Its a BS Story. The E4Bs have been flying since the days OF SAC. Since Ronald Reagan. there are 4 of them set up as flying command posts out of Offiut AFB Neb. originally designed to run Strategic Assets in the event of world war. They have been around for so long there is a Facebook page called Strategic Air Command with stories of the E4’s from years gone by a long time ago...
“Its a BS Story.”
This is one story I might say could be a misinterpretation. The airborne command posts have been around for a lot longer than the public knows about, or researches. Looking Glass was a creation and responsibility of SAC and the first of them flew during the Kennedy administration in 1961.
But, to play the devil’s advocate, it is possible that someone saw one take off from somewhere, since they don’t know where Wright Pat is, and assumes it was a directed order to get airborne. Like you mentioned, they fly anyway and are normally air refueled from a KC 135 somewhere. But they don’t jettison “shift” change. Or they could be lying to try to create unrest but NPG is mixed on their entries. Who knows.
rwood