839th Air Division

839th Air Division
Lockheed C-130 of the 316th Tactical Airlift Wing
Active	1957–1974
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of airlift forces
Part of	Tactical Air Command
Insignia
839th Air Division emblem (Approved 16 June 1958)

The 839th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-First Air Force at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee, although except for the last month of its existence it was assigned to Tactical Air Command. It was inactivated on 31 December 1974.

The division was activated at Sewart in 1957. Except for a short period following its activation and two years during the Vietnam War when it had squadrons flying the Fairchild C-123 Provider, the division's operational units were equipped with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. In addition to its airlift mission, the division supervised combat crew training and developed tactics for assault airlift operations.

The 839th Air Division was first activated at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee in October 1957. The division was assigned the 314th Troop Carrier Wing and the newly activated 513th Troop Carrier Wing. The division's 839th Air Base Group served as the host organization for Sewart, providing support for all active duty Air Force units stationed there. Subordinate troop carrier units performed joint airborne training with Army forces, developed assault airlift operations, and participated in aerial demonstrations, tactical exercises, maneuvers, and joint operations.

The 513d Wing flew Fairchild C-123 Providers, while the 314th was re-equipping with Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. In November 1958, the 513d Wing was inactivated, but two squadrons of Providers were not inactivated with the group, but were instead reassigned to the 314th Wing. During 1958 the 839th's components airlifted forces deploying during the Lebanon crisis and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis.

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