Command of bombardment wings at Homestead Air Force Base The
823d Air Division was activated 1 June 1956 at
Homestead Air Force Base, Florida when the
19th Bombardment Wing moved to Homestead from
Pinecastle Air Force Base to join the
379th Bombardment Wing. Although the 379th had been at Homestead since the fall of 1955, it had only begun receiving its
Boeing B-47 Stratojets in April 1956. The division assumed command of the two B-47 wings and host responsibility for the base through its 823d Air Base Group. The division began to train its wings in long range offensive bombardment and air refueling operations. The Florida location, unfortunately, also meant that the division had to evacuate its base when hurricanes threatened. The division's responsibilities as the host for Homestead expanded in July 1960, when the
435th Troop Carrier Wing of
Continental Air Command, with its
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars, and other
Air Force Reserve units moved to Homestead from
Miami International Airport.
Conversion to the B-52 In October 1960, the 379th wing began to transfer its aircraft to
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for storage in preparation for a move on paper to
Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan and reassignment to another division. Although the 823d was originally scheduled to inactivate with only a single wing left at Homestead, by the time the 379th's move occurred in January 1961 the division instead began preparations for a new role as the command element for dispersed bombardment wings, which would include four bombardment wings at four locations by the end of 1961. The
306th Bombardment Wing at
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida and
321st Bombardment Wing at McCoy Air Force Base, Florida were assigned to the wing in early February and the
2d Bombardment Wing at
Hunter Air Force Base, Georgia became the division's fourth wing in April. In September 1961 the
347th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 Stratofortresses, moved to McCoy from
Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts. The 321st Wing at McCoy had already become non-operational in May, and was inactivated on 25 October 1961. The 19th Wing inactivated one of its squadrons and dispersed two others. Toward the end of 1961, the 19th began to convert its remaining bombardment squadron to the B-52 and its refueling squadron to the
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, completing the transition in early 1962. The last B-47 wings assigned to the division were terminated on 1 April 1963. At Hunter Air Force Base, the 2d Bombardment Wing had been disposing of its Stratojets, preparing to transfer the base to
Military Air Transport Service and the
Douglas C-124 Globemaster IIs of the
63d Troop Carrier Wing before moving as a paper unit to
Barksdale Air Force Base. Once the base transfer was completed, the wing moved and was reassigned. At MacDill, the 306th Wing was programmed for inactivation once its B-47s were gone. Instead, it deployed them to join the remaining Stratojets of the 2d Wing at Hunter in October 1962, then moved on paper to replace the 4047th Wing at McCoy. On 1 October 1962, shortly before the start of the
Cuban Missile Crisis, the
72d Bombardment Wing, another B-52 wing located at
Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico was assigned to the division.
Cuban Missile Crisis Soon after detection of Soviet missiles in Cuba, SAC withdrew its forces from MacDill, McCoy and Homestead as these bases became saturated with tactical forces. With the exception of aircraft already on alert, the division's aircraft left Florida by 21 October. The departing bombers carried nuclear weapons in the ferrying configuration. Alert aircraft left MacDill and Homestead by 22 October and McCoy by 24 October in Operation Riders Up. McCoy sent three of the 4047th Wing's B-52Ds to
Turner Air Force Base, Georgia and two to
Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, while 26 B-47Es of the 321st Wing moved to Hunter. Homestead flew two B-52Hs to Wurtsmith and seven KC-135As to
Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. On 29 October additional KC-97s were dispersed to
Goose and
Ernest Harmon Air Force Bases in Canada and
Lajes Air Base in the
Azores to provide refueling for the B-47s on increased alert status. On 20 October all the division's B-52 units except the 19th Wing were directed to put two additional aircraft on alert. On 22 October 1/8 of the B-52s were placed on airborne alert. Additional KC-135 were placed on alert to replace KC-135s devoted to maintaining the B-52 bomber force on airborne alert. The dispersed B-47s and their supporting tankers were recalled on 24 November. On 27 November SAC returned to normal alert posture and began coordinating the return of its Florida aircraft to their home bases. The deployed portions of the wing returned to Georgia by the end of September. However, the 484th barely had time to resume normal operations. Its
824th Bombardment Squadron inactivated in late January 1967 and the wing inactivated on 25 March. The wing's tankers of the
919th Air Refueling Squadron remained in the division, however, when they moved to McCoy and were assigned to the 306th Wing. Turner was transferred to the
Navy at the end of June. On 1 July 1968, Homestead was transferred from SAC to
Tactical Air Command as SAC withdrew its forces from the base. The division moved to McCoy Air Force Base the following day. Exactly one year later, the division saw the last change of wings under its command. On 2 July 1969, the 19th Bombardment Wing returned to the division along with the
68th Bombardment Wing at
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 823d was inactivated at the end of June 1971 and its mission, personnel and equipment were transferred to the
42d Air Division, which was simultaneously activated at McCoy. ==Lineage==