In addition to its SAC mission, the division's wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida was involved in testing armament for the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

As Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to equip with the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, it was concerned that bases with large concentrations of the new jet bombers made attractive targets.

SAC's response was to break up its B-52 wings and scatter their aircraft over a larger number of bases, thus making it more difficult for the Soviet Union to knock out the entire fleet with a surprise first strike.

[1] On 20 October 1962, at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis, each of the division's wings were directed to put two additional B-52s on alert.

[17] The division's three strategic wings were Major Command controlled (MAJCON) units that could not carry a permanent history or lineage.

[18] SAC received authority from Headquarters USAF to discontinue them and activate Air Force controlled (AFCON) units to replace them without altering their missions.

[19][20][21][22] In June 1965, the 39th Bombardment Wing was inactivated and its bombers moved to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

[24][25] Wings This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency