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30th Air Division
F-102A Delta Dagger of the division's 326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron[1]
Active	1948–1968
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of air defense forces
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
30th Air Division emblem[a][2]

The 30th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Municipal Airport, Iowa. It was inactivated on 18 September 1968.

History

Assigned to Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, the division's initial mission was the air defense of the upper Great Lakes region of the United States. The 30th equipped, administered, trained, and provided operationally ready forces to the appropriate commanders for air defense. The division trained attached and assigned units and supervised and participated in numerous exercises such as Kiowa Knife and Mandan Indian.^[2]

Moved to Sioux City Municipal Airport in 1966 as part of an ADC reorganization and became responsible for air defense in a large area of the upper Midwest after the inactivation of the Sioux City Air Defense Sector. Assumed additional designation of 30th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado, and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966.

The 30th administered and trained subordinate units, and participated in numerous air defense training exercises.^[2] In addition, during the 1960s it supervised training of Air National Guard units with a pertinent mobilization assignment.

Inactivated in September 1968^[2] as ADC phased down its interceptor mission as the chances of a Soviet bomber attack on the United States seemed remote, its mission being consolidated into North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its assets transferred to 24th NORAD Region/Air Division.

Lineage

• Established as the 30 Air Division (Defense) on 8 November 1949

Activated on 16 December 1949

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Redesignated 30 Air Division (SAGE) on 1 April 1959

Discontinued and inactivated on 18 September 1968^[2]

See also

• List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• United States general surveillance radar stations

References