luis Miguel album) (2003) * ''33'' (Southpacific album) (1998) * ''33'' (Wanessa album) (2016) *"33 'GOD'", a 2016 song by Bon Iver * "Thirty-Three" (song), a 1995 song by ...

: attached 1 May – 16 June 1951 (not operational for entire period) *

381st Strategic Missile Wing Space Delta 1 (DEL 1) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space training. It runs the Space Force's basic military training, weapons school, and other advanced training courses and exercises. It was established on 23 August 20 ...

: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1973 *

384th Air Refueling Wing 384th may refer to: *384th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command *384th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive unit of the United States Air Force * 384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) is ...

: 1 December 1972 – 1 July 1973 *

390th Strategic Missile Wing The 390th Strategic Missile Wing was an intercontinental ballistic missile organization of the United States Air Force. Part of Strategic Air Command, it was stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The wing was first organized ...

: 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984 * 4080th Strategic Wing: 12 July 1963 – 25 June 1966 Groups *

16th Pursuit Group The 1st Special Operations Wing (1 SOW) at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of three United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The 1st Special Operations Wing is ...

: c. 1 December 1940-c. 6 March 1942 *

32d Pursuit Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

: c. 1 January 1941-c. 6 March 1942 *

37th Pursuit Group 37th may refer to: *37th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery, a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which served in the First World War *37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot, raised in Ireland in February 1702 *37th (Northern Ontario) Batt ...

: c. 1 February 1940 – 6 March 1942 *

53d Pursuit Group The 53d Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The wing reports to the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, which in turn reports to Headquarters Air Combat C ...

: c. 1 January – 6 March 1942 *

321st Bombardment Group The 321st Air Expeditionary Wing was a United States Air Force unit assigned United States Air Forces Central, the USAF component command of United States Central Command. The unit was reestablished on 1 November 2008 and was a nexus of all Coal ...

: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 * 322d Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949

Stations

* Albrook Field,

, 10 November 1940 – 6 March 1942 * MacDill Field, Florida, 8 September – 28 November 1942 * Gourock, Scotland, 15 – 16 December 1942 * RAF Chelveston (AAF-105), England, c. 17 December 1942 – 12 January 1943 * Marks Hall (AAF-160), England, 12 January 1943 – 9 October 1944 * Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio, 3 August 1947 – 27 June 1949 * March Air Force Base, California, 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952 * March Air Force Base, California, 16 June 1952 * Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 January 1962 *

Dyess Air Force Base Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas. The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command Ei ...

, Texas, 30 September 1976 *

, South Dakota, 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990

Aircraft and Missiles

* Boeing P-26 Peashooter, 1941–1942 *

Curtiss P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...

, 1941–1942 *

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

, 1941–1942 * Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1941–1942 * Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1941–1942 *

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 Fl ...

, 1951–1953 * Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1951 * Boeing TB-29 Superfortress, 1951 * Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1952–1962 * Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1964 * Boeing YRB-47 Stratojet, 1953–1954 *

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...

, 1963–1967, 1972–1988 *

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an American military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. It is the predominant variant of the C-135 Stratolifter family of transpor ...

, 1963–1971, 1972–1988 * LGM-25C Titan II, 1963–1984 *

Sikorsky CH-3 The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R. The S-61R served in the United States ...

, 1966–1971, 1972–1976 *

Lockheed DC-130 Hercules The Lockheed DC-130 was a variant of the C-130 Hercules, designed for drone control. It could carry four Ryan Firebee drones underneath its wings. Development Origin of the design Since World War I many nations' air forces have investigated ...

, 1966–1971, 1972–1976 * Boeing EB/RB-47 Stratojet, 1966–1967 * Ryan AQM-34 Firebee (drone), c. 1966–1971, 1972–1976 * Boeing RC-135, 1966–1971 * Lockheed U-2, 1966–1971, 1972–1976 * Lockheed WU-2, 1966-c. 1969 * Convair T-29 Flying Classroom, 1973 * McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender, 1982–1985 * Boeing NKC-135 Stratotanker (test configured), 1983–1985 * Rockwell B-1 Lancer, 1985–1990 * LGM-30F Minuteman II, 1988–1990

Heraldry

Or, a globe azure grid lined of the first between in dexter an airplane palewise ascending argent, exhaust gules and in sinister a missile palewise of the like, overall a gauntlet of the third, grasping an olive branch vert and a lightning flash of the fourth bend sinisterwise and two lightning flashes of the last bendwise, on a chief of the second per chevron inverted seme of mullets argent; all within a diminished bordure of argent (silver gray).

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{USAAF 6th Air Force World War II 012 Military units and formations established in 1947 Units and formations of Strategic Air Command 1942 establishments in the Panama Canal Zone