820th Strategic Aerospace Division

The 820th Strategic Aerospace Division (820th SAD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, assigned to Eighth Air Force, being stationed at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on June 25, 1965.

History
Activated in 1956 as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, providing command and control of B-47 Stratojet subordinate units in New England and upper New York. It also managed SAC MAJCOM B-52 Stratofortress Strategic wings, along with air refueling squadrons. The 820th supervised the organization and training of its subordinate units in long range bombardment and air to air refueling operations. Acquired control of SM-65 Atlas ICBM missile wings in 1962 for strategic aerospace warfare using intercontinental ballistic missiles, being redesignated as a Strategic Aerospace Division.

The division supervised the training of assigned reserve personnel and units. In fulfilling its mission, the 820th participated in numerous training exercises. Inactivated in June 1965 as part of the phaseout of the B-47.

Lineage

 * Established as 820 Air Division on January 24, 1956
 * Activated on February 1, 1956
 * Redesignated 820 Strategic Aerospace Division on May 1, 1962
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on June 25, 1965

Assignments

 * Eighth Air Force, February 1, 1956 – June 25, 1965.

Stations

 * Plattsburgh AFB, New York, February 1, 1956 – June 25, 1965.

Components
Wings
 * 308th Bombardment Wing (Plattsburgh AFB, New York): July 15, 1959 – June 25, 1961
 * 380th Bombardment (later, 380 Strategic Aerospace) Wing (Plattsburgh AFB, New York): February 1, 1956 – June 25, 1965
 * 497 Air Refueling Wing (Plattsburgh AFB, New York): January 1, 1963 – September 15, 1964
 * 4038th Strategic Wing (Dow AFB, Maine) : January 1, 1959 – April 1, 1961
 * 4039th Strategic Wing (Griffiss AFB, New York): January 5, 1959 – April 1, 1961
 * 4060th Air Refueling Wing (Dow AFB, Maine): January 1, 1959 – February 1, 1960
 * 4108th Air Refueling Wing (Plattsburgh AFB, New York): January 1, 1961 – January 1, 1963.

Squadrons
 * 11th Air Refueling Squadron: July 1, 1964 – June 25, 1965
 * 26th Air Refueling Squadron: August 7, 1957 – August 1, 1959
 * 341st Air Refueling Squadron: 1 Feb 1956-1 Apr 1961
 * 556th Strategic Missile Squadron: October 1, 1961 – September 15, 1964
 * 4365th Support (later, 4365 Post Attack Command Control) Squadron: July 20, 1962 – December 24, 1964.

Aircraft and Missiles
KC-97s of 341st ARS assigned to Dow AFB, Maine = 22 aircraft---one was an "E" model, tail 51-151 (overwing fueling only), we had several "F" models (no drop tanks but central pressure fueling) and the balance were 52- "G" models. some I remember were 52-619, -620, -621, -622, -623 and -624. All had R-4360-59B engines. The air re-fuleing tank location was very different on "E", "F", and "G" models and the flight engineers station was a mess on 51-151.
 * B-47 Stratojet, 1956–1965
 * EC-47 Stratojet 1962–1964
 * KC-97 Stratotanker, 1956–1965
 * KC-135 Stratotanker, 1969–1961; 1964–1965
 * B-52 Stratofortress, 1960–1961
 * SM-65 Atlas missile, 1961–1965