USAF Southern Air Division 830th Air Division
Cessna OA-37 andCessna O-2A over Honduras in 1984
Active	1976–1992
Country	United States Panama
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of regional air forces
Part of	Tactical Air Command
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Insignia
Air Forces Panama emblem(Approved for Southern Air Division)[1][note 1]

Air Forces Panama is an inactiveUnited States Air Force (USAF) headquarters. It was assigned toTactical Air Command, most recently toTwelfth Air Force. Its headquarters were located atAlbrook Air Force Station andHoward Air Force Base in thePanama Canal Zone (later Panama). The organization was inactivated on 11 February 1992.

The unit was activated as theUSAF Southern Air Division in 1976 to replace theUnited States Southern Command Air Forces as the USAF component of United States armed forces in the Panama Canal Zone. Southern Command Air Forces was simultaneously disestablished as a Major Command and USAF responsibility for South and Central America was transferred toTactical Air Command. It was also renamed the830th Air Division before receiving its final designation. After the transfer of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama, its remaining responsibilities were transferred to the24th Wing, one of its former components.

The unit served during a period when USAF presence in Panama was gradually reduced, with some of its functions and organizations transferred to locations in the United States or discontinued. It operated its own aircraft, primarily in aforward air control and training mission, but also relied onairlift andfighter aircraft and crews rotating to its bases from other units. Although it focused on USAF representation, including training and foreign military sales, the unit also participated inOperation Just Cause and provided forces forOperations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Air Forces Panama was first activated atAlbrook Air Force Station asUSAF Southern Air Division, which replacedUnited States Air Forces Southern Command as theUnited States Air Force (USAF) component of the United States Armed Forces in thePanama Canal Zone in January 1976.^[2] The division commander was also "dual-hatted" as the vice commander of United States Air Force Southern Command.^{[note 2]}

The division also managedUnited States Air Force relationships with the Air Forces of friendly Latin American countries. One aspect of these relationships was theForeign Military Sales program. It assisted Mexico in Mexico's purchase ofNorthrop F-5 Freedom Fighters. In 1984 the division deliveredLockheed T-33 T-Birds to Ecuador andCessna A-37 Dragonflys to the Dominican Republic.^[1] Many of the Foreign Military Sales programs were given operation names using the word "Peace" as their first element.^{[note 3]}

The division provided air defense of thePanama Canal, controlling fighter aircraft rotated throughHoward Air Force Base. Initially, these wereLTV A-7 Corsair IIs rotating from units ofTactical Air Command, but in January 1978, the responsibility for providing these planes shifted to theAir National Guard under Operation Coronet Cove.^[3][4] The National Guard also deployedFairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs after 1985. In 1990, the A-7s were replaced byMcDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles andGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons.^[1]

Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft also rotated to Panama forairlift support in the region. When the division activated, these aircraft were provided by active units ofMilitary Airlift Command, in Operation Volant Oak. In October 1977, this mission was also transferred to the Guard, along with units of theAir Force Reserve.^[5] Since 1975, USAF airlift management had been centralized withMilitary Airlift Command (MAC), which had established the 1300th Military Airlift Squadron at Howard in March 1975. After October 1984, the division provided support to the61st Military Airlift Group, whose310th Military Airlift Squadron replaced the 1300th Military Airlift Squadron and operated several types of aircraft, including the Volant Oak Lockheed C-130 Hercules and theAlenia C-27 SpartanSTOL aircraft.^[6][7]

On occasion the division provided disaster relief assistance to Latin American nations using assigned and rotational aircraft and forces. In 1979, during theSandinista insurrection in Nicaragua, the division evacuated United States embassy personnel, American citizens and third country nationals from Nicaragua.^[8] In 1988 Volant Oak C-130s were dispatched to Jamaica to provide relief afterHurricane Gilbert struck the island.^[9] Similar relief operations were conducted in Antigua followingHurricane Hugo in 1989.^[4] Other counties that received this type of support included Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Panama and Colombia.^[1]

The division's foreign military sales responsibilities gave it the mission of training recipients on the equipment they purchased. For example, it trained Mexican technicians in logistics and maintenance for the new F-5s aircraft their country had purchased. Not all training was performed at the divisions bases in the Canal Zone. The division deployed mobile technical training units to Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador and Honduras.^[9] Division A-37 aircraft were used to conduct pilot training.^[1][10]

The Inter-American Air Forces Academy was assigned to the division. The Academy provided technical training and education for airmen and officers from approximately fourteen Latin American countries^[1] The academy also maintained a center for translating USAF training publications intoSpanish for use by Latin American countries.^[11] In October 1989, the academy moved toHomestead Air Force Base, Florida and was reassigned from the division.^[4]

The division participated in various training exercises,. Joint exercises included paratroop drops and close air support forArmy troops. It also conducted numerous combined exercises with various Latin American countries.^[1] The division also became involved in counternarcotics operations.^[4]

Following the ouster of theShah of Iran in theIslamic Revolution in February 1979, the Shah was temporarily removed toContadora Island, Panama in December using aircraft assigned to the division. That year also saw the division performing hot weather testing of theBoeing E-4BAirborne Command Post aircraft.^[8]

In December 1989, division aircraft, particularly OA-37s of the24th Tactical Air Support Squadron flew missions supportingOperation Just Cause, the American effort to oustManuel Noriega as the president of Panama. Noriega was taken into custody for trial on drug related charges and the operation was terminated on 11 January 1990.^[12] The 24th Squadron flew 372 sorties during Just Cause. Unlike other OA-37s in the Air Force inventory, the 24th's Dragonflies retained a full attack capability because one of the squadron's missions was training Latin American pilots on both the attack and observation versions of the aircraft.^[13]

The following year, the division deployed OA-37 Forward Air Controllers to Southwest Asia forOperation Desert Shield.^[7] Its pilots continued to serve in Southwest Asia as battalion air liaison officers during Operation Desert Storm, even as the squadron was being inactivated at its home station.^[14]

In January 1987, the unit's command relationships were shuffled and it focused on its mission in Panama, losing its responsibility for managing relationships with Latin American countries as it was reassigned toTwelfth Air Force. At the same time, its24th Composite Wing was inactivated and the wing's subordinate units atHoward Air Force Base were assigned directly to the division and Col Harold E. Watson, the 24th Wing's commander became the division commander. .^[1][3][15]

Much of the January 1987 reorganization was reversed two years later, when the name of the division changed to the830th Air Division and the 24th Composite Wing was again activated.^[1] The division also became United States Southern Command Air Forces's forward element with the reorganization, ending the previous arrangement in which the division commander was also the deputy commander of that command. The630th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, which had been activated in 1988 and assigned to the division to manage the Caribbean Basin Radar Network Southern Regional Operations Center was transferred to the 24th Wing.^[9] Three months later, the division returned to Albrook Air Force Station from Howard after an absence of almost twelve years.^[1]

1990 saw continuing reductions in the division's footprint in Panama as its Directorate of Latin American Affairs moved to Twelfth Air Force atBergstrom Air Force Base and the Permanent Secretariat of theSystem of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces joined the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Homestead.^[7]

In February 1991, the division becameAir Forces Panama and once again assumed responsibility for the subordinate units of the 24th Composite Wing, which was inactivated.^[3] The takeover of the 24th Wing's responsibilities resulted in a move of headquarters to the 24th's former location at Howard.^[1] The assignment of the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron lasted only two weeks, as it was inactivated on 1 March. The 24th Squadron was the last unit in the regular Air Force to operate the OA-37.^[13]

Air Forces Panama was inactivated in February 1992 when responsibility for its area was assumed by Twelfth Air Force and it was replaced in Panama by the 24th Wing, which was once again activated and its commander, Brigadier General David Oakes became the commander of the wing.^[1]

• Established as theUSAF Southern Air Division on 24 November 1975

Activated on 1 January 1976

Redesignated830 Air Division on 1 January 1989

RedesignatedAir Forces Panama on 15 February 1991

Inactivated on 11 February 1992^[16]

• Tactical Air Command, 1 January 1976
• Twelfth Air Force, 31 January 1987 – 11 February 1992^[16]

• Albrook Air Force Station, Panama Canal Zone, 1 January 1976
• Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, 15 August 1977
• Albrook Air Force Station, Panama, 1 March 1989
• Howard Air Force Base, Panama, 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[16]

• 24th Composite Wing: 1 January 1976 – 31 January 1987, 1 January 1989 – 15 February 1991^[16]

• 24th Combat Support Group: 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989, 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[15]
• 24th Medical Group (see USAF Clinic, Howard)
• 1978 Communications Group (later 24th Communications Group): 1 September 1990 – 1 October 1991^[9]

• 24th Air Base Operability Squadron, 15 August 1988 – 1 January 1989 (not operational)^[9]
• 24th Comptroller Squadron, 15 August 1988 – 1 January 1989,^[9] 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[17]
• 24th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989,^[15] 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[17]
• 24th Supply Squadron, 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989^[15]
• 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron: 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989, 15 February – 1 March 1991^[16]
• 630th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (later 24th Air Support Operations Squadron), 1 April 1988 – 1 January 1989; 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[18]
• 4400 Air Postal Squadron, 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989,^[9] 15 February – 15 November 1991^[17]

• Inter-American Air Forces Academy: 1 January 1976 – 1 October 1989^[4][19]
• USAF Clinic, Howard (later 24th Medical Group), 31 January 1987 – 1 January 1989,^[15] 15 February 1991 – 11 February 1992^[17]

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	20 December 1989 – 14 February 1991	830th Air Division[16]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 February 1981 – 31 January 1983	USAF Southern Air Division[16]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 January 1986 – 31 December 1987	USAF Southern Air Division[16]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Just Cause	20 December 1989 – 31 January 1990	830th Air Division, Panama[16]

• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces
• Organization of American States
• Military Assistance Program
• List of C-130 Hercules operators

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Darling, Kev (2005).Tweet and the Dragonfly the Story of the Cessna A-37 and T-37. Glamorgan, Wales, UK: Big Bird Aviation.ISBN 978-1411647480.
• Johnson, David E.; Mueller, Karl P.; Taft, William H. (2003).Conventional Coercion Across the Spectrum of Operations: The Utility of U.S. Military Forces in the Emerging Security Environment. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.ISBN 0-8330-3220-8. Retrieved16 February 2015.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984).Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1985).The Organization and Lineage of the United States Air Force. Project Warrior. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.ISBN 9780912799179.LCCN 84027361.OCLC 11497940. Retrieved9 January 2015.

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• Military units and formations established in 1976

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