The division was activated as the 821st Air Division at Ellsworth in 1959 to command Boeing B-52 Stratofortress units of Strategic Air Command (SAC), which had been dispersed along the northern border of the United States to reduce their vulnerability to Soviet missile attacks.
In 1962, the 44th Strategic Missile Wing was activated at Ellsworth and assigned to the division along with a second Minuteman missile wing in Montana. At the same time, the B-52 wings formerly assigned to the division were transferred, except for the 28th Bombardment Wing at Ellsworth. The division's units assumed a heightened alert role during the Cuban Missile Crisis, including the first SAC LGM-30A Minuteman I to be put on alert.
The division continued at Ellsworth until June 1971, when SAC organized its divisions on a weapons system basis, and its bombardment and missile wings were reassigned to different divisions.
History
B-52G and KC-135A as flown by the division's strategic wings
Starting in 1957, the 28th Bombardment Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base began to upgrade from the Convair B-36 Peacemaker to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.[2] However, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was concerned that bases with large concentrations of the new jet bombers made attractive targets. SAC's response was to break up its B-52 wings and scatter their aircraft 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.[3][4] At the same time, the reduced number of interceptors available to Air Defense Command (ADC) due to attrition and closing production lines made ADC bases along the northern tier of states available for expansion to accommodate SAC heavy bombers and tankers.[5] In 1958 SAC established strategic wings at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, all ADC bases.[note 1] The 821st Air Division was activated at Ellsworth in January 1959 to command these new strategic wings and the 28th Wing at Ellsworth.[1]
However, the establishment of wings did not immediately disperse the bomber force. It would be 1960 before the 28th Wing's 717th and 718th Bombardment Squadrons were transferred from Ellsworth to other bases.[6] Although Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers were assigned earlier, Minot and Glasgow only received their bombers in 1961[7] and the Grand Forks wing only activated its bomber squadron in 1962.[8] As their squadrons became combat ready, one third of each wing's aircraft were maintained on fifteen-minute alert, fully fueled, armed and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. This was increased to half their aircraft in 1962.[9]
1962 was a year of change for the division's responsibilities. On 1 January, the 44th Strategic Missile Wing was activated at Ellsworth and assigned to the 821st.[1] The 850th Strategic Missile Squadron was assigned to the new wing.[10][11] The same day, the division assumed support responsibility for Ellsworth through its 821st Combat Support Group.[12] The following month, the division became the 821st Strategic Aerospace Division when SAC added the term "aerospace" to the names of its units with both bomber and missile strike elements.[1]
Titan I ICBM
Although the 44th wing was initially assigned Titan I missiles, it was designed as a LGM-30A Minuteman I wing and began to add Minuteman squadrons in the summer of 1962, although none became operational until 1963.[11] In July, the division's responsibilities were realigned when the three strategic wings were reassigned to other SAC divisions and the 821st assumed command of a second Minuteman wing, the 341st Strategic Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana.[1] On 23 July, the 341st's first Minuteman was placed in its silo.[13]
On 23 October 1962, in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 341st placed its first two Minuteman missiles on alert.[13][note 2] The 341st was in the process of accepting their first flight of missiles from Air Force Systems Command. Eventually Malmstrom was able to place six missiles on alert for the duration of the crisis.[14] These were the first and only SAC Minutemen to stand alert during the crisis.[note 3] On 20 October SAC had directed its B-52 wings, including the 28th, to put two additional planes on alert. Two days later 1/8 of the division's B-52s were placed on airborne alert. Additional KC-135s were also placed on alert to replace the KC-135s devoted to maintaining the B-52 airborne alert. On 24 October SAC increased its readiness status to DEFCON 2, placing all its combat aircraft on alert.[15] On 21 November SAC returned to normal airborne alert posture.[16] and on 27 November SAC returned to normal ground alert posture.[17]
The division lost the first Minuteman wing, the 341st, in 1964.[1] In 1965, the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron was inactivated as the Titan I was withdrawn from service and its parent, the 44th Strategic Missile Wing, became an entirely Minuteman equipped unit.[11] Offsetting the loss of a single missile squadron, the division gained the 90th Strategic Missile Wing at Glasgow Air Force Base.[18] After these changes to the division's missile units, its composition remained stable until it was inactivated.[1]
Between 1966 and 1970, the division's subordinate units loaned B-52 and KC-135 aircraft and crews to Strategic Air Command organizations in Southeast Asia in support of Operation Arc Light combat missions. The 821st conducted numerous staff assistance visits, and participated in tactical exercises such as Operation Chrome Dome.[1]
The division was inactivated in 1971 as part of SAC's realignment of division headquarters on a functional basis.[1] The 28th Bombardment Wing joined other bomber units in the 47th Air Division,[2] while the 44th and 90th Strategic Missile Wings were reassigned to the 4th Strategic Missile Division.[11][18]
Lineage
Established as 821 Air Division on 22 August 1958
Activated on 1 January 1959
Redesignated 821 Strategic Aerospace Division on 15 February 1962
The 72nd Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. It has been the host unit at Tinker since activating there on 1 October 1994.
The 91st Missile Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command Twentieth Air Force. It is stationed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota as a tenant unit.
The 456th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 14th Air Division of Strategic Air Command at Beale Air Force Base, California, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1975. The wing's predecessor was the 456th Bombardment Group, a World War II United States Army Air Forces combat organization that flew from Italy while assigned to Fifteenth Air Force. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for valor in combat and participated in the strategic bombing campaign against oil production targets including those near Ploiești, Romania, attacks that resulted in high bomber losses. The group also served as a troop carrier unit in the Air Force Reserve from 1947 to 1949 and as the flying element of the wing from 1952 to 1955.
The 44th Missile Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twentieth Air Force, being assigned to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 4 July 1994.
The 28th Bomb Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Eighth Air Force of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The wing is also the "host unit" at Ellsworth AFB.
The 462d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to Air Mobility Command to activate or inactivate as needed to meet operational requirements. Its last assignment was at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.
The 454th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 42d Air Division of Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. It was inactivated on 25 July 1969.
The 66th Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 44th Operations Group, stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. The 66th was equipped with the LGM-30F Minuteman II Intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. With the end of the Cold War, the 66th was inactivated on 1 September 1993.
The 822d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, where it was inactivated on 2 September 1966.
The 823d Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC)'s Second Air Force at McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.
The 810th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command (SAC), assigned to Fifteenth Air Force at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.
The 819th Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Its last assignment was with Second Air Force of Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 2 July 1966.
The 13th Strategic Missile Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force, based at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. It was inactivated on 2 July 1966.
The 68th Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 44th Operations Group, stationed at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.
The 717th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4245th Strategic Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 1 February 1963.
The 366th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was as part of the 305th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana. It was inactivated on 1 January 1970.
The 365th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was first activated in March 1942. After training with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in the United States, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The squadron was twice awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its combat actions. Following V-E Day, it moved to the continent of Europe and engaged in photographic mapping until inactivating in December 1946.
The 364th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 305th Bombardment Wing at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana.
The 461st Air Control Wing is a joint Air Force/Army unit flying the E-8 J-STARS aircraft. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force, and is stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It was activated on 1 October 2011.
The 90th Missile Wing is a component of Twentieth Air Force, stationed at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base and equipped with LGM-30G Minuteman III Missiles. It has served at Warren as a component of Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command and Air Force Global Strike Command since 1963.
References
Notes
Explanatory notes
↑ As the SAC role at these bases grew, each was eventually transferred from ADC to SAC. Mueller, pp. 202, 420
↑ Kipp states that the first two missiles did not go on alert until 27 October. Kipp. et al. pp. 72-74
↑ Systems Command also placed two Minuteman missiles at Vandenberg Air Force Base on alert. Kipp. et al. pp. 72-74
Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol.2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-912799-59-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
United States Air Force 
