47th Air Division The 47th Air Division ( 47th AD ) is an inactive United States Air Force unit . Its last assignment was with Strategic Air Command , based at Fairchild Air Force Base , Washington . It was inactivated on 27 February 1987 . History . The unit ' s origins begin with its predecessor , the World War II 47th Bombardment Wing ( 47th BW ) was part of Fifteenth Air Force . Although earmarked for Eighth Air Force , it served instead with the Twelfth , and later , Fifteenth Air Forces , first as a fighter wing , then as a medium bomb wing , and finally as a heavy bomb wing . In the 1942 early 1943 period many of its assigned components did not actually operate under wing control , while other components were temporarily attached . Its components supported the bombing of Pantelleria Island and the invasions of Sicily , Italy , and southern France in 1943 – 1944 . Wing aircraft also flew missions to the Balkans , Austria , France , and Germany , with the Rumanian oil fields as primary targets from April – August 1944 . The final mission on 25 April 1945 struck marshalling yards at Linz , Austria . It returned to the United States in May 1945 to prepare for bombardment operations in the Pacific as a very heavy bombardment wing . On 7 September 1945 , the wing became a paper unit and in mid Oct inactivated at Sioux City , Iowa . Reactivated an intermediate command echelon of Strategic Air Command in June 1952 , the 47th Air Division served as an intermediate echelon between Strategic Air Command ' s Eighth Air Force and operational units in the field . From April 1955 to March 1970 , it filled the same role for the Fifteenth Air Force and from March 1970 to July 1971 , for the Second Air Force . In July 1971 the 47th returned to Fifteenth Air Force control where it continued to supervise subordinate unit training and other activities . The eruption of Mount St Helens in the state of Washington in May 1980 seriously affected division operations . Aircraft were dispersed to various bases while around the clock shifts removed the volcanic ash . The division as inactivated in February 1987 as a result of budget restraints . World War II . The organization traces its origins to the 7th Pursuit Wing which was activated on 19 October 1940 as part of the United States Army Air Corps . It was assigned to the Northeast Air District and its mission was air defense of the Northeastern United States , based at Mitchel Field on Long Island , New York . After a short period of inactivation , the unit was reactivated by the United States Army Air Forces in May 1942 as the 7th Fighter Wing as part of First Air Force , based at Harrisburg , Pennsylvania as a command and control organization , preparing fighter groups to be deployed to the European Theater . The Wing deployed to England in June 1942 while remaining attached to First Air Force , but instead of being assigned to VIII Fighter Command , it was , instead , assigned to the new Twelfth Air Force and was programmed as a combat fighter wing as part of " Task Force A " , during Operation Torch , the invasion of North Africa in November 1942 . Shortly after the Allied landings , the Wing established its headquarters in Casablanca , French Morocco on 11 November 1942 , and commenced combat operations , being attached to the Moroccan Composite Wing ( Provisional ) . The 7th Fighter wing moved its headquarters and units to Algeria in January 1943 as the Allies moved eastward across North Africa , its units flying P - 40 Warhawk s , and long - range P - 38 Lightning s , attacking German and Italian targets in advance of the ground forces . In the 1942 to early 1943 period , many of its assigned components did not actually operate under wing control , while other components were temporarily attached . In January 1943 , the wing was reassigned to XII Bomber Command and was redesignated as the 47th Bombardment Wing ( Medium ) . ( The reason for the designation change was that Seventh Air Force in Hawaii was reorganizing the air defense forces for the islands , and wanted to designate the wing there as the " seventh " . ) The wing was assigned B - 26 Marauder and A - 20 Havoc medium bomber groups , employing them in tactical roles across Algeria and Tunisia . Throughout 1943 , the wing began to have heavy ( B - 24 Liberator ) units attached , eventually becoming a heavy bomber organization . Its components supported the bombing of Pantelleria Island and the invasions of Sicily , Italy , moving to Manduria Italy in October 1943 . The wing was transferred to the new Fifteenth Air Force on 1 November 1943 along with four B - 24 Bomb Groups ( 98th , 376th , 449th and 450th ) . The 47th Bomb Wing was named " The Pyramidiers " , as the groups aircraft all carried a Pyramid symbol on their vertical stabilizers . its groups flying missions to the Balkans , Austria , France , and Germany , with the Rumanian oil fields as primary targets from April through August 1944 . The wings groups flew missions over Southern France in August 1944 in support of Operation Dragoon , the Invasion of Southern France . The final combat mission on 25 April 1945 struck marshalling yards at Linz , Austria . With the war in Europe ended , the 47th Bomb Wing returned to the United States in May 1945 to prepare for bombardment operations in the Pacific as a very heavy bombardment wing . It was assigned to Continental Air Forces , Second Air Force and was redesignated as a " Very Heavy " wing . The 47th Bomb Wing was and assigned first to Sioux Falls AAF , South Dakota , then to Sioux City Army Air Base in Iowa to organize the B - 29 Superfortress groups it would command under Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater . The Atomic bombings and the end of World War II in August 1945 . All personnel was transferred out of the wing on 17 September and the wing was inactivated on 15 October 1945 . Strategic Air Command . Redesignated as an Air Division , the 47th served as an intermediate echelon between Strategic Air Command ' s Eighth Air Force and operational units in the field . From April 1955 to March 1970 , it filled the same role for the Fifteenth Air Force and from March 1970 to July 1971 , for the Second Air Force . In July 1971 the 47th returned to Fifteenth Air Force control where it continued to supervise subordinate unit training and other activities . The May 1980 eruption of Mount St . Helens in the state of Washington seriously affected division operations ; aircraft were dispersed to various bases , while around - the - clock shifts removed the volcanic ash .