831st Air Division

831st Air Division

The 831st Air Division (831 AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Tactical Air Command, assigned to Twelfth Air Force, being stationed at George Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 31 March 1991.

Activated in 1957 as an intermediate command echelon of Tactical Air Command, providing command and control of tactical units primarily in Western United States assigned to the division and higher echelons. Early in 1965, the division assumed an advisory role with two Air Force Reserve units, the 349th Troop Carrier Wing and the 452d Troop Carrier Wing. Besides combat readiness, the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing trained pilots for duty in Southeast Asia until 1971 when the division was inactivated as part of draw-down of forces being deployed Southeast Asia.

Reactivated in 1980 at George AFB, the division regained its world wide deployment responsibility and trained initially F-105 Wild Weasel aircrews and aircraft used to destroy enemy controlled surface-to-air missile sites, switching to F-4E/G units in 1981. In August 1990, the 831st deployed subordinate unit personnel and aircraft to Southwest Asia in support of Desert Shield and later, Desert Storm.

The unit was inactivated with the closure of George AFB in March 1991. When the unit was inactivated in March 1991 CMSGT Roy W. Leo was the last senior enlisted personnel to serve with the unit. He retired on the same day when the 831st cased it colors.