316th Air Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 316th Airlift Division


caption= Emblem of the 316th Airlift Division
dates= 1944-1991
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Command and Control
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command_structure= United States Air Forces in Europe
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* World War II: Pacific Theater (1945)
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battle_honours=The 316th Airlift Division (316th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 1 May 1991.

History

Lineage

* Established as 316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 4 Aug 1944. : Activated on 14 Aug 1944. : Redesignated: 316 Composite Wing on 8 Jan 1946: Redesignated: 316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 6 May 1946: Inactivated on 21 Jun 1948
* Redesignated 316 Air Division (Defense) on 26 Jun 1953: Organized on 18 Sep 1953: Discontinued on 1 Apr 1960
* Redesignated 316 Air Division on 1 Jun 1985: Activated on 14 Jun 1985: Inactivated on 1 May 1991

Assignments

* Second Air Force, 14 Aug 1944
* Army Service Forces, 8 Jul 1945
* United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific: Eighth Air Force, 5 Sep 1945
* Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army: 1 Air Division, 13 Jun 1946-21 Jun 1948
* United States Air Forces in Europe: Seventeenth Air Force, 18 Sep 1953
* United States Air Forces in Europe, 15 Nov 1959-1 Apr 1960
* United States Air Forces in Europe: Seventeenth Air Force, 14 Jun 1985-1 May 1991.

Stations

* Peterson Field, Colorado, 14 Aug 1944-7 Jul 1945
* Kadena (later, Kadena Field, Kadena AAB, Kadena AFB), Okinawa, 17 Aug 1945-21 Jun 1948
* Rabat Salé AB, French Morocco (later, Morocco), 18 Sep 1953-1 Apr 1960
* Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany), 14 Jun 1985-1 May 1991.

Components

Wing
* 86 Tactical Fighter: 14 Jun 1985-1 May 1991.

Groups
* 22 Bombardment: 31 May 1946-by 31 May 1948
* 333 Bombardment: 31 Aug 1945-28 May 1946
* 346 Bombardment: 31 Jul 1945-30 Jun 1946
* 382 Bombardment: 31 Aug 1945-4 Jan 1946
* 383 Bombardment: 31 Aug 1945-3 Jan 1946

Squadrons
* 28 Photographic Reconnaissance: 15-29 May 1946
* 45 Fighter-Interceptor (later, 45 Fighter-Day): 18 Sep 1953-8 Jan 1958
* 324 Fighter-Interceptor: 1 Jul 1958-8 Mar 1960
* 357 Fighter-Interceptor: 18 Sep 1953-8 Mar 1960.

Aircraft

* B-29 Superfortress, 1945-1948
* F-86 Sabre, 1953-1960
* F-100 Super Sabre, 1956-1957
* F-16 Falcon, 1985-1991.

Operational History

The 316th Bombardment Wing trained in the United States before transfer to Okinawa in Aug 1945. Assigned units ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippine Islands.

In Sep 1953, the 316th Division manned, equipped, trained, and maintained assigned units until Apr 1960. It provided warning and defense against potential hostile air operations against the Moroccan region of North Africa.

In 1985, the division gained operational responsibility to implement war and contingency plans. It also provided host support to units in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) as well as logistical support for other organizations in the European theater. In Apr-May 1991, assigned units deployed aircraft and personnel to Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort, a humanitarian relief effort to save the Kurds from starvation and resettle them in northern Iraq.

References

External links