12th Air Division

	caption	Official crest of the 12th Air Division
	dates	19 October 1940 – 6 March 1942 <br> 23 August 1942 – 9 October 1944 <br> 3 July 1947 – 27 June 1949 <br> 1 February 1951 – 31 July 1990
	country	United States
	branch	United States Air Force
	garrison	see " Stations " section below
	equipment	see " Aircraft / Missiles / Space Vehicles " section below
	decorations	see " Lineage And Honors " section below
	current Commander	see " Commanders " section below
	current Commander Label	Commanders

HISTORY

The wing operated in the Panama Canal Zone 20 November 1940 – 6 March 1942 . It moved to England in November 1942, with assignment to the Eighth Air Force. All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat. As an Air Division , from February 1951, it conducted training for world-wide bombardment operations. From 1963–1984 and 1988–1990, it maintained an ICBM capability, conducted staff assistance visits, and monitored programs such as retention, domestic actions, and medical capabilities of its subordinate units.

Background of name

MISSION

OPERATIONS

LINEAGE AND HONORS

Established as 12 Pursuit Wing on 19 October 1940 .
Activated on 20 November 1940 .
Inactivated on 6 March 1942 .

Redesignated 12 Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942 .
Activated on 8 September 1942 .
Disestablished on 9 October 1944 .

Reestablished, and redesignated 12 Bombardment Wing, Light on 3 July 1947 .
Activated in the Reserve on 3 August 1947 .
Redesignated 12 Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948 .
Inactivated on 27 June 1949 .

Redesignated 12 Air Division on 1 February 1951 .
Organized on 10 February 1951 .
Discontinued on 16 June 1952 .

Activated on 16 June 1952 .
Redesignated 12 Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962 ; 12 Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971 ; 12 Air Division on 1 March 1973 .
Inactivated on 31 July 1990 .

Service streamers

This unit earned the following Organizational Service Streamers :

World War II: American Theater;
World War II: European African Middle Eastern (EAME) Theater

Campaign streamers

This unit earned the following Organizational Campaign Streamers :

none

Armed forces expeditionary streamers

none

Decorations

This unit earned the following Unit Decorations :

none

Awards

none

EMBLEM

Or, a globe azure grid lined of the first between in dexter an airplane palewise ascending argent, exhaust gules and in sinister a missile palewise of the like, overall a gauntlet of the third, grasping an olive branch vert and a lightning flash of the fourth bend sinisterwise and two lightning flashes of the last bendwise, on a chief of the second per chevron inverted seme of mullets argent; all within a diminished bordure of argent (silver gray). (approved on 30 December 1988 )

ASSIGNMENTS

VI Interceptor Command , 20 November 1940 – 6 March 1942 .

Eighth Air Force , 8 September 1942 ;
VIII Bomber Command (later, Eighth Air Force), c. December 1942– 9 October 1944 .

Eleventh Air Force , 3 August 1947 ;
First Air Force , 1 July 1948 ;
Ninth Air Force , 23 February 1949 – 27 June 1949 .

Fifteenth Air Force , 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952 .

Fifteenth Air Force, 16 June 1952 ;
Eighth Air Force, 1 July 1989 – 31 July 1990 .

COMPONENTS

Wings:

6 Strategic Aerospace (later, 6 Strategic): 1 July 1965 – 25 March 1967 ; 2 July 1968 – 30 June 1971 .

22 Bombardment (later, 22 Air Refueling): 10 February 1951 – 1 January 1962 (detached 5 September 1951 – 4 December 1951 , 7 December 1953 – 5 March 1954 , 1 April 1957 – 5 July 1957 ); 1 August 1972 – 1 October 1985 .

28 Bombardment: 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990 .

44 Bombardment (later, 44 Strategic Missile): 10 February 1951 – 4 August 1951 ; 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990 .

55 Strategic Reconnaissance: 2 July 1966 – 30 June 1971 ; 1 October 1982 – 1 October 1985 .

93 Bombardment: 1 October 1985 – 15 July 1988 .

95 Bombardment: 1 July 1964 – 25 June 1966 .

96 Bombardment: 1 July 1973 – 15 July 1988 .

99 Strategic Weapons: 10 August 1989 – 31 July 1990 .

100 Strategic Reconnaissance (later, 100 Air Refueling): 25 June 1966 – 30 June 1971 ; 1 August 1972 – 30 September 1976 .

106 Bombardment: by September 1951–1952.

303 Bombardment: 15 March 1960 – 15 June 1964 .

308 Strategic Missile: 30 June 1971 – 1 April 1973 .

320 Bombardment: 1 December 1952 – 15 September 1960 (detached 3 June 1954 – 4 September 1954 , 5 October 1956 – 11 January 1957 ); 23 January 1987 –1 5 July 1988 .

330 Bombardment: attached 1 May 1951 – 16 June 1951 (not operational for entire period).

381 Strategic Missile: 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1973 .

384 Air Refueling: 1 December 1972 – 1 July 1973 .

390 Bombardment (later, 390 Strategic Missile): 1 January 1962 – 31 July 1984 .

4080 Strategic: 12 July 1963 – 25 June 1966 .

Groups:

16 Pursuit: c. 1 December 1940 –c. 6 March 1942 .

32 Pursuit: c. 1 January 1941 –c. 6 March 1942 .

37 Pursuit: c. 1 February 1940 – 6 March 1942 .

53 Pursuit: c. 1 January 1942 – 6 March 1942 .

321 Bombardment: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 .

322 Bombardment: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949 .

Squadron:

91 Air Refueling: 1 August 1972 – 1 December 1972 .

STATIONS

Albrook Field, Canal Zone, 10 November 1940 – 6 March 1942 .

MacDill Field (later, MacDill Air Force Base ), Florida , 8 September 1942 – 28 November 1942 ;
Gourock, Scotland , 15 December 1942 – 16 December 1942 ;
Chelveston, England , c. 17 December 1942 – 12 January 1943 ;
Marks Hall, England, 12 January 1943 – 9 October 1944 .

Cleveland Municipal Airport (later, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport ), Ohio , 3 August 1947 – 27 June 1949 .

March Air Force Base (later, March Air Reserve Base ), California , 10 February 1951 – 16 June 1952 .
March Air Force Base, California, 16 June 1952 ;
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona , 1 January 1962 ;
Dyess Air Force Base , Texas , 30 September 1976 ;
Ellsworth Air Force Base , South Dakota , 15 July 1988 – 31 July 1990 .

AIRCRAFT / MISSILES / SPACE VEHICLES

P-26 Peashooter , 1941-1942;
P-36 Hawk , 1941-1942;
P-38 Lightning , 1941-1942;
P-39 Airacobra , 1941-1942;
P-40 Warhawk , 1941-1942.

B-29 Superfortress , 1951-1952.

C-47 Skytrain , 1951;
TB-29 Superfortress , 1951.

B-29 Superfortress , 1952-1953;
KC-97 Stratotanker , 1952-1962;
B-47 Stratojet , 1953-1964;
YRB-47 Stratojet , 1953-1954;
B-52 Stratofortress , 1963-1967, 1972-1988;
KC-135 Stratotanker , 1963-1971, 1972-1988;
Titan II (LGM-25C) , 1963-1984;
CH-3 Sea King , 1966-1971, 1972-1976;
DC-130 Hercules , 1966-1971, 1972-1976;
EB/RB-47 Stratojet , 1966-1967;
Q-147 Fire Fly / Lightning Bug (later, AQM-34) (drone), c. 1966-1971, 1972-1976;
RC-135 , 1966-1971;
U-2 Dragon Lady , 1966-1971, 1972-1976;
WU-2 Dragon Lady , 1966-c. 1969;
T-29 Flying Classroom, 1973;
KC-10 Extender , 1982-1985;
NKC-135 Stratotanker (test Configured) , 1983-1985;
B-1 Lancer , 1985-1990;
Minuteman II (LGM-30F) , 1988-1990.

COMMANDERS

Brigadier General Adlai H. Gilkeson, 20 November 1940 –c. 6 March 1942 .

Unknown, 8 September 1942 – 9 September 1942 ;

Second Lieutenant Leonard B. Flemmons Jr., c. 10 September 1942 ;

Major George M. Green, c. 24 September 1942 ;

Major Henry G. Silleck, c. 17 November 1942 ;

Major Thomas L. Dawson, c. 25 November 1942 –c. 19 January 1943 ;

None (not manned), c. 20 January 1943 – 9 October 1944 .

Brigadier General Wiley D. Ganey, 10 February 1951 ;

Brigadier General Howell M. Estes Jr. , 1 March 1952 – 16 June 1952 .

Brigadier General Howell M. Estes Jr., 16 June 1952 ;

Brigadier General Charles B. Westover, 23 July 1953 ;

Colonel Frederic G. Huish, 23 February 1956 ;

Colonel Willard W. Smith, 5 March 1956 ;

Brigadier General Robert B. Miller, 12 January 1957 ;

Colonel Robert J. Hughey, 8 May 1959 ;

Colonel William C. Bacon, 1 January 1962 ;

Brigadier General William C. Garland, 2 March 1964 ;

Brigadier General Everett W. Holstrom, 1 July 1965 ;

Brigadier General George P. Cole, 1 September 1966 ;

Brigadier General Jack C. Ledford, 9 July 1968 ;

Brigadier General John A. DesPortes, 30 September 1970 ;

Brigadier General Harry M. Darmstandler, 29 February 1972 ;

Brigadier General James S. Murphy, 2 February 1973 ;

Brigadier General Raymond L. Haupt, 9 October 1973 ;

Brigadier General Christopher S. Adams Jr., 1 December 1975 ;

Brigadier General Dennis B. Sullivan, 17 July 1978 ;

Brigadier General Pintard M. Dyer III, 28 May 1981 ;

Brigadier General Walter E. Webb III, 1 August 1985 ;

Brigadier General Robert M. Marquette Jr., 11 April 1987 – 31 July 1990 .

REFERENCES

EXTERNAL LINKS

Air Force Historical Research Agency: 12th Air Division

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