22d Strategic Aerospace Division
Encyclopedia
The 22d Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force
, stationed at Walker Air Force Base
, New Mexico
. It was inactivated on 1 July 1965.
The 22d Wing replaced an operational training unit at Hunter Field, Georgia on 5 December 1942 and began supervising and coordinating various aspects of dive bomber
training for subordinate groups. It moved to Florida in February 1943 and continued training until 15 August 1943. Reestablished in July 1959 and later redesignated 22d Strategic Aerospace Division, it assured that assigned units were organized, manned, trained, and equipped to conduct aerial refueling
operations and long-range strategic bombing
using either nuclear weapon
s or conventional weapon
s. In addition, from 1962 to 1965 the division controlled Atlas ICBM
s.
Inactivated on 1 July 1965 due to budget constraints
Groups
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last assignment was with the Fifteenth Air Force
Fifteenth Air Force
The Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, stationed at Walker Air Force Base
Walker Air Force Base
Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles south of the central business district of Roswell, a city in Chaves County, New Mexico, US...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. It was inactivated on 1 July 1965.
The 22d Wing replaced an operational training unit at Hunter Field, Georgia on 5 December 1942 and began supervising and coordinating various aspects of dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
training for subordinate groups. It moved to Florida in February 1943 and continued training until 15 August 1943. Reestablished in July 1959 and later redesignated 22d Strategic Aerospace Division, it assured that assigned units were organized, manned, trained, and equipped to conduct aerial refueling
Aerial refueling
Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
operations and long-range strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
using either nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s or conventional weapon
Conventional weapon
The terms conventional weapons or conventional arms generally refer to weapons that are in relatively wide use that are not weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Conventional weapons include small arms and light weapons, sea and land mines, as well as ...
s. In addition, from 1962 to 1965 the division controlled Atlas ICBM
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
s.
Inactivated on 1 July 1965 due to budget constraints
Lineage
- Established as 22 Bombardment Training Wing on 28 November 1942
- Activated on 5 December 1942
- Disestablished on 15 August 1943
- Reestablished, and redesignated 22 Air Division, on 1 July 1959
- Activated on 15 July 1959
- Redesignated 22 Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 July 1962
- Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 July 1965
Assignments
- III Air Support CommandIII Air Support CommandThe III Air Support Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Drew Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 16 March 1942.-Lineage:...
, 5 December 1942 - III Fighter CommandIII Fighter CommandThe III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946.-Lineage:...
, 6 – 15 August 1943 - Second Air ForceSecond Air ForceThe Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, 15 July 1959 - Fifteenth Air ForceFifteenth Air ForceThe Fifteenth Expeditionary Mobility Task Force is one of two EMTFs assigned to the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command . It is headquartered at Travis Air Force Base, California....
, 9 September 1960 – 1 July 1965
Components
Wings- 6th Strategic Aerospace Wing: 1 July 1963 1 July 1965
- 310th Strategic Aerospace Wing: 1 July 1962 25 June 1965
- 341st Strategic Missile Wing: 15 July 1961 1 July 1962
- 461st Bombardment Wing: 1 February 1963 30 June 1964
- 4045th Air Refueling Wing: 15 July 1959 9 September 1960
- 4062d Strategic Wing: 1 December 1960 20 February 1962
- 4090th Air Refueling Wing: 15 July 1959 1 July 1960
- 4128th Strategic Wing: 1 July 1962 1 February 1963.
Groups
- 84th Bombardment Group: 5 December 1942 15 August 1943
- 311th Bombardment Group: 5 December 1942 c. July 1943
- 312th Bombardment Group: 5 December 1942 c. March 1943
- 339th Bombardment Group: 5 December 1942 15 August 1943
- 405th Bombardment Group: 1 March – 15 August 1943
- 407th Bombardment Group: 7 April – 15 August 1943.
Stations
- Hunter Field, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 5 December 1942 - Drew Field, Florida, 12 February – 15 August 1943
- Clinton County AFB, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 15 July 1959 - Malmstrom AFB, MontanaMontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, 9 September 1960 - Schilling AFB, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 1 July 1962 - Walker AFB, New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, 1 July 1963 – 1 July 1965.