• Source: 12th Air Division

      • The 12th Air Division an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Eighth Air Force, based at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 31 July 1990.


      History


      The division was established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the Panama Canal Zone on 20 November 1940. The organization commanded pursuit groups and squadrons for Sixth Air Force until 6 March 1942.
      It was reassigned to Eighth Air Force 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 All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat.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 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.


      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
      Eighth Air Force, 8 September 1942
      VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), c. December 1942 – 9 October 1944
      Eleventh Air Force, 3 August 1947
      First Air Force, 1 July 1948
      Ninth Air Force, 23 February – 27 June 1949
      Fifteenth 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

      Groups

      16th Pursuit Group: c. 1 December 1940-c. 6 March 1942
      32d Pursuit Group: c. 1 January 1941-c. 6 March 1942
      37th Pursuit Group: c. 1 February 1940 – 6 March 1942
      53d Pursuit Group: c. 1 January – 6 March 1942
      321st Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949
      322d Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949


      = Stations

      =


      = Aircraft and Missiles

      =


      = 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).


      See also


      List of United States Air Force air divisions


      References




      = Notes

      =


      = Bibliography

      =
      This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

      Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
      Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.

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