818th Strategic Aerospace Division

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The 818th Strategic Aerospace Division was a United States Air Force unit active from 1954 to 1965 under Strategic Air Command. Based at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, its job was to provide a single headquarters for Lincoln as the 98th and 307th Bombardment Wings returned from Korea and prepared to convert from Boeing B-29s to B-47 Stratojets. From 1962 to 1964 the division also commanded a wing at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and it took on responsibilities for a Post Attack Command and Control System squadron and for Boeing EC-135s operated from Offutt to support the Looking Glass mission.

Key points in its history:
- 1954: Activated at Lincoln as the 818th Air Division to oversee Lincoln’s operations while wings prepared for jet bombers. The 98th Bombardment Wing (already at Lincoln with KC-97s) and the 307th Bombardment Wing were the primary units under its umbrella.
- 1955–1956: The 98th and 307th Wings deployed to England for training missions.
- 1960: Exercise Open Road tested Minimum Interval Takeoff for KC-97s; as tankers were moved closer to forward locations, fewer KC-97s remained at Lincoln.
- 1961–1962: The division gained the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron, bringing Atlas intercontinental ballistic missiles into its responsibilities; full Atlas operations began in fall 1962.
- 1962: SAC renamed units to include “Strategic Aerospace,” so the division became the 818th Strategic Aerospace Division. The 4362d Support Squadron, operating EB-47s for the PACCS mission, was activated and assigned to the division (operational by 31 July 1962, attached to the 307th Wing). The Offutt-based 4321st Strategic Wing was reassigned to the division, bringing additional air refueling and missile capabilities, including EC-135s for the Looking Glass mission.
- 1963–1964: The 4321st was replaced in Offutt by the 385th Strategic Aerospace Wing (which carried the PacCS and Looking Glass responsibilities). The 385th inactivated in December 1964 as its missiles were transferred elsewhere; the 34th Air Refueling Squadron (already associated with the division) remained attached.
- 1964–1965: By early 1965 all Wings were back at Lincoln. The phaseout of the B-47 led to the division’s inactivation on 25 March 1965. The 98th Bombardment Wing became Lincoln’s host unit, absorbing the 818th’s support group, and the 98th Wing and the 34th Air Refueling Squadron were transferred to the 810th Strategic Aerospace Division.