Western Air Defense Force
| Western Air Defense Force | |
|---|---|
 Regions of ADC Air Defense Forces and known Air Force Bases with ADC units, 1949–1960
Note: States containing ADC bases of Western & Central ADF and Eastern & Central ADF identified as Central/Western and Central/Eastern | |
| Active | 1949–1960 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
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 July 1960.
History
[edit]WADF was an intermediate-level command and control organization of Air Defense Command. Its origins date to 1 March 1949 when Continental Air Command (ConAC) reorganized Air Defense Command when it became an operating agency. Air defense units within the Continental United States (CONUS) were given to the Eastern and Western Air Defense Liaison Groups, with Western and Eastern Air Defense Forces activated on 1 September 1949.
The command was originally assigned the region within the Continental United States (CONUS) to the west of the 102d degree of longitude, from the Canada–US border in the north to the Rio Grande border between the United States and Mexico in the south and west to the Pacific Ocean coastline. This was adjusted in 1951 with the activation of Central Air Defense Force (CADF) with the region being adjusted slightly to the west to the border of Montana and North Dakota at the Canada–US border, south along the eastern borders of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico to the Mexico–US border. Organizations stationed east of that boundary were transferred to CADF.
The delineation was again adjusted in March 1956 to the region generally to the west of the 114th degree of longitude, roughly along the eastern borders of Idaho, Nevada and California from the Canada–US border in the north to the Mexico–US border in the south. Organizations stationed east of that boundary were transferred to CADF, whose region was shifted westward.
Western Air Defense Force was inactivated on 1 July 1960, with its assigned units reassigned either to 25th or 28th Air Divisions, or to the new Air Defense Sectors created with the advent of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system.
Lineage
[edit]- Established as Western Air Defense Force and organized 1 September 1949.
- Discontinued 1 July 1960
Assignments
[edit]- Continental Air Command, 1 September 1949 – 1 January 1951
- Air Defense Command, 1 January 1951 – 1 July 1960
Stations
[edit]- Hamilton AFB, California, 1 September 1949 – 1 July 1960
Components
[edit]Air Divisions
[edit]
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Air Defense Sectors
[edit]- Stationed at Norton AFB, California
- Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from 27th Air Division, 1 October 1959
- Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960
- Stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona
- Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 15 June 1959
- Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960
Wings
[edit]
|
|
Groups
[edit]- 162d Aircraft Control and Warning Group
- Federalized Washington Air National Guard, 12 May 1951
- Assigned to Larson AFB, Washington
- Re-assigned to 25th Air Division, 25 June 1951
Squadrons
[edit]- 115th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
- Federalized Alabama Air National Guard, 20 January 1952
- Assigned to Geiger Field, Washington
- Assigned to WADF, 17 March 1952 – 16 February 1953
- Assigned to Puntzi Mountain AS, British Columbia
- Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952 – 1 January 1953
- Assigned to Baldy Hughes AS, British Columbia
- Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952 – 16 February 1953
- Assigned to Saskatoon Mountain AS, Alberta
- Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952 – 16 February 1953
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- 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 0-89201-092-4
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9
- A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
