834d Air Division

834th Air Division
Emblem of the 834th Air Division
Active	1957-1992
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command and Control
Part of	Military Airlift Command
Garrison/HQ	Hickam AFB, Hawaii

The 834th Air Division (834th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-Second Air Force, being stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. It was inactivated on 1 Apr 1992

History

Lineage

• Established as 834 Air Division on 30 Aug 1957

Activated on 25 Sep 1957

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1959

• Activated on 24 Jun 1964

Organized on 1 Jul 1964

Inactivated on 1 Dec 1971

• Activated on 31 Jan 1972

Inactivated on 31 Dec 1974

• Redesignated 834 Airlift Division on 23 Aug 1978

Activated on 1 Oct 1978

Inactivated on 1 Apr 1992.

Assignments

• Tactical Air Command

Ninth Air Force, 25 Sep 1957

Eighteenth Air Force, 1 Oct 1957

Twelfth Air Force, 1 Jan 1958-1 Apr 1959

• Tactical Air Command, 24 Jun 1964

Ninth Air Force, 1 Jul 1964

• Pacific Air Forces

Seventh Air Force, 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971

• Tactical Air Command

Twelfth Air Force, 31 Jan 1972

• Military Airlift Command

Twenty-Second Air Force, 1-31 Dec 1974

Twenty-Second Air Force, 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992.

Stations

• England AFB, Louisiana, 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959
• England AFB, Louisiana, 1 Jul 1964-15 Oct 1966

Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam, 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971

• Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 31 Jan 1972-31 Dec 1974
• Hickam AFB, Hawaii, 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992.

Components

Wings

• 3 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jul 1964-8 Nov 1965
• 27 Tactical Fighter: attached 15 Jul 1958-18 Feb 1959
• 31 Tactical Fighter: 1 Jan 1965-1 Aug 1966
• 313 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar 1972-30 Sep 1973
• 314 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar 1972-31 Dec 1974
• 315 Air Commando (later, 315 Special Operations; 315 Tactical Airlift): 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971
• 366 Fighter Bomber (later, 366 Tactical Fighter): 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959
• 374 Tactical Airlift: 1 Oct 1978-1 Apr 1992
• 401 Fighter Bomber (later, 401 Tactical Fighter): 25 Sep 1957-1 Apr 1959; 1 Jul 1964-27 Apr 1966
• 463 Tactical Airlift: 1 Jun 1972-31 Dec 1974
• 483 Troop Carrier (later, 483 Tactical Airlift): 15 Oct 1966-1 Dec 1971 (not operational, 15 Oct-3 Nov 1966)
• 516 Tactical Airlift: 15 Mar-1 Jun 1972.

Group

• 616 Military Airlift: 9 Aug 1990-1 Apr 1992.

Squadrons

• 90 Tactical Fighter: 19 Nov 1965-8 Feb 1966 (detached entire period)
• 531 Tactical Fighter: 19 Nov-7 Dec 1965 (detached entire period)
• 614 Tactical Fighter: 27 Sep Apr-18 Sep 1966 (detached 13-18 Sep 1966)
• 615 Tactical Fighter: 27 Apr-17 Jul 1966 (detached 13-17 Jul 1966).

Aircraft

• F-84, 1957
• F-100, 1957-1959; 1964-1966
• F-101, 1958-1959
• C-47, 1966-1971

EC-47, 1971

• C-123, 1966-1971

UC-123, 1966-1971

• C-130, 1966-1971; 1972-1974; 1978-1992
• C-7, 1967-1971; 1972
• C-5, 1970-1971; 1978-1992
• A-37, 1971
• O-2, 1971
• UH-1, 1971
• C-9, 1978-1992
• C-141, 1978-1992.

Operational History

The 834th Airlift Division assumed command and control over two fighter bomber wings and the 834th Air Base Group in Sep 1957. As an intermediate echelon between the wings and Tactical Air Command's numbered air forces, the division supervised operations and training, tactical exercises firepower demonstrations, and conducted periodic evaluations and inspections to ensure combat readiness of aircrews and equipment. By Jun 1964, the conflict in Southeast Asia demanded much of the 834th's efforts. Late in 1966 the division moved, without personnel or equipment, to Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, to join the Seventh Air Force. Through Dec 1971 it served as a single manager for all tactical airlift operations in South Vietnam, using air transport to haul cargo and troops, which were air-landed or air-dropped, as combat needs dictated. In addition, the 834th supervised transport operations (primarily C-47's) of the Vietnamese Air Force and six A-4 Wallaby transports operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. The 834th's flying components also performed defoliation missions, propaganda leaflet drops, and other special missions. During its last few months, the 834th worked toward passing combat airlift control to Seventh Air Force.

From Mar 1972 to Dec 1974 the division supervised Twelfth Air Force tactical airlift operations and participated in a series of tactical airlift exercises and joint training missions with U.S. Army units. Squadrons and detachment-size elements frequently deployed to points in Europe, the Canal Zone, Africa, Thailand, and elsewhere. The 834th flew many humanitarian missions to such widespread places as Africa, the Philippines, Columbia, and Honduras.

In Oct 1978, it assumed responsibility for managing MAC airlift resources in the Pacific. For this mission, the 834th provided a single commander for MAC airlift units in the Pacific theater; command and control of theater-assigned airlift forces for Pacific Air Forces; theater tactical airlift war planning and Pacific exercise planning; and aerial ports in the Pacific area to support the air movement of personnel, cargo, equipment, patients, and mail. The division participated in tactical exercises such as Team Spirit, Ulchi Focus Lens, and Capstan Dragon.

References

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