806th Air Division

The 806th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was assigned to Second Air Force of Strategic Air Command at Chennault Air Force Base, Louisiana. where it was inactivated on 15 June 1960.

806th Air Division
USAF KC-97F Stratotanker refueling B-47B Stratojet
Active1952–1960
CountryUnited States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleBombardment
Part ofStrategic Air Command
Insignia
806th Air Division emblem (approved 13 April 1954)[1]

The division was activated to manage the two Strategic Air Command medium bombardment wings at Chennault in 1952. Shortly after the division was activated, its mission changed from crew training to strategic bombardment, originally with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, then with Boeing B-47 Stratojets. It was inactivated with one of its wings, which left Chennault as a single wing base.

History

The 806th Air Division was activated in 1952 at Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana when Strategic Air Command (SAC) departed from the wing base organization system and created air divisions as the headquarters on bases with two operational wings. The division's components were the 44th and 68th Bombardment Wings,[2] and the newly activated 806th Air Base Group. Both its operational wings flew variants of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.[1] Its 44th wing served as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being assigned to Far East Air Forces until late August.[3]

The following year, the division's bombardment units upgraded to the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and expanded to include air refueling squadrons flying Boeing KC-97 Stratotankers. The 98th Air Refueling Squadron moved to Lake Charles from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida in November 1953 and was assigned to the division.[1][4] The squadron was inactivated a few days later and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 68th wing's 68th Air Refueling Squadron. The division monitored and coordinated the units' manning, equipping, and training for global strategic air warfare on a global scale. In fulfilling its mission, the division participated in numerous tactical exercises.[1]

The division's 44th wing deployed as a unit to 5th Air Division forward locations in Morocco in Operation Reflex,[3] while the 68th deployed to bases in the United Kingdom controlled by 7th Air Division.[5] The division's tanker units deployed separately to locations including Canada.[6]

On 14 November 1958, Lake Charles Air Force Base was renamed Chennault Air Force Base in honor of General Claire Lee Chennault, the founder of the Flying Tigers, who died in July of that year.[7]

The 806th was inactivated in June 1960[1] when the 44th Bombardment Wing was inactivated[3] as a first step toward the planned closure of Chennault in 1962.[8] This left only a single wing at Chennault and the 68th Bombardment Wing and its 68th Combat Support Group assumed host base responsibility as the sole remaining wing at Chennault.[9]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 806 Air Division on 4 June 1952
Activated on 16 June 1952
Discontinued on 15 June 1960[1]

Assignments

Stations
  • Lake Charles Air Force Base (later Chennault Air Force Base), Louisiana, 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960[1]

Components

Wings

  • 44th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960[1] (attached to 5th Air Division 19 January 1953 – 22 February 1953 and 19 April 1954 – 17 June 1954)[10]
  • 68th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960[1]

Groups

  • 806th Air Base Group (later 806th Combat Support Group): 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960[11]
  • 806th Medical Group: 1 December 1958 – 15 June 1960[12]

Squadrons

  • 98th Air Refueling Squadron: 22 November 1953 – 25 November 1953[1]
  • 505th Aviation Squadron: 18 September 1953 – 1 July 1954[13][14]

Other

  • 4232d USAF Hospital: 1 April 1954 – 1 December 1958 (attached to 806th Air Base Group)[12][15][16]

Aircraft
  • Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1952–1953
  • Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1960
  • Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker, 1953–1960[1]

Commanders

Col Carlos J. Cochrane, 16 June 1952; Brig Gen Raymond L. Winn, 3 November 1952; Brig Gen Henry K. Mooney, 2 August 1954; Brig Gen John K. Hester, 1 August 1955; Col Jacob J. Brogger, 24 July 1957; Col Robert H. Strauss, 4 December 1958; Col William J. Cain Jr., 27 May – 15 June 1960[1]

See also

References

Notes
  1. "Factsheet 806 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  2. The 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing was redesignated as a bombardment unit the same day it was assigned to the 806th
  3. Ravenstein, pp. 73–74
  4. Mueller, p. 352
  5. Ravenstein, pp. 107–109
  6. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Jul 1956". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  7. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Sep 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  8. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Nov 1959". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  9. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Feb 1960". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  10. "Factsheet 5 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  11. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Dec 1953". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  12. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Dec 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  13. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Oct 1953". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  14. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Jul 1954". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  15. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Feb 1954". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  16. "Abstract, History 806 Air Division Jul 1954". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 12 April 2014.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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