The 806th Air Division is an inactive

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

organization. It was assigned to

Second Air Force The Second Air Force (2 AF; ''2d Air Force'' in 1942) is a USAF numbered air force responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and non-flying officers. In World War II the CONUS unit defende ...

of Strategic Air Command at

Chennault Air Force Base Chennault International Airport ( IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF, FAA LID: CWF) is a center of aerospace activity based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, serves the needs of civilian and military aircraft from around the world with world-class infrastructu ...

, Louisiana. where it was inactivated on 15 June 1960. The

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

was activated to manage the two Strategic Air Command medium bombardment wings at Chennault in 1952. Shortly after the division was activated, its mission changed from crew training to strategic bombardment, originally with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, then with

Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

s. It was inactivated with one of its wings, which left Chennault as a single wing base.

History

The 806th Air Division was activated in 1952 at

Lake Charles Air Force Base Chennault International Airport ( IATA: CWF, ICAO: KCWF, FAA LID: CWF) is a center of aerospace activity based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, serves the needs of civilian and military aircraft from around the world with world-class infrastructu ...

, Louisiana when Strategic Air Command (SAC) departed from the wing base organization system and created air divisions as the headquarters on bases with two operational wings. The

's components were the 44th and 68th Bombardment Wings, and the newly activated 806th Air Base Group. Both its operational wings flew variants of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Its 44th wing served as an Operational Training Unit for B-29 aircrews and maintenance personnel being assigned to

Far East Air Forces Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (fo ...

until late August.Ravenstein, pp. 73–74 The following year, the division's

bombardment A bombardment is an attack by artillery fire or by dropping bombs from aircraft on fortifications, combatants, or towns and buildings. Prior to World War I, the term was only applied to the bombardment of defenseless or undefended objects, ...

units upgraded to the

and expanded to include

air refueling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft ...

squadrons flying

Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter is a four-engined, piston-powered United States strategic tanker aircraft based on the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. It replaced the KB-29 and was succeeded by the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. Design and developm ...

s. The

98th Air Refueling Squadron The 98th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 92d Operations Group at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated on 1 July 1998. Two of the squadron's predec ...

moved to Lake Charles from

MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, Florida in November 1953 and was assigned to the division. The squadron was inactivated a few days later and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 68th wing's 68th Air Refueling Squadron. The division monitored and coordinated the units' manning, equipping, and training for global strategic air warfare on a global scale. In fulfilling its mission, the division participated in numerous tactical exercises. The division's 44th wing deployed as a unit to

5th Air Division The 5th Air Division (5th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command, based at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. It was inactivated on 15 July 1958. The unit's origins begin with its predec ...

forward locations in Morocco in Operation Reflex, while the 68th deployed to bases in the United Kingdom controlled by

7th Air Division The 7th Air Division (7 AD) served the United States Air Force with distinction from early 1944 through early 1992, earning an outstanding unit decoration and a service streamer along the way. History Hawaii As the 7th Fighter Wing, the divis ...

. The division's tanker units deployed separately to locations including Canada. On 14 November 1958, Lake Charles Air Force Base was renamed Chennault Air Force Base in honor of General

Claire Lee Chennault Claire Lee Chennault (September 6, 1893 – July 27, 1958) was an American military aviator best known for his leadership of the "Flying Tigers" and the Chinese Air Force in World War II. Chennault was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fighte ...

, the founder of the

Flying Tigers The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was formed to help oppose the Japanese invasion of China. Operating in 1941–1942, it was composed of pilots from the United States ...

, who died in July of that year. The 806th was inactivated in June 1960 when the 44th Bombardment Wing was inactivated as a first step toward the planned closure of Chennault in 1962. This left only a single wing at Chennault and the 68th Bombardment Wing and its 68th Combat Support Group assumed host base responsibility as the sole remaining wing at Chennault.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 806 Air Division on 4 June 1952 : Activated on 16 June 1952 : Discontinued on 15 June 1960

Assignments

, 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960.

Stations

* Lake Charles Air Force Base (later Chennault Air Force Base), Louisiana, 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960

Components

Wings * 44th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960 (attached to 5th Air Division 19 January 1953 – 22 February 1953 and 19 April 1954 – 17 June 1954) * 68th Bombardment Wing: 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960 Groups * 806th Air Base Group (later 806th Combat Support Group): 16 June 1952 – 15 June 1960 * 806th Medical Group: 1 December 1958 – 15 June 1960 Squadrons * 98th Air Refueling Squadron: 22 November 1953 – 25 November 1953 * 505th Aviation Squadron: 18 September 1953 – 1 July 1954 Other * 4232d USAF Hospital: 1 April 1954 – 1 December 1958 (attached to 806th Air Base Group)

Aircraft

* Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1952–1953 * Boeing B-47 Stratojet, 1953–1960 * Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1953–1960

Commanders

Col Carlos J. Cochrane, 16 June 1952; Brig Gen Raymond L. Winn, 3 November 1952; Brig Gen Henry K. Mooney, 2 August 1954; Brig Gen John K. Hester, 1 August 1955; Col Jacob J. Brogger, 24 July 1957; Col Robert H. Strauss, 4 December 1958; Col William J. Cain Jr., 27 May – 15 June 1960

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{Strategic Air Command Military units and formations established in 1952 Units and formations of Strategic Air Command Air divisions of the United States Air Force 1952 establishments in Louisiana 1960 disestablishments in Louisiana