316th Air Division

316th Air Division
316th Air Division
	Loading cargo onto a C-130 Hercules at Ramstein AB
Active	1944–1948; 1953–1960; 1985–1991
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of support elements
Engagements	Pacific Theater
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
316th Air Division emblem
316 Bombardment Wing emblem

The 316th Airlift Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It was inactivated on 1 May 1991.

History[edit]

The 316th Bombardment Wing trained in the United States before transfer to Okinawa in August 1945. Assigned units ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippines.
In September 1953, the 316th Division manned, equipped, trained, and maintained assigned units until April 1960. It provided warning and defense against potential hostile air operations against the Moroccan region of North Africa.
In 1985, the division gained operational responsibility to implement war and contingency plans. It also provided host support to units in the Kaiserslautern Military Community as well as logistical support for other organizations in the European theater. In April–May 1991, assigned units deployed aircraft and personnel to Turkey in support of Operation Provide Comfort, a humanitarian relief effort to save the Kurds from starvation and resettle them in northern Iraq.

^[1]

Lineage[edit]

Established as the 316th Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 4 August 1944

Activated on 14 August 1944

Redesignated 316 Composite Wing on 8 January 1946

Redesignated 316 Bombardment Wing, Very Heavy on 6 May 1946

Inactivated on 21 June 1948

Redesignated 316 Air Division (Defense) on 26 June 1953

Organized on 18 September 1953

Discontinued on 1 April 1960

Redesignated 316 Air Division on 1 June 1985

Activated on 14 June 1985

Inactivated on 1 May 1991^[1]

Assignments[edit]

Second Air Force, 14 August 1944 (attached to XXII Bomber Command, c. 14 August – c. 7 December 1944
Army Service Forces, 8 July 1945
Eighth Air Force, 5 September 1945
1st Air Division, 13 June 1946 – 21 June 1948
Seventeenth Air Force, 18 September 1953
Seventeenth Air Force, 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991^[1]

Stations[edit]

Peterson Field, Colorado, 14 August 1944 – 7 July 1945
Kadena (later Kadena Field, Kadena Army Air Base, Kadena Air Force Base), Okinawa, 17 August 1945 – 21 June 1948
Rabat Salé Air Base, French Morocco (later Morocco), 18 September 1953 – 1 April 1960
Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991^[1]

Components[edit]

Wing

86th Tactical Fighter Wing: 14 June 1985 – 1 May 1991^[1]

Groups

22d Bombardment Group: 31 May 1946-by 31 May 1948
333d Bombardment Group: 31 August 1945 – 28 May 1946
346th Bombardment Group: 31 July 1945 – 30 June 1946
382d Bombardment Group: 31 August 1945 – 4 January 1946
383d Bombardment Group: 31 August 1945 – 3 January 1946^[1]

Squadrons

28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron: 15–29 May 1946
45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (later, 45th Fighter-Day Squadron): 18 September 1953 – 8 January 1958
324th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 July 1958 – 8 March 1960
357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 18 September 1953 – 8 March 1960^[1]

Aircraft[edit]

Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1948
North American F-86 Sabre, 1953–1960
North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1957
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1985–1991.

References[edit]

Explanatory notes

^ Approved 15 November 1955. Description: Or, a globe azure gridlined gray and charged with a lion rampant grasping a sword of the third [color mentioned] all within a diminished bordure gray.
^ Approved 27 Feb 1945. Description: A globe azure gridlined argent and charged with a lion rampant grasping a sword of the same [color].

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Factsheet 316 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^ Maurer, p. 425.

Bibliography[edit]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

[2] Approved 15 November 1955. Description: Or, a globe azure gridlined gray and charged with a lion rampant grasping a sword of the third [color mentioned] all within a diminished bordure gray.

[3] Approved 27 Feb 1945. Description: A globe azure gridlined argent and charged with a lion rampant grasping a sword of the same [color].

[316ADfacts-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j "Factsheet 316 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2018.

[4] Maurer, p. 425.

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v t e United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa
Air Forces	Third (Europe)
Bases	Aviano Air Base Incirlik Air Base RAF Lakenheath RAF Mildenhall Ramstein Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base
Support facilities	Chièvres Air Base Lajes Field Morón Air Base RAF Akrotiri RAF Alconbury RAF Fairford RAF Molesworth RAF Welford Stuttgart Airport
Major units	31st Fighter Wing 39th Air Base Wing 48th Fighter Wing 52nd Fighter Wing 86th Airlift Wing 100th Air Refueling Wing 406th Air Expeditionary Wing 435th Air Ground Operations Wing 501st Combat Support Wing