Assigned to
Air Defense Command (ADC) for most of its existence, "from January 1951 until 1960 the 34th administered, trained, operated and supported assigned units, and placed all available combat capable elements in a maximum state of readiness. Initially, its area of responsibility included
Arizona,
New Mexico, and parts of
Nevada,
Utah,
Colorado, and
Texas."[1] It was inactivated and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the
Albuquerque Air Defense Sector on 1 January 1960.
Reactivated on 1 April 1966, to perform Air Defense "including all or part of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia"[1] assuming responsibility for the missions of the
Detroit and parts of the
Syracuse Air Defense Sectors.
Assumed additional designation of 34th 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 division participated in numerous live and simulated exercises such as Fainting Echo, Apache Arrow, and Fainting Knife.[1]
Inactivated in December 1969[1] 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).
Lineage
Established as the 34 Air Division (Defense) on 1 January 1951
Activated on 5 January 1951
Inactivated on 1 February 1952
Organized on 1 February 1952
Inactivated on 1 January 1960
Redesignated 34 Air Division and activated on 20 January 1966
^Aircraft is North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre Serial 48-133 at Kirtland AFB NM Aircraft participating in B-36 intercept tests. The wide color bands were painted on the fuselage for identification as a test aircraft. Taken October 1951.