.gif)
3d Air Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 3d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force
organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command
, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
, being stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii
. It was deactivated on 1 April 1992.
The 3d Air Division was created in England
during World War II as the 3d Bombardment Division, an upper command echelon of the Eighth Air Force
. With five combat bomb wings and 14 heavy bomber groups
assigned, it was one of the two largest U.S. air combat organizations during World War II.
Temporary attached Air Mail/Reflex units not listed. Check AFHRA link for details.
. The Division commanded three combat bombardment wings (4th, 13th and 45th), consisting of seven B-17 Flying Fortress bomb groups. The addition of the 92nd and 93d Combat Bomb Wings in 1944 and additional bomb groups to the other wings increased the number of combat groups to fourteen. Between May 1944 and September 1944 the division operated both B-17 Flying Fortress (nine groups) and B-24 Liberator
(five groups) aircraft, before converting to an all-B-17 organization for the remainder of the war. In September 1944 the 66th Fighter Wing was assigned directly to the division for fighter support.
The bomb groups were engaged in strategic bombardment combat operations against Axis
targets in the European Theater of Operations
(ETO). During the weeks immediately preceding D-Day (6 June 1944), division aircraft bombed tactical targets such as German communications centers and lines of support, and on D-Day hit targets on the Cherbourg Peninsula immediately behind the landing beaches.
After V-E Day, the 3d Air Division briefly became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe. As former Eighth Air Force units were withdrawn from Europe and returned to the United States during the summer and fall of 1945, the Division was assigned to VIII Fighter Command and controlled a mixture of bombardment and fighter groups before itself being inactivated on 21 November 1945.
, the U.S. deployed long-range B-29 Superfortress
strategic bombers to four English East Anglian bases. The 3d Air Division was activated as part of United States Air Forces in Europe to receive, support and operationally control the B-29 units deployed for training. It also provided aircraft maintenance support at RAF Burtonwood
for C-54 Skymaster
aircraft used in the Berlin Airlift.
Briefly elevated to the Major Command
level from 3 January 1949 – 21 January 1951. When the Berlin Airlift ended in 1949, the division participated in the Military Assistance Program in England and began an extensive air base construction program through May 1951 and a large number of USAF organizations based in the United Kingdom.
However With the advent of the Korean War
and the growing Cold War
threat of the Soviet Union
, the U.S. and UK agreed to an even greater U.S. military presence in the United Kingdom. The resulting growing size and complexity of the American military presence required a larger command and organizational structure that could meet the needs of the increased operations.
The 3d Air Division was discontinued on 1 May 1951, and in its place the USAFE Third Air Force
was activated.
and gained most of the resources of the former Far East Air Forces Bomber Command (Provisional) in June 1954 which had carried out B-29 Superfortress
bombing missions during the Korean War
. In addition to the strategic bomber force, the division exercised operational control over numerous deployed tactical components, and all Strategic Air Command
(SAC) operations in the region came under its jurisdiction. It also supported air refueling needs of all United States military agencies operating in or transiting the region.
In mid 1958, the deployment of entire SAC wings to Guam was replaced by an "Air Mail" alert program, whereby several B-47 Stratojet
wings in the U.S. maintained a specific number of B-47s and KC-97s at Andersen AFB to meet both routine and alert requirements.
In April 1964, the division switched from "Air Mail" B-47 / KC-97 to "Reflex" B-52 / KC-135 alert forces, again with aircraft and crews furnished in deployed status from U.S. based SAC wings. In 1965, it became heavily involved in Arc Light
and Young Tiger operations in the Far East and SE Asia (SEA). Strategic Air Command wings in the U.S. furnished the aircrews and aircraft for these operations. The first elements of the 3d Air Division to enter combat in SEA were the tanker forces under Young Tiger. In June 1965, Arc Light B-52s struck suspected Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam
, commencing the first SAC combat missions. B-52s began striking targets in North Vietnam
on 11 April 1966; the initial attack against the Mu Gia Pass
marked the largest single bomber raid since World War II. By late 1969, most Arc Light operations staged from U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
, Thailand
, while others were mounted from Kadena AB, Okinawa and Andersen. Andersen AFB remained the primary base for SAC deployed forces from the U.S., however, and aircraft and crews were sent from Guam to Kadena and U Tapao for combat missions.
. Effective 1 January 1975, 3d Air Division again controlled all SAC operations in the Western Pacific, Far East
, and Southeast Asia
. Additionally, it assumed responsibility for air refueling support of all U.S. military forces in these areas. During Persian Gulf
operations in late 1990 through early 1991, it tasked and supported numerous sorties supporting the deployment in the Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR).
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, being stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It was deactivated on 1 April 1992.
The 3d Air Division was created in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during World War II as the 3d Bombardment Division, an upper command echelon of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. With five combat bomb wings and 14 heavy bomber groups
USAAF bombardment group
A bombardment group or bomb group was a group of bomber aircraft the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was the equivalent of an infantry regiment in the Army Ground Forces, or a bomber wing in the British Commonwealth air forces...
assigned, it was one of the two largest U.S. air combat organizations during World War II.
Lineage
- Established as 3d Bombardment Division on 30 August 1943
- Activated on 13 September 1943
- Redesignated 3d Air Division on 1 January 1945.
- Inactivated on 21 November 1945.
- Organized on 23 August 1948.
- Discontinued on 1 May 1951.
- Redesignated 3d Air Division (Operational) on 8 October 1953.
- Activated on 25 October 1953.
- Inactivated on 1 March 1954.
- Redesignated 3d Air Division on 8 June 1954.
- Activated on 18 June 1954.
- Inactivated on 1 April 1970.
- Activated on 1 January 1975.
- Inactivated on 1 April 1992.
Assignments
- VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force)Eighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, 13 September 1943 - VIII Fighter CommandVIII Fighter CommandThe VIII Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, being stationed at RAF Honington, England. It was inactivated on 20 March 1946....
, 16 July-21 November 1945 - United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 23 August 1948 - United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, 3 January 1949 - United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
, 21 January-1 May 1951, 25 October 1953-1 March 1954 - Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
, 18 June 1954-1 April 1970, 1 January 1975 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 31 January 1982-1 April 1992.
Wings
- VIII Bomber Command
- 4 Combat Bombardment: 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945
- 4 Bombardment (Provisional): 18 November 1944 – 10 February 1945.
- 13 Combat Bombardment (later, 13th Bombardment): 13 September 1943 – c. 6 August 1945
- 45 Combat Bombardment: 13 September 1943 – 18 June 1945.
- 92 Combat Bombardment: 31 March 1944 – c. 13 June 1945
- 93 Combat Bombardment: 10 January 1944 – c. 13 July 1945
- 401 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943
- 402 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943
- 403 Provisional Combat, Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943
- VIII Fighter Command
- 1 Bombardment: 12 August – c. 26 August 1945
- 2 Bombardment: 12 August – c. 25 August 1945
- 14 Bombardment: 16 June – 26 August 1945
- 20 Bombardment: 16 June – c. 6 August 1945
- 65 Fighter: 1 June – 1 November 1945
- 66 Fighter: 15 September 1944 – 1 November 1945
- 67 Fighter: 12 August – 1 November 1945
- Eighth Air ForceEighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
- 307 Strategic: 1 January – 30 September 1975
- 376 Strategic: 1 January 1975 – 30 October 1991
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
- 6 Bombardment 9 August 1990 – 1 April 1992
Temporary attached Air Mail/Reflex units not listed. Check AFHRA link for details.
Groups
- VIII Bomber command
- 385 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943.
- 388 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943.
- 390 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943.
- 94 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18 June – 12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945.
- 95 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943.
- 96 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18–12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945.
- 100 Bombardment: 13–14 September 1943; 18 June – 12 August 1945; 28 September – 1 November 1945.
- 493 Bombardment: 1–10 January 1944.
- VIII Fighter Command
- 4 Fighter: 16 October – 1 November 1945.
- 339 Fighter: 14 April – c. 6 August 1944.
- 355 Fighter: 16 July – October 1945
- 479 Fighter: 16 July – October 1945
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
- 2 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 17 November 1948; attached 21 February – c. 15 May 1950.
- 22 Bombardment: attached 19 November 1948 – 14 February 1949; attached 17 November 1949 – 17 February 1950. 28 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 18 October 1948.
- 43 Bombardment: attached 20 August – 18 November 1949.
- 92 Bombardment: attached 6 February – 6 May 1949.
- 97 Bombardment: attached 4 November 1948 – 15 February 1949.
- 98 Bombardment: attached 18 May – 18 August 1949.
- 301 Bombardment: attached 19 October 1948 – 17 January 1949; attached 19 May – c. 3 July 1950. : 307 Bombardment: attached 23 August – 4 November 1948; attached 15 February – 30 April 1949.
- 509 Bombardment: attached 4 May – 30 August 1949
- 20 Fighter Bomber: attached 20 July – 10 December 1950.
Squadrons
- VIII Fighter Command
- 36 Bombardment: 12 August – l September 1945
- 652 Bombardment (Weather Reconnaissance): 25 August – 1 September 1945; 12 October – 1 November 1945.
- 653 Bombardment (Weather Reconnaissance): 12 October – 1 November 1945.
- 862 Bombardment: attached 17 February – 7 May 1945.
- United States Air Forces in EuropeUnited States Air Forces in EuropeThe United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
- 2 Air Refueling: attached 6 April – c. 15 May 1950
- 23 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 22 December 1949 – 6 March 1950
- 72 Strategic Reconnaissance: attached 1 June – 15 November 1950
- 301 Air Refueling: attached 19 May – c. 3 July 1950.
- Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
- 82 Strategic Reconnaissance: 25 August 1967 – 2 January 1968
Stations
- Camp Blainey, England, 13 September 1943
- RAF HoningtonRAF HoningtonRAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Although used as a bomber station during the Second World War, RAF Honington is now the RAF Regiment depot and home to the Joint CBRN Regiment.-RAF use:...
, England, c. 27 October – 21 November 1945 - RAF MarhamRAF MarhamRoyal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
, England, 23 August 1948 - Bushy Park, England, 8 September 1948
- Victoria Park Estate (later, USAF Station), South Ruislip, England, 15 April 1949 – 1 May 1951
- Wiesbaden AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 25 October 1953 – 1 March 1954 - Andersen AFB, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, 18 June 1954 – 1 April 1970; 1 January 1975 – 12 September 1988 - Hickam AFB, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, 12 September 1988 – 1 April 1992.
World War II
- B-17 Flying Fortress 1943–1945;
- B-24 LiberatorB-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
1944; - P-47 ThunderboltP-47 ThunderboltRepublic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
1944–1945; - P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
1944–1945.
Strategic Air Command
- B-50 SuperfortressB-50 SuperfortressThe Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
1954; - B-36 PeacemakerConvair B-36The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...
1954–1955 1955–1956; - RB-36 {reconnaissance} 1955;
- B-47 StratojetB-47 StratojetThe Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
1955 1956–1964; - B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
1964–1970; - KC-97 StratotankerKC-97 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
1957 – c. 1965; - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
1965–1970. - B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
1975–1992; - KC-10 ExtenderKC-10 ExtenderThe McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender is the military adaptation of the three-engined DC-10 airliner for the United States Air Force . The KC-10 incorporates military-specific equipment for its primary roles of transport and aerial refueling. It was developed to supplement the KC-135 Stratotanker...
(tankers in TDY status) 1986–1988; - KC-135 StratotankerKC-135 StratotankerThe Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
1975–1992; - RC-135 Rivet Joint 1975–1992.
World War II
The 3d Air Division was activated in September 1943 as an intermediate command and control organization between command and wing levels. It was assigned to VIII Bomber Command, Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. The Division commanded three combat bombardment wings (4th, 13th and 45th), consisting of seven B-17 Flying Fortress bomb groups. The addition of the 92nd and 93d Combat Bomb Wings in 1944 and additional bomb groups to the other wings increased the number of combat groups to fourteen. Between May 1944 and September 1944 the division operated both B-17 Flying Fortress (nine groups) and B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(five groups) aircraft, before converting to an all-B-17 organization for the remainder of the war. In September 1944 the 66th Fighter Wing was assigned directly to the division for fighter support.
The bomb groups were engaged in strategic bombardment combat operations against Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
targets in the European Theater of Operations
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
(ETO). During the weeks immediately preceding D-Day (6 June 1944), division aircraft bombed tactical targets such as German communications centers and lines of support, and on D-Day hit targets on the Cherbourg Peninsula immediately behind the landing beaches.
After V-E Day, the 3d Air Division briefly became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe. As former Eighth Air Force units were withdrawn from Europe and returned to the United States during the summer and fall of 1945, the Division was assigned to VIII Fighter Command and controlled a mixture of bombardment and fighter groups before itself being inactivated on 21 November 1945.
Postwar era
In August 1948, in response to the Berlin blockadeBerlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied...
, the U.S. deployed long-range B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
strategic bombers to four English East Anglian bases. The 3d Air Division was activated as part of United States Air Forces in Europe to receive, support and operationally control the B-29 units deployed for training. It also provided aircraft maintenance support at RAF Burtonwood
RAF Burtonwood
RAF Burtonwood was a Royal Air Force station in England, 2 miles north-west of Warrington, Lancashire. During World War II and the Cold War it was used by the United States Air Force and was also known as USAAF station 590.- Overview :...
for C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
aircraft used in the Berlin Airlift.
Briefly elevated to the Major Command
Major Command
Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a MAJCOM is the highest level of command.There are two types of Major Commands in the United States military:...
level from 3 January 1949 – 21 January 1951. When the Berlin Airlift ended in 1949, the division participated in the Military Assistance Program in England and began an extensive air base construction program through May 1951 and a large number of USAF organizations based in the United Kingdom.
However With the advent of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the growing Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
threat of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the U.S. and UK agreed to an even greater U.S. military presence in the United Kingdom. The resulting growing size and complexity of the American military presence required a larger command and organizational structure that could meet the needs of the increased operations.
The 3d Air Division was discontinued on 1 May 1951, and in its place the USAFE Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
was activated.
Fifteenth Air Force
3d Air Division was reassigned to Andersen AFB, GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and gained most of the resources of the former Far East Air Forces Bomber Command (Provisional) in June 1954 which had carried out B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombing missions during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In addition to the strategic bomber force, the division exercised operational control over numerous deployed tactical components, and all Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) operations in the region came under its jurisdiction. It also supported air refueling needs of all United States military agencies operating in or transiting the region.
In mid 1958, the deployment of entire SAC wings to Guam was replaced by an "Air Mail" alert program, whereby several B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
wings in the U.S. maintained a specific number of B-47s and KC-97s at Andersen AFB to meet both routine and alert requirements.
In April 1964, the division switched from "Air Mail" B-47 / KC-97 to "Reflex" B-52 / KC-135 alert forces, again with aircraft and crews furnished in deployed status from U.S. based SAC wings. In 1965, it became heavily involved in Arc Light
Arc Light
Arc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...
and Young Tiger operations in the Far East and SE Asia (SEA). Strategic Air Command wings in the U.S. furnished the aircrews and aircraft for these operations. The first elements of the 3d Air Division to enter combat in SEA were the tanker forces under Young Tiger. In June 1965, Arc Light B-52s struck suspected Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, commencing the first SAC combat missions. B-52s began striking targets in North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
on 11 April 1966; the initial attack against the Mu Gia Pass
Mu Gia Pass
The Mu Gia Pass is a mountain pass in the Annamite Range between northern Vietnam and Laos, located 90 km northwest of Đồng Hới, Vietnam. The pass is 418 m above sea level and connects Route 15 from Tân Ấp in Vietnam to Route 12 in Khammouane Province in Laos....
marked the largest single bomber raid since World War II. By late 1969, most Arc Light operations staged from U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield
U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield is a military airfield of the Royal Thai Navy located approximately southeast of Bangkok, near Sattahip on the Gulf of Siam...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, while others were mounted from Kadena AB, Okinawa and Andersen. Andersen AFB remained the primary base for SAC deployed forces from the U.S., however, and aircraft and crews were sent from Guam to Kadena and U Tapao for combat missions.
Eighth Air Force
On 1 April 1970 the 3d Air Division's resources passed to the Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
. Effective 1 January 1975, 3d Air Division again controlled all SAC operations in the Western Pacific, Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. Additionally, it assumed responsibility for air refueling support of all U.S. military forces in these areas. During Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
operations in late 1990 through early 1991, it tasked and supported numerous sorties supporting the deployment in the Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR).
See also
- First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
- List of United States Air Force air divisions