The 34th Air Division (34th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command at Custer Air Force Station, Michigan. It was inactivated on 31 December 1969.
History
Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, "from January 1951 until 1960 the 34th administered, trained, operated and supported assigned units, and placed all available combat capable elements in a maximum state of readiness. Initially, its area of responsibility included Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas." It was inactivated and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the Albuquerque Air Defense Sector on 1 January 1960.
Reactivated on 1 April 1966, to perform Air Defense "including all or part of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia" assuming responsibility for the missions of the Detroit and parts of the Syracuse Air Defense Sectors.
Assumed additional designation of 34th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966. The division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Fainting Echo, Apache Arrow, and Fainting Knife.
Inactivated in December 1969 as ADC phased down its interceptor mission as the chances of a Soviet bomber attack on the United States seemed remote, its mission being consolidated into North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Lineage
Established as the 34 Air Division (Defense) on 1 January 1951
Activated on 5 January 1951
Inactivated on 1 February 1952
Organized on 1 February 1952
Inactivated on 1 January 1960
Redesignated 34 Air Division and activated on 20 January 1966
Organized on 1 April 1966
Inactivated on 31 December 1969
Assignments
Western Air Defense Force, 5 January 1951 – 1 February 1952
Central Air Defense Force, 16 February 1953 – 1 January 1960
Air Defense Command, 20 January 1966
First Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969.
Stations
Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, 5 January 1951 – 1 January 1960
Custer Air Force Station, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969
Components
Wing
1st Fighter Wing (Air Defense) Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 1 December 1969
Group
343d Fighter Group (Air Defense) Duluth MAP, Minnesota, 15 September-14 November 1969
Interceptor squadrons
15th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 20 April 1953 – 1 January 1960
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
58th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 August 1959 – 1 January 1960
Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico
62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 15 September – 14 November 1969
K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan
75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 30 September 1968 – 30 November 1969
Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan
87th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1968
Duluth MAP. Minnesota
93d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: Attached 10 August 1951 – 1 February 1952; 1–5 February 1952 Assigned 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1960 Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 445th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1968 Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan
Missile squadron
35th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC) Niagara Falls Air Force Missile Site, 15 September-19 November 1969