11th Air Division

The 11th Air Division was an air division of the United States Air Force. It provided for the air defense of northern Alaska and supervised base operations at major and minor installations in that area. It furnished detachments at Ice Station Alpha, Drift Station Charlie, and Drift Station Bravo , in the Arctic Ocean.

Lineage

Established as the 11th Air Division on 24 October 1950

The discontinuation and activation in April 1951 represents a change by the division's headquarters from a Table of Distribution unit to a Table of Organization unit. See List of MAJCOM wings of [the United States Air Force]

Emblem

A shield variegated azure within a border argent, charged with eleven stars of blue, over all in bend a rocket or, tipped red, white and blue

Assignments

Alaskan Air Command, 1 November 1950 – 27 April 1951
Alaskan Air Command, 27 April 1951 – 20 July 1951
Alaskan Air Command, 8 April 1953 – 25 August 1960

Components

;Squadrons

18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 1 September 1954 – 20 September 1954; 1 October 1955 – 20 August 1957
72d Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 1 September 1953 – 15 September 1953
416th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 15 September 1953 – 29 September 1953
433d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron: 14 July 1954 – 20 September 1954; 1 October 1955 – 1 November 1957
449th Fighter-All Weather Squadron : attached c. January 1951 – 20 July 1951; assigned 8 April 1953 – 20 September 1954; 1 October 1955 – 25 August 1960
455th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: 8 August 1955 – 22 November 1955
531st Fighter-Bomber Squadron: attached 5 October 1953 – 13 October 1953
720th Fighter-Bomber Squadron: 25 December 1953 – 8 August 1955

Stations

Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, 1 November 1950 – 27 April 1951
Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, 27 April 1950 – 20 July 1951
Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, 8 April 1953 – 25 August 1960

Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles

North American F-82 Twin Mustang, 1951
Lockheed F-94 Starfire, 1951, 1953–1954
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1953-c. 1956
Douglas C-54 Skymaster, 1953-c. 1956
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, 1953-c. 1954
de Havilland Canada L-20 Beaver, 1953-c. 1956
Northrop F-89 Scorpion, 1954–1960
Fairchild C-123 Provider, 1957-1960

Commanders

Brigadier General David H. Baker, 1 November 1950 – c.20 July 1951.
Brigadier General Donald B. Smith, 8 April 1953
Colonel Oscar A. Heinlein, c. July 1954
Brigadier General T. Alan Bennett, 28 August 1954
Colonel Lewis W. Stocking, c.15 May 1957
Brigadier General Kenneth H. Gibson, c. July 1957
Brigadier General Conrad F. Necrason, 11 September 1957
Brigadier General Gordon H. Austin, by September 1958 – 25 August 1960