313th AirDiv PACAF

• Origins in World War II: The 313th Air Division, originally activated as the 313th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy) in 1944, played a crucial role in the final air campaigns against Japan, operating B-29 Superfortresses. • Role in the Pacific: The unit was part of the Twentieth Air Force and staged from Tinian in the Marianas, conducting strategic bombing raids, including incendiary attacks on Japanese cities. • Atomic Bomb Link: The 313th Bombardment Wing included the 509th Composite Group, which dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although the 509th operated semi-independently. • Reactivation in the Cold War: Reactivated as the 313th Air Division under Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) in 1955, the unit became an important headquarters for U.S. airpower in the Western Pacific. • Kadena Air Base: The 313th was headquartered at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, a key strategic location for U.S. air operations in Asia. • Vietnam War Involvement: The division managed and supported numerous combat and reconnaissance units during the Vietnam War, including fighter, bomber, and intelligence squadrons. • Command of Multiple Units: Over its history, the division commanded a wide array of units, including fighter wings, reconnaissance squadrons, and support groups, adapting to the changing needs of U.S. air strategy in the Pacific. • Humanitarian Operations: Beyond combat, the 313th supported humanitarian missions, such as disaster relief operations following typhoons and earthquakes in the Asia-Pacific region. • Disestablishment: The 313th Air Division was inactivated on 1 October 1991, part of the post-Cold War drawdown and restructuring of U.S. forces in Asia. • Legacy and Heritage: The division’s legacy lives on through its contributions to air campaigns in World War II, its Cold War deterrence mission, and the ongoing strategic importance of Kadena Air Base for U.S. and allied operations in the Pacific.