The 36th Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

organization. Its last assignment was with

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 ...

Topsham Air Force Station Topsham Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force station. It is located north of Brunswick, Maine. It was closed in 1969. History Topsham AFS was initially the headquarters of the Air Defense Command Bangor Air Defense Sector ( ...

, Maine. It was inactivated on 30 September 1969.

History

Strategic Air Command

"The 36th Air Division was activated to solve the organizational and jurisdictional problems caused by placing two combat wings at

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...

in 1951. The division first flew

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 ...

es and

Boeing B-50 Superfortress The Boeing B-50 Superfortress is an American strategic bomber. A post–World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, it was fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller tail fin, and ot ...

es for bombardment operations, but by late 1954 it was completely equipped with

Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long-range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

medium bombers. Conversion from KB-29s to KC-97s for refueling began in the summer of 1952 and ended in 1954." "The division constantly flew training missions, engaged in simulated combat operations, and participated in joint exercises with the

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...

. Until 1960, it continued its task of manning, training, and equipping the assigned bombardment wings with B-47s so that they would be ready for

aerial warfare Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare. Aerial warfare includes bombers attacking enemy installations or a concentration of enemy troops or strategic targets; fighter aircraft battling for control o ...

on a global scale." Inactivated with the turnover of Davis Monthan to

Tactical Air Command Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. It was inactivated on 1 J ...

in 1960.

Air Defense Command

Reactivated as part of

(Air Defense Command), April 1966. "The division administered, trained, and placed all available combat capable forces, including surveillance and control elements, in a maximum state of readiness for air defense missions, and participated in numerous exercises." Assumed additional designation of 36th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the

Cheyenne Mountain Complex The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a Space Force installation and defensive bunker located in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to the city of Colorado Springs, at the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, which hosts the activities of ...

, Colorado and reporting was transferred to

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...

from ADC at

Ent Air Force Base Ent Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located in the Knob Hill neighborhood of Colorado Springs, Colorado. A tent city, established in 1943 during construction of the base, was initially commanded by Major General Uzal Girard ...

in April 1966. Inactivated in 1969 due to budget reductions and the diminished air defense threat to the United States.

Lineage

* Established as the 36 Air Division and organized on 4 September 1951 * Discontinued on 16 June 1952 * Activated on 16 June 1952The simultaneous discontinuation and activation in June 1952 represents a change between a table of distribution unit and a table of organization unit. * Discontinued on 15 March 1960 * Activated on 20 January 1966 (not organized) * Organized on 1 April 1966 * Inactivated on 30 September 1969

Assignments

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 ...

, 4 September 1951 – 16 June 1952; 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1960 * Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966 (not organized) *

, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969

Stations

* Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 4 September 1951 – 15 March 1960 *

, Maine, 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1969

Components

Strategic Air Command

43d Bombardment Wing The 43rd Airlift Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit last stationed at Pope Field, part of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where it was inactivated in March 2011. The wing performed en route operations support at Pope Field to include ...

: 4 September 1951 – 6 June 1952. 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1960 (detached c. 10 March – 5 June 1953, 5 September – 10 December 1954, and 1 July – 1 October 1957) * 303d Bombardment Wing: 4 September 1951 – 16 June 1952. 16 June 1952 – 15 March 1960 (detached 5 October – 6 November 1952, 4 March – 5 June 1954, 4 July – 4 October 1956, and 5 April – 4 July 1958)

Air Defense Command

=Interceptor squadrons

= *

27th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 27th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force 1st Operations Group located at Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia. The 27th is equipped with the F-22 Raptor. The 27th Fighter Squadron is the oldest active fighter squadr ...

: 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 *

75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thund ...

: 1 April 1966 – 30 June 1968

=Radar squadrons

= * 765th Radar Squadron : Charleston Air Force Station, Maine, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 * 766th Radar Squadron :

Caswell Air Force Station Caswell Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located north of Limestone, Maine. It was closed in 1980. History Caswell was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second ...

, Maine, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 *

907th Radar Squadron 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

Bucks Harbor Air Force Station Bucks may refer to: Places * Buckinghamshire, England, abbreviated Bucks * Bucks, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community * Bucks, Illinois, United States, an unincorporated community * Bucks, Michigan, an unincorporated community ...

, Maine, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * {{Aerospace Defense Command Military units and formations established in 1951 Units and formations of Strategic Air Command 036 1951 establishments in the United States

History

Strategic Air Command

Air Defense Command

Lineage

Assignments

Stations

Components

Strategic Air Command

Air Defense Command

=Interceptor squadrons

=Radar squadrons

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography