The May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington seriously affected both 47th Air Division and 92d Bombardment Wing operations at Fairchild AFB , resulting in dispersal of Fairchild 's B-52 and KC-135 aircraft to various bases while around-the-clock shifts removed the volcanic ash from facilities within the base perimeter . " Air Divisions were gradually phased out of the Air Force command structure after the end of the Vietnam War , with the Numbered Air Forces assuming direct command of its subordinate Wings . The 47th Air Division was one of the last few remaining air divisions to be inactivated , doing so in February 1987 due to a combination of organizational restructuring and budget restraints . Following the 47th 's inactivation , SAC 's remaining air divisions existed into the early 1990s until their usage ended with the 1992 major reorganization of the USAF Major Commands and the inactivation of SAC itself
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
47th Air Division