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| 4th Air Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940–41, 1942–45, 1946–49, 1951–52, 1952–88 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command of strategic strike forces |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | James Doolittle Frederick W. Castle |
| Insignia | |
| 4th Air Division emblem(approved 25 June 1974)[1] |  |
The4th Air Division is an inactiveUnited States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was withFifteenth Air Force, stationed atFrancis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 23 August 1988.
As the4th Bombardment Wing, the unit was one of the primaryB-17 Flying Fortress heavy strategic bombardment wings ofVIII Bomber Command (laterEighth Air Force inWorld War II.
During theCold War, the4th Air Division' was an intermediate command echelon ofStrategic Air Command, controlling strategic bombardment and intercontinental strategic missile wings until inactivated in 1988.
The4th Bombardment Wing moved to England in June 1943 and as a part ofEighth Air Force began bombing operations against German occupied Europe. Targets included shipyards, synthetic rubber plants, chemical plants, marshalling yards, and oil facilities. In July the wing grew to seven combat groups, which resulted in a reorganization of its groups on 13 September 1943 into the3d Bombardment Division as a new higher echelon over the 4th and two wings which had groups assigned for the first time: the13th and45th Combat Bomb Wings. The 4th CBW administratively controlled only two groups until December 1943, when the newly arrived 447th BG was assigned to it.
In 1944, some subordinate units attacked coastline defenses and marshalling yards in preparation for the Allied invasion of France. Some units supported ground troops during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945) and the assault across the Rhine (March 1945 – April 1945).
In the postwar years, the command was part ofAir Defense Command assigned as a reserve wing assigned toFirst Air Force from 1946 to 1949.[1]
Rectivated in 1951 as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, the 4th Air Division was part ofSecond Air Force, controllingB-29,Boeing B-50 Superfortress andB-47 wings. In 1962, units controlled by the 4th Air Division supported 2d Air Force's post attack command and control system, and became responsible for the Advanced Airborne Command Post. It participated in the 1962Cuban Missile Crisis and trained in electronic countermeasures and conducted combat operations in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s.
Reassigned to SAC'sFifteenth Air Force in 1970, the 4th assured that assigned units were capable of conducting strategic aerospace warfare using intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range bombardment, and air refueling resources, according to the Emergency War Order. In addition, the division assumed airborne command and control responsibilities that consisted of supporting auxiliary airborne command post aircraft.
Inactivated in 1988[1] as a result of budget reductions and a consolidation of SAC's command and control echelons.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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