820th Strategic Aerospace Division

Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter

The 820th Air Division was activated By Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York in January 1956 as the command headquarters for Plattsburgh in anticipation of the movement of a second Boeing B-47 Stratojet wing to Plattsburgh. In June, its 820th Air Base Group became the host organization for Plattsburgh, taking over from the 380th Air Base Group, which had acted in that capacity since 1955.[2] The 380th Bombardment Wing, which had activated at Plattsburgh in the summer of 1955, was the first combat wing assigned to the division. While awaiting the completion of facilities at Plattsburgh, the 380th Wing had been training with B-47s at Pinecastle Air Force Base, Florida. In late June 1956, the wing's initial training was complete and its operational units returned to Plattsburgh[3] Full B-47 operations began the following month.[4] However, the arrival of the second B-47 wing was delayed, and the 380th remained the division's only wing until 1959.[1][note 1] From October through November 1956, the wing was placed on a higher state of readiness because of the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian revolution.[5]

Although the second wing's arrival was delayed, in August 1957, the 26th Air Refueling Squadron moved to Plattsburgh from Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts[6] and was assigned to the division, although it was attached to the 380th Wing for operations. In August 1959, the 26th was assigned directly to the 380th Wing.[1][3]

B-52G refueling from a KC-135A

In January 1959, the 820th grew by three wings. It added two Strategic Wings, the 4038th at Dow Air Force Base, Maine and the 4039th at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York. These wings had been established by SAC in a program to disperse its Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.[7] SAC bases with large concentrations of bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases.[8] The division was also assigned a second wing at Dow, the 4060th Air Refueling Wing. From 1959 until 1961, the division had over 200 combat aircraft assigned to it.[9]

Six months later, in July 1959, the second Plattsburgh wing finally arrived when the 308th Bombardment Wing moved without personnel or equipment from Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia. The 308th remained a paper unit, however, for until June 1960 the 380th Wing tested a "super wing" concept with over 110 operational aircraft assigned, while the 308th Wing remained non-operational until it was finally inactivated in June 1961.[3][10]

In January 1960, the division became an operational headquarters only, when the 380th Bombardment Wing's 380th Combat Support Group again assumed support duties at Plattsburgh.[2] The number of wings assigned to the division was reduced by one in February, when the 4060th Air Refueling Wing was discontinued and its units assigned to the 4038th Strategic Wing.[11]

Convair SM-65F Atlas of the 556th Strategic Missile Squadron[note 2]

In addition to the inactivation of the 308th Wing, 1961 was a year of other changes to the division's responsibilities. In January, the refueling squadrons at Plattsburgh were organized into the 4108th Air Refueling Wing, which was assigned to the division.[1][12] In April, the two B-52 strategic wings were reassigned to the 6th Air Division.[13] The division's wings now were located at Plattsburgh, and for the second time the 820th Combat Support Group replaced the 380th as the division resumed responsibility for support duties at the base.[2][9] In October, the division added another weapons system, the SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile, as the 556th Strategic Missile Squadron was activated and assigned to the division.[1][14]

In the following year, SAC added the term "aerospace" to the names of its divisions that controlled both bomber and missile strike forces and the 820th became the 820th Strategic Aerospace Division.[1] Another name change occurred to one of the division's wings because SAC became concerned that its Major Command Controlled (MAJCON) units, like the 4108th Wing, could not carry a permanent history or lineage.[15] and SAC looked for a way to make its these wings permanent. Later that year, in order to perpetuate the lineage of many currently inactive bombardment units with illustrious World War II records, SAC received authority from USAF to discontinue its MAJCON wings that were equipped with combat aircraft and to activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units, most of which were inactive at the time which could carry a lineage and history.[16] As a result, the 4108th Wing was replaced by the newly constituted 497th Air Refueling Wing,[17] which assumed its mission, personnel, and equipment on 1 January 1963.[note 3]

In July 1962, the 4365 Post Attack Command Control Squadron, flying EB-47 Stratojets of the Post Attack Command and Control System was activated and assigned to the division, although it was attached to the 380th Wing. The squadron operated its communications relay aircraft until September 1964, when it ceased operations and was then inactivated in December.[1][3][18] Later that year, beginning on 23 October, in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the aircraft and missiles of the division assumed a heightened alert state. A portion of its bombers dispersed to other airfields, returning to Plattsburgh one month later.[19]

On 1 July 1964, 499th Air Refueling Wing at Westover Air Force Base, which had been responsible for Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker air refueling squadrons at a number of northeastern bases transferred the squadrons not located at Westover to other units.[20] As a result of this transfer, the 11th Air Refueling Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware became part of the division.[21] Three months later, the 497th Air Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh, whose squadrons had become nonoperational starting in July, was also inactivated, and with a single wing remaining at Plattsburgh, the division terminated its support responsibilities at Plattsburgh.[2][17]

As the KC-97 force was reduced, operations at Dover ended and the 11th squadron moved on paper to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma in June 1965, where it replaced the 96th Air Refueling Squadron, whose mission, personnel and aircraft it assumed. With no units left other than the 380th Wing at Plattsburgh, the division was simultaneously inactivated.[1][21]

• Established as 820 Air Division on 24 January 1956

Activated on 1 February 1956

Redesignated 820 Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 May 1962

Discontinued and inactivated, on 25 June 1965[22]

• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• List of MAJCOM wings of the United States Air Force
• List of USAF Bomb Wings and Wings assigned to Strategic Air Command
• List of USAF Strategic Wings assigned to the Strategic Air Command
• List of B-47 units of the United States Air Force
• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

• "Atlas F Missile Bases: 556 SMS Plattsburgh New York".
• "820th Air Division". Strategic Air Command.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
• "SAC Bases: Plattsburgh AFB". Strategic Air Command.com. Retrieved 27 October 2014.