Western Air Defense Force

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Western Air Defense Force
Air Defense Command


caption= The 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron showing off their brand-new Lockheed F-104A Starfighters at Hamilton AFB California in 1958.
dates= 1949-1960
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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role= Air Defense
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command_structure= Air Defense Command
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battle_honours=The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 Jul 1960

History

Lineage

* Established as Western Air Defense Force and organized 1 Sep 1949.: Discontinued 1 July 1960

Assignments

* Continental Air Command, 1 Sep 1949 - 1 Jan 1951
* Air Defense Command, 1 Jan 1951 - 1 Jul 1960

Stations

* Hamilton AFB, California, 1 Sep 1949 - 1 Jul 1960

Components

Divisions
* 8th Air Division, McClellan AFB, California: 1 May 1954 - 1 May 1955
* 9th Air Division, Geiger AFB, Washington: 8 Oct 1954-15 Aug 1958
* 25th Air Division, McChord AFB, Washington: Attached: 10 Nov 1949-1 Aug 1950: Assigned: 1 Aug 1950-1 Feb 1952; 1 Feb 1952 - 1 Jul 1960
* 27th Air Division, Norton AFB, California: Attached: 20 Sep 1950-1 Feb 1952: Assigned: 1 Feb 1952-1 Oct 1959
* 28th Air Division, Hamilton AFB, California: Attached: 1 Aug 1950 - 1 Feb 1952: Assigned: 1 Feb 1952 - 1 Jul 1960
* 29th Air Division, Malmstrom AFB, Montana: Attached: 1 Mar 1951 - 1 Feb 1952: Assigned: 1 Feb 1952 - 16 Feb 1953:: (Reassigned to Central Air Defense Force)
* 34th Air Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico: Attached: 5 Jan 1951 - 1 Feb 1952: Assigned: 1 Feb 1952 - 16 Feb 1953:: (Reassigned to Central Air Defense Force)Wings
* 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Norton AFB, California: Attached: 1-31 Jul 1950: Assigned: 1 Aug 1950-6 Feb 1952
* 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Hamilton AFB, California: Attached: 10 Nov 1949-31 Jul 1950: Assigned: 1 Aug 1950-6 Feb 1952
* 81 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Moses Lake AFB, Washington: Attached: 10 Nov 1949-1 Aug 1950: Assigned: 1 Aug 1950-5 Sep 1951
* 302d Troop Carrier Wing, McChord AFB, Washington: Active duty: 1 Aug 1950-8 Jun 1951:: 355th Troop Carrier Squadron:: 356th Troop Carrier Squadron
* 325 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, McChord AFB, Washington: Attached: 10 Nov 1949-31 Jul 1950: Assigned: 1 Aug 1950-6 Feb 1952
* 552 Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, McClellan AFB, California: 1 Jul 1957 - 1 Jul 1960Squadron
* 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, (AFRES) McChord AFB, Washington: Active duty: 20 Oct 1952-25 Sep 1953

Groups
* 84th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Geiger AFB, Washington: 1955 - 1 Jul 1960:: 497th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1955-1958):: 498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1955-1960)
* 101st Fighter-Interceptor Group, Larson AFB, Washington: Maine Air National Guard: Active duty: 2 Aug 1951-6 Feb 1952 :: 528th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron:: 529th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron:: 530th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
* 326th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Paine AFB, Washington: 18 Aug 1955 - 1 Jul 1960:: 321st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1955-1960)
* 408th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Kingsley AFB, Oregon: 8 Apr 1956 - 1 Jul 1960:: 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1956-1960)
* 414th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Oxnard AFB, California: 18 Aug 1955 - 1 Jul 1960:: 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Active-Duty bases hosting WADF units

* Arizona: Davis-Monthan AFB
* California: Castle AFB : George AFB : Hamilton AFB : Long Beach AP : March AFB : McClellan AFB: Norton AFB : Oxnard AFB : Travis AFB
* Montana (1951-1953): Malmstrom AFB
* New Mexico (1951-1953): Kirtland AFB
* Oregon: Kingsley AFLD : Portland AP
* Washington: Geiger AFB: Moses Lake/Larson AFB : McChord AFB : Paine AFB Regions of ADC Air Defense Forces and known Air Force Bases with ADC units, 1949 - 1960Note: States containing ADC bases of Western & Central ADF and Eastern & Central ADF identified as Central/Western and Central/Easternreference [USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).] [Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.] [Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129. ]

Operational History

Was responsible for the air defense of the Western United States, 1949-1960. Controlled air defense units in the following states: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming (until 1952), Colorado (until 1952), Montana (until 1952) and New Mexico (until 1952).

In August 1957, Canadian and United States officials announced the establishment of an integrated command in Colorado Springs, Colorado which would centralize operational control of continental air defense. On 12 September 1957, NORAD Headquarters operations commenced at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. On 12 May 1958, the Canadian and US governments formally exchanged diplomatic notes which constituted the NORAD Agreement. The Western Air Defense Force was inactivated on 1 July 1960 when the NORAD Air Defense Sectors were established.

ee also

* Eastern Air Defense Force
* Central Air Defense Force

References

External links