Other wings stationed in Georgia, North Carolina and Puerto Rico and flying the B-52 were assigned to the division before it was inactivated.

Beginning in 1965, division B-52s began to deploy to the Pacific, where they flew Operation Arc Light missions, while its tankers supported Arc Light and tactical aircraft as part of the Young Tiger Task Force.

[3] The 19th Wing had been preceded at Homestead by its 19th Air Refueling Squadron, which was activated on 1 February and equipped with Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighters.

[5] The division began to train its wings in long range offensive bombardment and air refueling operations.

[2][3] In addition to its SAC mission, and because of its Florida location, the division was occasionally called upon to provide support for space launches from Cape Canaveral.

[7] 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.

[8][9] 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.

[1] Changes in the division strength for the next few years were brought on as its wings converted from the B-47 to the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

The first Stratofortress unit assigned to the division was the 4047th Strategic Wing at McCoy Air Force Base, which was organized on 1 July 1961 as part of SAC's plan to disperse its B-52 heavy bombers 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.

[13] In September 1961 the 347th Bombardment Squadron, consisting of 15 Stratofortresses, moved to McCoy from Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts.

Because of inadequate facilities and security at West Palm Beach International Airport, 306th Wing B-47s initially deployed there relocated to Hurlburt Field after a few days.

[24] On 20 October all the division's B-52 units except the 19th Wing were directed to put two additional aircraft on alert.

[25] They remained in this state until 21 November, when SAC returned to its normal airborne alert posture and went to DEFCON 3.

[2][35] 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.