28th Air Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 28th Air Division


caption= Emblem of the 28th Air Division
dates= 1949-1992
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= Tactical Air Command (ADTAC)
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battle_honours=The 28th Air Division (28th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, being stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklaholma. It was inactivated on 29 May 1992.

History

Lineage

* Established as 28 Air Division (Defense) on 8 Nov 1949: Activated on 8 Dec 1949: Inactivated on 1 Feb 1952
* Organized on 1 Feb 1952: Redesignated: 28 Air Division (SAGE) on 1 Jul 1960: Redesignated: 28 Air Division on 1 Apr 1966: Inactivated on 19 Nov 1969
* Activated on 1 Apr 1985: Inactivated on 29 May 1992

Assignments

* Continental Air Command: Fourth Air Force, 8 Dec 1949
* Air Defense Command: Western Air Defense Force, 1 Aug 1950-1 Jul 1960
* Air Defense Command, 1 Jul 1960: Tenth Air Force, 1 Apr 1966-19 Nov 1969
* Tactical Air Command, 1 Apr 1985-29 May 1992.

Stations

* Hamilton AFB, California, 8 Dec 1949-1 Apr 1966
* Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 Apr 1966-19 Nov 1969
* Tinker AFB, Oklaholma, 1 Apr 1985-29 May 1992.

Components

Sectors
* Los Angeles Air Defense: 1 Jul 1960-1 Apr 1966
* Phoenix Air Defense: 1 Jul 1960-1 Apr 1966
* Reno Air Defense: 1 Jul 1960-1 Apr 1966
* San Francisco Air Defense: 15 Feb 1959-1 Aug 1963: Not operational, 15 May-1 Aug 1963

Wings
* 78 Fighter: 18 Oct 1956-1 Jul 1960; 1 Aug 1963-1 Apr 1966: Hamilton AFB, California
* 552 Airborne Early Warning and Control (later, 552 Airborne Warning and Control; 552 Air Control): 1 Jul 1960-1 Apr 1966; 1 Apr 1985-29 May 1992.: McClellan AFB, CaliforniaGroups
* 78 Fighter: 18 Aug 1955-18 Oct 1956: Hamilton AFB, California
* 408 Fighter: 8 Apr 1956-1 Mar 1959: Kingsley Field, OregonSquadrons
* 5 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-19 Nov 1969: Minot AFB, North Dakota
* 7 Airborne Command and Control: 1 Apr 1985-29 May 1992: Keesler AFB, Mississippi
* 13 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-30 Jun 1968: Glasgow AFB, Montana
* 18 Fighter Interceptor: 15 Sep-19 Nov 1969: Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
* 29 Fighter Interceptor: 1 Apr 1966-18 Jul 1968: Malmstrom AFB, Montana
* 41 Electronic Combat: 1 Apr 1985-29 May 1992: Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
* 71 Fighter Interceptor: 18 Jul 1968-19 Nov 1969 (detached 17 Dec 1968 c. 17 Jun 1969): Malmstrom AFB, Montana
* 82 Fighter Interceptor: 18 Aug 1955-1 Jul 1960: Travis AFB, California
* 84 Fighter Interceptor: 7 Nov 1952-16 Feb 1953: Hamilton AFB, California
* 325 Fighter Interceptor: 20 Apr 1953-1 Feb 1954: Travis AFB, California
* 413 Fighter Interceptor: 8 Jul 1954-18 Aug 1955: Travis AFB, California
* 456 Fighter Interceptor: 18 Oct 1955-1 Jul 1960: Castle AFB, California

Operational History

In December 1949, the 28th Division assumed responsibility for conducting the air defense of an area that embraced California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. It became part of the Western Air Defense Force in 1950. With no fighter interceptor squadrons directly assigned, the division used interceptors of the 78th Fighter Wing, based at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, as well as Air National Guard interceptors based within its geographical area.

By November 1954 its geographical boundaries included northern California, southern Oregon, and parts of Nevada and Utah. The division participated frequently in air defense exercises with U.S. Army artillery, U.S. Navy interceptors, and Strategic Air Command bombers. On 15 February 1959, it added the San Francisco Air Defense Sector to its components, and the geographical area expanded to include California and Arizona, and parts of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico. The division gained the Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Reno Air Defense Sectors and also the 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, whose RC-121 aircraft augmented naval picket ships in providing radar coverage seaward from the west coast of the United States. During 1961, it transitioned to a SAGE system in all four of its sectors. Reorganization in 1963 altered the 28th's boundaries to include the states of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

On 1 April 1966, the 28th moved, in name only, to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and replaced the Great Falls Air Defense Sector. The division's area included Montana and part of North Dakota, and later, parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Beginning in April 1985, the 28th provided theater and Air Force commands with airborne forces for surveillance, warning, command and control, communications, and electronic combat operations. It was the Tactical Air Command single manager for the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), EC-130H Compass Call, EC-130E Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC), and EC-135K Tactical Deployment Control Squadron (TDCS) in support of unified and specified commands. The division in the 1960s and 1970s deployed aircraft and personnel from subordinate units in support of the war in Southwest Asia.

References

* Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).

External links

* [http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/rso/airdivision_pages/0028ad.asp Air Force Historical Research Agency: 28th Air Division]