| 835th Air Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1964–1971 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command oftactical fighter andreconnaissance forces |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lt GenLeroy J. Manor |
| Insignia | |
| 835th Air Division emblem[b][1] |  |
The835th Air Division is an inactiveUnited States Air Force (USAF) organization. Its last assignment was toTwelfth Air Force ofTactical Air Command (TAC) atMcConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.
Thedivision was activated at McConnell in July 1964 in anticipation of the activation of a secondRepublic F-105 Thunderchief wing there. The division was the commandheadquarters for the TAC wings at McConnell and provided support for USAF units there until November 1965, when the355th Tactical Fighter Wing moved toSoutheast Asia and the23d Tactical Fighter Wing assumed support duties. The 23d Wing continued to deploy units to the Pacific and train both active duty andAir National Guard pilots on the Thunderchief.
At various times, the 835th also commanded areconnaissance wing and aMcDonnell F-4 Phantom II wing, both located on other bases. During thePueblo Crisis, a mobilized Air National Guard wing was assigned to the division and deployed its squadrons to the Pacific to perform reconnaissance missions.
The835th Air Division was activated atMcConnell Air Force Base, Kansas on 1 July 1964 as the command headquarters for the23d Tactical Fighter Wing already stationed there and the355th Tactical Fighter Wing, which was activated at McConnell later that month.[1][2] Bothwings were equipped with theRepublic F-105 Thunderchief.[3] Thedivision's 835th Combat Support Group assumed duty as the host organization for McConnell from the 23d Combat Support Group, providing support for allUnited States Air Force units at McConnell and operating support aircraft.[4] The division trained inclose air support andair defense missions and participated injoint operations.[1] The division's wings frequently deployed their tactical squadrons overseas, primarily to Southeast Asia.[2][3]
In November 1965, the 355th Wing moved toTakhli Royal Thai Air Force Base,[2] leaving behind two of its squadrons, the354th and357th Tactical Fighter Squadrons. Until they could rejoin the wing in Thailand, these two squadrons were temporarily assigned directly to the division .[1] The departure of the 355th left McConnell with only a single wing, and base support responsibilities were transferred from the division back to the 23d Wing.[4]
At the beginning of 1966, the division's remaining wing, the 23d, added the mission to train F-105aircrews, primarily for duty in Southeast Asia.[3] After seven months with only a single wing assigned, the75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, located atBergstrom Air Force Base, Texas was assigned to the division. The 75th was organized as TAC took over Bergstrom fromStrategic Air Command.[5][6] This wing was equipped with theMcDonnell RF-4 Phantom II. In February 1967, it became a replacement training unit for the RF-4C aircraft.[5]
The123d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing of theKentucky Air National Guard was called to active duty in August 1968, along with squadrons from theArkansas andNevada Air National Guard. Its components moved from their home stations toRichards-Gebaur Air Force Base, Missouri with theirMcDonnell RF-101 Voodoos. While on active duty, the wing deployed its Voodos toMisawa andItazuke Air Bases in Japan.[7][8] 123d elements deployed in the Pacific providedreconnaissance support forOperation Linebacker. The wing was returned to state control and its home station in the spring of 1969.[1][7]
In December 1969, the 75th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was transferred toTwelfth Air Force, leaving the division once again with a single wing assigned.[1][5]
The division's final assigned wing was the49th Tactical Fighter Wing, an F-4 Phantom II wing stationed atHolloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 49th Wing was reassigned to the wing two months after the 75th Wing was reassigned, on 1 February 1970. The 49th Wing was "dual-based" and committed to support of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization when called upon. From September to October, the entire wing deployed to its former base in Germany,Spangdahlem Air Base.[9]
In November 1970, as the USAF began to transfer portions of its Thunderchief inventory to theAir National Guard, the 23d Wing transferred the focus of its training mission to preparing National Guard pilots for their new aircraft.[3] The184th Tactical Fighter Group of theKansas Air National Guard, which was also located at McConnell, became the first Guard unit to train on and equip with the Thunderchief.[10]
The division was inactivated in June 1971 and its two wings were reassigned directly to Twelfth Air Force.[1][3][9]
Wings
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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