| 1st Strategic Aerospace Division | |
|---|---|
 1st Strategic Aerospace Division emblem | |
| Active | August 30, 1943 – October 31, 1945 June 7, 1946 – December 1, 1948 July 1, 1954 – April 1, 1955 April 15, 1955 – May 20, 1956 April 15, 1957 – September 1, 1991 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Command and Control |
| Part of | Strategic Air Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Vandenburg AFB, California |
| Engagements |  
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| Decorations |  
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The 1st Strategic Aerospace Division (1st SAD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Vandenburg Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on September 1, 1991.
History
Lineage
- Established as 1st Bombardment Division on August 30, 1943
- Activated on September 13, 1943
- Redesignated 1st Air Division on December 19, 1944
- Inactivated on October 31, 1945
- Activated on June 7, 1946
- Inactivated on December 1, 1948
- Activated on July 1, 1954
- Inactivated on April 1, 1955
- Redesignated 1st Air Division (Meteorological Survey) on April 12, 1955
- Activated on April 15, 1955
- Inactivated on May 20, 1956
- Redesignated 1st Missile Division on March 18, 1957
- Activated on April 15, 1957
- Redesignated 1st Strategic Aerospace Division on July 21, 1961
- Redesignated 1st Strategic Missile Center on July 31, 1990
- Inactivated on September 1, 1991.
Assignments
- VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), September 13, 1943
- United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (later: United States Air Forces in Europe)
- VIII Fighter Command, July 16 – October 31, 1945
- Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army (later, Far East Air Forces), June 7, 1946 – December 1, 1948
- Strategic Air Command
- Eighth Air Force, July 1, 1954 – April 1, 1955
- Strategic Air Command, April 15, 1955 – May 20, 1956
- Air Research and Development Command, April 15, 1957
- Strategic Air Command, January 1, 1958
- Fifteenth Air Force, September 1, 1988 – September 1, 1991.
Stations
- Brampton Grange, England, September 13, 1943
- RAF Alconbury, England, September 16 – October 31, 1945
- Kadena (later, Kadena Army Air Base; Kadena Air Force Base), Okinawa, June 7, 1946 – December 1, 1948
- Westover AFB, Massachusetts, July 1, 1954 – April 1, 1955
- Offutt AFB, Nebraska, April 15, 1955 – May 20, 1956
- Inglewood, CA, April 15, 1957
- Cooke (later, Vandenberg) AFB, California, July 16, 1957 – September 1, 1991.
Components
Divisions
- 301st Fighter (Provisional): August 18 – September 16, 1948 (not operational entire period)
Wings
- (World War II)
- l Combat Bombardment (later, l Bombardment): September 13, 1943 – August 12, 1945
- 2d Bombardment: July 31 – August 12, 1945
- 40th Combat Bombardment (later, 40th Bombardment): September 13, 1943 – September 26, 1945
- 41st Combat Bombardment (later, 41st Bombardment): September 13, 1943 – June 1, 1945
- 67th Fighter: attached October 6 – December 31, 1944, assigned January 1 – August 12, 1945
- 92d Combat Bombardment: December 1 – c. December 11, 1943
- 94th Combat Bombardment (later, 94 Bombardment): December 12, 1943 – June 18, 1945
- 101st Provisional Heavy Bombardment Combat: attached September 13–16, 1943
- 102d Provisional Heavy Bombardment Combat: attached September 13–16, 1943
- 103d Provisional Heavy Bombardment Combat: attached September 13–16, 1943
- (United States Air Force)
- 32d Composite: August 24 – December 1, 1948
- 51st Fighter: August 18 – December 1, 1948.
- 71st Tactical Reconnaissance: August 18 – October 25, 1948 (not operational, and detached, August 24 – October 25, 1948)
- 301st Fighter: June 7, 1946 – December 1, 1948 (not operational, August 18 – December 1, 1948)
- 316th Bombardment: June 7, 1946 – June 21, 1948
- 392d Strategic Missile: October 18 – December 20, 1961
- 456th Troop Carrier: attached c. April 15, 1955 – March 26, 1956
- 703d Strategic Missile: September 25, 1958 – January 15, 1959
- 704th Strategic Missile: August 1, 1957 – July 1, 1959 (not operational April 6 – July 1, 1959)
- 706th Strategic Missile: February 23, 1958 – January 16, 1959
- 4320th Strategic (Missile): February 1–23, 1958
- Strategic Missile, Provisional: attached January 1 – February 1, 1958.
Groups
- 6th Bombardment: June 1, 1947 – October 18, 1948 (not operational)
- 71st Tactical Reconnaissance: attached August 18 – November 1, 1948
- 93d Bombardment: attached May 24 – August 25, 1948
- 94th Bombardment: August 12 – September 26, 1945
- 96th Bombardment: August 12 – September 26, 1945
- 98th Bombardment: attached August 25 – December 1, 1948
- 100th Bombardment: August 12 – September 26, 1945.
Squadrons
Aircraft and Missiles
Operational History
The division directed and supervised heavy bombardment (1943–1945) and fighter (1944–1945) operations during World War II in the European Theater.
Replacing the Eighth Air Force in Okinawa in June 1946, the division directed fighter reconnaissance and bomber organizations, and provided air defense for the Ryukyu Islands, Japan until December 1948.
From 1954 to 1955, the division served as a holding unit at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, for personnel of Eighth Air Force, who moved to the base as part of a transfer of Eighth's headquarters from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas.
Activated again under the Air Research and Development Command in April 1957, it was the first division level organization controlling intermediate range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. It became an operational component of Strategic Air Command (SAC) in January 1958 and began operational testing of missile systems, supporting missile launchings by SAC and other agencies, and training SAC missilemen. These missions continued until the final disbandment on September 1, 1991.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- Berger, Carl. History of the 1st Missile Division. Santa Barbara County, California: Vandenberg Air Force Base, 1960.
- Bishop, Cliff T. Fortresses of the Big Triangle First: A History of the Aircraft Assigned to the First Bombardment Wing and the First Bombardment Division of the Eighth Air Force for August 1942-31st March 1944. Bishop's Stortford, UK: East Anglia Books, 1986. ISBN 1-869987-00-4.
- Bowman, Martin W. Airfields Of 1st Air Division (USAAF): Cambridgeshire * Northamptonshire * Bedfordshire. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Books, 2007. ISBN 1-84415-453-X.
- Mackay, Ron. First in the Field: The 1st Air Division over Europe in WWII. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2007. ISBN 0-7643-2588-4.
- Merritt, Robert F. 1st Air Division, Okinawa. Okinawan, Japan: McFadden, 1947.
- USAF. History and Lineage: 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, 1st Bombardment Division, 1st Air Division, 1st Missile Division. Santa Barbara County, California: Vandenberg Air Force Base, 1981.
External links
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