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.
Established as 316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 4 August 1944.Activated on 14 August 1944.Redesignated:
316 Composite Wing on 8 January 1946Redesignated:
316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 6 May 1946Inactivated on 21 June 1948
Redesignated 316 Air Division (Defense) on 26 June 1953Organized on 18 September 1953Discontinued on 1 April 1960
Redesignated 316 Air Division on 1 June 1985Activated on 14 June 1985Inactivated on 1 May 1991
Second Air Force, 14 August 1944Attached
XXII Bomber Command, c. 14 August – c. 7 December 1944
Army Service Forces, 8 July 1945United States Strategic Air Forces in the PacificEighth Air Force, 5 September 1945
Pacific Air Command, U.S. Army1 Air Division, 13 June 1946 – 21 June 1948
United States Air Forces in EuropeSeventeenth Air Force, 18 September 1953
United States Air Forces in Europe, 15 November 1959 – 1 April 1960United States Air Forces in EuropeSeventeenth Air Force, 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991.
Peterson Field, Colorado, 14 August 1944 – 7 July 1945Kadena (later, Kadena Field, Kadena AAB, Kadena AFB), Okinawa, 17 August 1945 – 21 June 1948Rabat Salé AB, French Morocco (later, Morocco), 18 September 1953 – 1 April 1960Ramstein AB, West Germany (later Germany), 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991.Wing
86th Tactical Fighter: 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991.Groups
22d Bombardment: 31 May 1946-by 31 May 1948333d Bombardment: 31 August 1945 – 28 May 1946346th Bombardment: 31 July 1945 – 30 June 1946382d Bombardment: 31 August 1945 – 4 January 1946383d Bombardment: 31 August 1945 – 3 January 1946Squadrons
28th Photographic Reconnaissance: 15–29 May 194645th Fighter-Interceptor (later, 45 Fighter-Day): 18 September 1953 – 8 January 1958324th Fighter-Interceptor: 1 July 1958 – 8 March 1960357th Fighter-Interceptor: 18 September 1953 – 8 March 1960.B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1948F-86 Sabre, 1953–1960F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1957F-16 Falcon, 1985–1991.The 316th Bombardment Wing trained in the United States before transfer to Okinawa in August 1945. Assigned units ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippines.
In September 1953, the 316th Division manned, equipped, trained, and maintained assigned units until April 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 April–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.
