23rd Air Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1969–1987 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command ofair defense forces |
| Part of | Aerospace Defense Command |
| Insignia | |
| 23d Air Division emblem(approved 28 July 1970)[1] |  |
The23rd Air Division is an inactiveUnited States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned toFirst Air Force,Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 1 July 1987 atTyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
The Division was activated atDuluth International Airport in November 1969, replacing the29th Air Division in anAerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) realignment and re-organization of assets.[1][2] Assigned additional designations of23rd CONAD Region and23rd NORAD Region upon activation with reporting to theNORAD Combat Operations Center at theCheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado.
The 23rd AD was responsible for the air defense of a large area of the upper Midwest south of the97th meridian west, bordered by the southern boundary of theCanada–United States border to the Ohio/Pennsylvania border; south and west along the western ridge of theAppalachian Mountains to the38th parallel north. This encompassed most of Minnesota, Iowa, Northern Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and all of Michigan.[1] It was also the command organization for theSemi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-10) atDuluth Air Force Station.
The division and its subordinate interceptor, missile and radar units participated in numerous exercises such asAmalgam Fairplay,Feathered Indian, andFeathered Brave. In addition, its subordinate units exercised with surface to air missiles.[1] The scope of responsibility for the 23rd AD was expanded in 1973 with further ADCOM unit inactivations and consolidations to include the area south along the88th meridian west to the33rd parallel north, west to the97th meridian west. This added all of Missouri and Arkansas, as well as western Tennessee and northern Mississippi to the Division's Area of Responsibly. It assumed additional designation23rd ADCOM Region, 8 December 1978
In 1979 it was incorporated intoTactical Air Command with the inactivation of ADCOM as a major command. Under Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC) it continued its mission until 15 April 1982 when it moved toTyndall Air Force Base, Florida and assumed responsibility for most of the region previously commanded by the inactivated20th Air Division.[1]
In 1985 most active-duty units were inactivated or reassigned to other missions, and the air defense mission came underAir Force Reserve andAir National Guard units underFirst Air Force. The Division stood down on 1 July 1987,[1] its command, mission, components, and assets were transferred to the ADTACSoutheast Air Defense Sector.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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