The 816th Strategic Aerospace Division (816th SAD) is an inactive United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 organization. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

, assigned to Second Air Force

Second Air Force

The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....

, being stationed at Altus Air Force Base

Altus Air Force Base

Altus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma.The host unit at Altus AFB is the 97th Air Mobility Wing , assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force of the Air Education and Training Command...

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

. It was inactivated on July 1, 1965.

Activated in 1958 as an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command, providing command and control and coordinated the manning, equipping, and operational readiness of B-52 Stratofortress

B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...

 MAJCOM Strategic Wings in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 and Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

. Assigned SM-65 Atlas ICBM wings in 1961 and was redesignated as a Strategic Aerospace Division, conducted training in strategic air warfare on a global scale from 1958–1965. It participated in tactical exercises such as Card Game, Steel Trap, and Blonde Cutey.

Inactivated in June 1965 as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM and as a result of budget reductions.

Lineage

• Established as 816 Air Division on May 20, 1958.

Activated on July 1, 1958

Redesignated 816 Strategic Aerospace Division on April 1, 1962

Discontinued, and inactivated, on July 1, 1965.

Components

Wings

• 11 Bombardment (later, 11 Strategic Aerospace)
  11th Wing
  The 11th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force District of Washington. It is stationed at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Maryland. It is the host unit at Joint Base Andrews....
  
   (Carswell AFB)

July 1, 1958 – July 1, 1965.

• 4123 Strategic: March 1, 1959 – February 1, 1963 (Clinton-Sherman AFB)
• 70 Bombardment
  70th Intelligence Wing
  The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency. It is stationed at Fort George G...
  
  (Clinton-Sherman AFB)

February 1, 1963 – July 1, 1965

• 4245 Strategic: January 5, 1959 – February 1, 1963. (Sheppard AFB)
• 494 Bombardment (Sheppard AFB)

February 1 – July 1, 1963; July 1, 1964 – July 1, 1965

Aircraft

• B-52 Stratofortress
  B-52 Stratofortress
  The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
  
  , 1958–1965
• KC-97 Stratotanker
  KC-97 Stratotanker
  The Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker was a United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker.-Design and development:...
  
  , 1958–1961
• KC-135 Stratotanker
  KC-135 Stratotanker
  The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
  
  , 1958–1965
• B-47 Stratojet
  B-47 Stratojet
  The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
  
  , 1961–1962.

RB-47, 1958–1962

• SM-65 Atlas, 1961–1965

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions