29th Air Division

29th Air Division
62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-101B Voodoo [1]
Active	1951–1969
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of air defense forces
Part of	Air Defense Command
Insignia
29th Air Division emblem (Approved 27 November 1961) [2]

The 29th Air Division (29th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, being stationed at Duluth International Airport, Minnesota. It was inactivated on 15 November 1969.

History

29th Air Division ADC AOR 1951–1960

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, the division's mission was the air defense of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. By 1953, the area changed to include North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The 29th supervised the training of its units, and participated in numerous training exercises. ^[2]

29th Air Division ADC AOR 1966–1969

The division moved from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, to Duluth International Airport, Minnesota, on 1 April 1966 as part of an ADC reorganization, the division's area changed to include Minnesota, parts of Wisconsin, and North Dakota, and later expanded to cover most of Iowa. ^[2] Assumed additional designation of 29th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966 as the : Organized as 29th NORAD Region/Air Division on 1 April 1966, replacing the Duluth Air Defense Sector .

Inactivated in November 1969 as ADC phased down its interceptor mission as the chances of a Soviet bomber attack on the United States seemed remote, its mission being consolidated into North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)'s, 23d and 24th NORAD Regions/Air Divisions.

Lineage

• Established as the 29 Air Division (Defense) on 29 January 1951

Activated on 1 March 1951

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Redesignated 29 Air Division (SAGE) on 1 January 1960

Inactivated on 19 November 1969 ^[2]

Assignments

• Western Air Defense Force, 1 March 1951
• Central Air Defense Force, 16 February 1953
• Air Defense Command, 1 January 1960
• Tenth Air Force, 1 April 1966
• First Air Force, 15 September – 19 November 1969 ^[2]

Stations

• Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, 1 March 1951 – 1 February 1952
• Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri, 1 July 1961
• Duluth International Airport, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969 ^[2]

Components

Sectors

Grand Forks Air Defense Sector: 1 January 1959 – 1 December 1963 Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota Great Falls Air Defense Sector: 1 March 1959 – 1 April 1966 Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana Kansas City Air Defense Sector (Manual): 1 July 1961 – 1 January 1962 Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri

Minot Air Defense Sector: 1 April 1959 – 15 August 1963 Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota Oklahoma City Air Defense Sector (Manual): 25 June 1963 – 1 April 1966 Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri Sioux City Air Defense Sector: 1 July 1961 – 1 April 1966 [2] Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa

Wing

• 507th Fighter Wing (Air Defense): 1 April 1966 – 30 September 1968 ^[2]

Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan

Groups

32d Fighter Group: 8 February 1957 – 1 August 1960 Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota 343d Fighter Group: 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969; 14–19 November 1969 Duluth MAP, Minnesota 476th Fighter Group: 8 February 1957 – 1 April 1960 [[Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana

478th Fighter Group: 1 January – 1 July 1959 [2] Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota 545th Aircraft Control and Warning Group Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, 1 March 1951 – 6 February 1952

Interceptor squadrons

13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1960 – 1 January 1961 Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota 29th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 8 November 1953 – 1 July 1960 Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana

54th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 16 February 1953 – 25 December 1960 Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota 62d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 [2] K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base, Michigan

Missile squadrons

• 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)

Kincheloe Air Force Base, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969 ^[2]

• 74th Air Defense Missile Squadron (BOMARC)

Duluth AF Missile Site, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969

Radar squadrons

661st Radar Squadron Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, 14–19 November 1969 665th Radar Squadron Calumet Air Force Station, Michigan, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969 674th Radar Squadron Osceola Air Force Station, Wisconsin, 1 April 1966 – 15 November 1969; 14–19 November 1969 676th Radar Squadron Antigo Air Force Station, Wisconsin, 14 November 1969 – 30 June 1977 680th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Yaak Air Force Station, Montana, 6 February 1952 – 16 February 1953 681st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Cut Bank Air Force Station, Montana, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960 692d Radar Squadron Baudette Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969 694th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Lewistown Air Force Station, Montana, 1 September 1958 – 1 July 1960 706th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Dickinson Air Force Station, North Dakota, 1 July 1958 – 1 January 1961 716th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Kalispell Air Force Station, Montana, 15 February – 1 July 1960 721st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Willmar Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 January – 1 April 1959 731st Radar Squadron Sundance Air Force Station, Wyoming, 1 December 1960 – 1 January 1961 739th Radar Squadron Wadena Air Force Station, Minnesota, 14–19 November 1969 740th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, 16 February 1953 – 1 January 1961 752d Radar Squadron Empire Air Force Station, Michigan, 14 November 1966 – 19 November 1969

753d Radar Squadron Sault Sainte Marie Air Force Station, Michigan, 14–19 November 1969 754th Radar Squadron Port Austin Air Force Station, Michigan, 14–19 November 1969 756th Radar Squadron]] Finland Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 April 1966 – 15 September 1969 778th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Havre Air Force Station, Montana, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960 779th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Opheim Air Force Station, Montana, 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1961 780th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Fortuna Air Force Station, North Dakota, 6 February 1952 – 1 January 1961 785th Radar Squadron Finley Air Force Station, North Dakota, 20 May 1953 – 1 March 1956; 1 January 1959 – 1 April 1969 786th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Minot Air Force Station, North Dakota, 16 February 1953 – 1 January 1961 787th Radar Squadron Chandler Air Force Station, Minnesota, 1 July 1968 – 30 September 1969 788th Radar Squadron Waverly Air Force Station, Iowa, 1 July 1968 – 30 September 1969 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 February 1956 – 1 July 1960 902d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Miles City Air Force Station, Montana, 20 May 1953 – 1 January 1961 903d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Gettysburg Air Force Station, South Dakota, 20 May 1953 – 1 March 1956; 1 January 1959 – 1 April 1969 908th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Great Falls Air Force Base, Montana, 25 June 1953 – 25 September 1954 916th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron Beausejour Air Station, Manitoba, 1 January – 1 April 1959

Radar evaluation squadron

• 4677th Radar Evaluation Squadron

Hill Air Force Base, Utah, 1 January 1960 – 1 July 1961

See also

• List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• United States general surveillance radar stations

References

Notes

1. Aircraft pictured is Serial 57-0386
2. "Factsheet 29 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2014.

Bibliography

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

• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
• Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN   97020912.^{[ dead link ]}
• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor. Aerospace Defense Command. 21 (1): 5–11, 26–31, 40–45, 54–59. January 1979.