The 517th Air Defense Group is a disbanded

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

4711th Air Defense Wing The 4711th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, where it was discontinued in 1956. It was ...

Ethan Allen Air Force Base Ethan may refer to: People *Ethan (given name) Places *Ethan, South Dakota *Fort Ethan Allen (Arlington, Virginia) Fiction *''Ethan of Athos'', 1986 novel by Lois McMaster Bujold *"Ethan Brand", 1850 short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne *''Ethan ...

, Vermont. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

was originally activated as a support unit for a

bombardment group A bombardment group or bomb group was a unit of organizational command and control group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. A bombardment group was normally commanded by a colonel. The table of allowances (TOA) for p ...

at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in Italy and then redeployed to the Caribbean, where it supported units redeploying from Europe until it was inactivated in 1945. The group was activated once again in 1953, when ADC established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the

14th Fighter Group 014 may refer to: * Argus As 014 * 014 Construction Unit * Divi Divi Air Flight 014 * Pirna 014 * Tyrrell 014 The Tyrrell 014 was a Formula One car, designed for Tyrrell Racing by Maurice Philippe for use in the season. The cars were powered by ...

in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History

World War II

The

was activated as the 517th Air Service Group in Italy in early 1945, shortly before the end of

. as part of a reorganization of

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(AAF) support groups in which the AAF replaced Service Groups that included personnel from other branches of the Army and supported two combat groups with Air Service Groups including only Air Corps units. Designed to support a single combat group.Coleman, p. 208 Its 943rd Air Engineering Squadron was to provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 767th Air Materiel Squadron to handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron to provide other support. Together with the 518th Air Service Group, it supported the 464th and

465th Bombardment Group The 465th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 465th Troop Carrier Wing at Évreux-Fauville Air Base, France, where it was inactivated on 8 July 1957. Originally activated in 1943 as the 465 ...

s at

Pantanella Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...

(the unit histories are contradictory concerning whether the 517th supported the 464th or 465th group). The group relocated to Trinidad and provided support to combat units redeploying from Europe to the United States. It was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 517th Air Defense Group, and activated at Ethan Allan AFB in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 82 with responsibility for air defense of upper New England. It was assigned the 37th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Ethan Allan AFB, and flying

era

F-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...

sCornett & Johnson, p.114 as its operational component.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 176 The 37th FIS had been assigned directly to the 4711th Defense Wing. The group replaced the 75th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at the base. It was assigned three

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

s to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p.147''See'' The 37th FIS converted to airborne intercept

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing So ...

s in June 1953. The group was inactivated in 1955 and replaced by the

(Air Defense) as result of

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was est ...

's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. The group was disbanded once again in 1984.

Lineage

* Constituted as 517th Air Service Group : Activated on 13 January 1945 : Inactivated on 31 July 1945 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 517th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

XII Air Force Service Command XII may refer to: * 12 (number) or XII in Roman numerals * 12th century or XII in Roman numerals * ''XII'' (album), a 2012 album by American country music singer Neal McCoy * ''XII'' (single), a 2019 single album by K-pop singer Chungha, featuri ...

, 13 January 1945 – c.. 27 May 1945 * Caribbean Wing,

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies and ...

c. 6 June 1945 – 31 July 1945 * 4711th Defense Wing, (later 4711th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Stations

Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Camp ...

, Italy 13 January 1945 – 1945 * Pantanella Airfield, Italy 1945 -27 May 1945 *

Waller Field Waller Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force World War II air base located in northeastern Trinidad. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Valencia south of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and roughly 32 km from t ...

, Trinidad 16 June 1945 – 31 July 1945 * Ethan Allen AFB, Vermont, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadron * 37th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 Support Units * 517th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 517th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 517th Medical Squadron (later 517th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 767th Air Materiel Squadron 13 January 1945 – 31 July 1945 * 943rd Air Engineering Squadron 13 January 1945 – 31 July 1945

Aircraft

* F-51D, 1953 * F-86D, 1953–1955

Commanders

* Maj. William C. Richardson, c.. 13 Jan 1945 – c.. Feb 1945 * Lt Col. Lloyd L. Connell, c.. Feb 1945 – after 15 Jun 1945 * Unknown 16 Feb 1953–18 Aug 1955

References

Notes

Explanatory notes Footnotes

Bibliography

* Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956) * * * *

External links

{{USAAF 12th Air Force World War II 0517 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations in Vermont Military units and formations disestablished in 1984 Military units and formations established in 1953