821st Strategic Aerospace Division

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821st Strategic Aerospace Division
44th Strategic Missile Wing
Active1959–1971
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleCommand of strategic strike forces
Part ofStrategic Air Command
Insignia
821st Strategic Aerospace Division emblem (approved 8 July 1959)[1]

The 821st Strategic Aerospace Division is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Fifteenth Air Force at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1971.

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

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

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]

In December 1960, the division added an intercontinental ballistic missile squadron to its strike forces, when the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron was activated and assigned to the 28th Bombardment Wing as an HGM-25A Titan I squadron.[10] However, the squadron never became operational while assigned to the 28th.[2]

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

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.

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.

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
Inactivated on 30 June 1971[1]

Assignments

Stations

Components

Wings
  • 90th Strategic Missile Wing: 2 July 1966 – 30 June 1971
F. E. Warren Air Force Base
, Wyoming
  • 91st Bombardment Wing
    : 1 September 1964 – 1 July 1966
Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana
  • 44th Strategic Missile Wing: 1 January 1962 – 30 June 1971
  • 341st Strategic Missile Wing: 1 July 1962 – 1 July 1964
Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
  • 28th Bombardment Wing: 1 January 1959 – 30 June 1971
  • 4133d Strategic Wing
    : 1 January 1959 – 1 July 1962
Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota
  • 4136th Strategic Wing
    : 1 January 1959 – 1 July 1962
Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota
  • 4141st Strategic Wing
    : 1 July 1959 – 1 July 1962
Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana[1]
Groups
  • 821st Combat Support Group: 1 January 1962 – 30 June 1971
  • 821st Medical Group: 1 January 1962 – 30 June 1971

Aircraft

  • Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1959–1971
  • Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, 1959–1971
  • Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1962–1964
  • HGM-25A Titan I, 1962–1965
  • LGM-30A Minuteman I, 1963–1971
  • Boeing EC-135, 1965–1971[1]

See also

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ As the SAC role at these bases grew, each was eventually transferred from ADC to SAC. Mueller, pp. 202, 420
  2. ^ Kipp states that the first two missiles did not go on alert until 27 October. Kipp. et al. pp. 72-74
  3. Vandenberg Air Force Base
    on alert. Kipp. et al. pp. 72-74
Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Factsheet 821 Strategic Aerospace Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Ravenstein, pp. 52-54
  3. ^ "Abstract (Unclassified), Vol 1, History of Strategic Air Command, Jan-Jun 1957 (Secret)". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  4. ^ Knaack, p. 252
  5. ^ McMullen, pp. 41, 43-45
  6. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 716-718
  7. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 401-402, 529-530
  8. ^ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 147-149
  9. ^ "Abstract (Unclassified), History of the Strategic Bomber since 1945 (Top Secret, downgraded to Secret)". Air Force History Index. 1 April 1975. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  10. ^ a b Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 781
  11. ^ a b c d Ravenstein, pp. 73-74
  12. ^ Mueller, p. 149
  13. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 180-181
  14. ^ Kipp. et al. pp. 72-74
  15. ^ Kipp, et al. pp. 34-35
  16. ^ Kipp, et al. p. 47
  17. ^ Kipp, et al., p. 61
  18. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 123-125

Bibliography

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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