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1st Strategic Aerospace Division

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1st Strategic Aerospace Division
1st Strategic Aerospace Division emblem
Active1943–31 October 1945; 1946–1948; 1954–1955; 1955–1956; 1957–1991
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
RoleCommand of Missile units
Part ofStrategic Air Command
Garrison/HQVandenberg Air Force Base, California
Engagements
  • World War II
European Campaign (1943–1945)
Decorations
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lt Gen Gerald W. Johnson

The 1st Strategic Aerospace Division (1st STRAD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Fifteenth Air Force, being stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 September 1991.

The division directed and supervised heavy bombardment (1943–1945) and fighter (1944–1945) operations during World War II within the Eighth Air Force 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 1 September 1991.

Lineage

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  • Established as the 1st Bombardment Division on 30 August 1943
Activated on 13 September 1943
Redesignated 1st Air Division on 19 December 1944
Inactivated on 31 October 1945
  • Activated on 7 June 1946
Inactivated on 1 December 1948
Activated on 1 July 1954
Inactivated on 1 April 1955
  • Redesignated 1st Air Division (Meteorological Survey) on 12 April 1955
Activated on 15 April 1955
Inactivated on 20 May 1956
  • Redesignated 1st Missile Division on 18 March 1957
Activated on 15 April 1957
  • Redesignated 1st Strategic Aerospace Division on 21 July 1961
Redesignated Strategic Missile Center on 31 July 1990
Inactivated on 1 September 1991[1]

Assignments

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Stations

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Components

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Divisions

  • 301st Fighter Division (Provisional): 18 August – 16 September 1948 (not operational entire period)
  • 316th Air Division: See 316th Bombardment Wing below[1]

Wings

(World War II)
(United States Air Force)

Groups

Squadrons

  • 644th Strategic Missile Squadron: April–December 1959, attached 6 Apr-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul-l Nov 1959 (never operational).
  • 864 Strategic Missile (later, 864 Technical Training): attached 1 Nov 1958-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul 1959-1 Jun 1960.
  • 865 Strategic Missile (later, 865 Technical Training): attached 1 Nov 1958-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul-1 Nov 1959.
  • 866 Strategic Missile (later, 866 Technical Training): attached 1 Nov 1958-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul 1959-25 May 1962 (not operational, 17-25 May 1962)
  • 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron[2][note 1]
  • Others, including 6 Troop Carrier: attached 10 Jun 1946-c. Apr 1947. 25 Liaison: 30 Mar-15 Sep 1947. 36 Bombardment: 21 Nov 1943-27 Feb 1944 (detached 4 Dec 1943-27 Feb 1944); 1 Jan-12 Aug 1945; 1 Sep-Oct 1945. 392 Missile Training: attached 6 Apr-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul 1959-18 Oct 1961; assigned 20 Dec 1961-1 Feb 1963. 394 Missile Training (later, 394 Strategic Missile; 394 ICBM Test Maintenance): attached 6 Apr-15 Dec 1958; assigned 1 Jul 1960-18 Oct 1961; assigned 20 Dec 1961-1 Sep 1991. 395 Missile Training (later 395 Strategic Missile): attached 6 Apr-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul 1959-18 Oct 1961; assigned 20 Dec 1961-31 Dec 1969. 406 Bombardment: c. 11 Nov 1943-26 Feb 1944 (detached 4 Dec 1943-21 Feb 1944); 30 Dec 1944-5 Aug 1945. 576 Strategic Missile: attached 6 Apr-30 Jun 1959, assigned 1 Jul 1959-18 Oct 1961; assigned 20 Dec 1961-2 Apr 1966. 6652 Bombardment: 13 Jul-25 Aug 1945; 1 Sep-12 Oct 1945. 857 Bombardment: attached 10 Mar-c. Aug 1945. [3]

Aircraft and missiles operated

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From[note 2]

Aircraft
Missile systems

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ I was assigned to the 4315 CCTS at Vandenberg from April 1979 through July 1984 as Chief of Maintenance for the ICBM crew training simulators.
  2. '^ See list in Air Force Historical Research Agency Factsheet, 1 Strategic Aerospace Division

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Factsheet 1 Strategic Aerospace Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 2 January 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. ^ Bailey, Carl E. (26 April 2016). "Factsheet 315 Weapons Sq (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  3. ^ See list in Air Force Historical Research Agency Factsheet, 1 Strategic Aerospace Division

General references

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

  • 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 1942-31 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.
  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.* Merritt, Robert F. 1st Air Division, Okinawa. Okinawan, Japan: McFadden, 1947.
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
  • 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.