23d Air Division
23d Air Division emblem
Active18 November 1969–1 July 1987
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
Garrison/HQsee "Stations" section below
Equipmentsee "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below
Decorationssee "Lineage and honors" section below

The 23d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 1 July 1987 at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

History

The Division was activated at Duluth Airport in November 1969, replacing the 29th Air Division in an Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) realignment and re-organization of assets. The 23d AD was responsible for the air defense of a large area of the upper Midwest south of the 97th meridian west, bordered by the southern boundary f the Canada – United States border to the Ohio/Pennsylvania border; south and west along the western ridge of the Appalachian Mountains to the 38th parallel north. This encompassed most of Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and all of Michigan. It was also the command organization for the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-10) at Duluth AFS.

The division and its subordinate interceptor, missile and radar units participated in numerous exercises such as Amalgam Fairplay, Feathered Indian, and Feathered Brave. In addition, its subordinate units exercised with surface to air missiles. The scope of responsibility for the 23d AD was expanded in 1973 with further ADCOM unit inactivations and consolidations to include the area south along the [[88th meridian west to the 33rd parallel north, west to the 97th meridian west. This added all of Missouri and Arkansas, as well as western Tennessee and northern Mississippi to the Division's Area of Responsibly.

In 1979 it was incorporated into Tactical Air Command with the inactivation of ADCOM as a major command. Under Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC) it continued its mission until 15 April 1982 when it was reassigned to Tyndall AFB, Florida and assumed responsibility for most of the region previously commanded by the inactivated 20th Air Division.

In 1985 most active-duty units were inactivated or reassigned to other missions, and the air defense mission came under Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units under First Air Force. The Division stood down on 1 July 1987, its command, mission, components, and assets were immediately transferred to the newly organized ADTAC Southeast Air Defense Sector.

Lineage

Activated on 19 November 1969
Inactivated on 1 July 1987.

Assignments

Components

Interceptor units

Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 1-31 December 1969
Duluth Airport, Minnesota, 19 November 1969-28 August 1970

Missile units

Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, 19 November 1969-31 July 1972
Duluth AFS, Minnesota, 19 November 1969-30 April 1972

Radar units

Stations

See also

References

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