12th Air Division

History

The division was established as the 12th Pursuit Wing in the Panama Canal Zone on 20 November 1940. The organization commanded pursuit groups and squadrons for Sixth Air Force until 6 March 1942.

It was reassigned to Eighth Air Force in England during November 1942 as a bombardment wing, but never made operational . All personnel and equipment were withdrawn in January 1943, and the organization did not serve in combat.

Reactivated in 1951, the 12th Air Division was an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command. It conducted training for worldwide bombardment operations. From 1963–1984 and 1988–1990. It maintained an intercontinental ballistic missile capability, conducted staff assistance visits, and monitored programs such as retention, domestic actions, and medical capabilities of its subordinate units.

Its mission was to assure unit Emergency War Order (EWO) capability and combat crew training conducted at Castle and Dyess Air Force Bases, continually evaluate qualification training, direct correction or improvement when appropriate, and represent training concerns to higher headquarters.

It was inactivated in 1990 as part of the military drawdown of the USAF after the end of the Cold War.

Lineage

Established as the 12th Pursuit Wing on 19 October 1940

Activated on 20 November 1940 Inactivated on 6 March 1942

Redesignated: 12th Bombardment Wing on 23 August 1942

Activated on 8 September 1942 Disestablished on 9 October 1944

Reestablished and redesignated 12th Bombardment Wing, Light on 3 July 1947

Activated in the Reserve on 3 August 1947 Redesignated: 12th Air Division, Bombardment on 16 April 1948 Inactivated on 27 June 1949

Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 February 1951

Organized on 10 February 1951 Discontinued on 16 June 1952

Activated on 16 June 1952

Redesignated: 12th Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 June 1962 Redesignated: 12th Strategic Missile Division on 30 June 1971 Redesignated: 12th Air Division on 1 March 1973 Inactivated on 31 July 1990

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 – 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

Groups

16th Pursuit Group: c. 1 December 1940-c. 6 March 1942

32d Pursuit Group: c. 1 January 1941-c. 6 March 1942

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

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

321st Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949

322d Bombardment Group: 17 October 1947 – 27 June 1949

Heraldry

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).