The Western Air Defense Force (WADF) is an inactive

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 Si ...

organization. Its last assignment was with

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major 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 established in 1946, briefly inac ...

being stationed at

Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.

History

WADF was an intermediate-level command and control organization of Air Defense Command. Its origins date to 1 March 1949 when

Continental Air Command Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, ConAC provided the necessary augm ...

(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 The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

border between the United States and Mexico in the south and west to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

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 The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) was a system of large computers and associated networking equipment that coordinated data from many radar sites and processed it to produce a single unified image of the airspace over a wide area. SA ...

(SAGE) system.

Lineage

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

Assignments

, September 1, 1949 – January 1, 1951 *

, January 1, 1951 – July 1, 1960

Stations

* Hamilton AFB,

, September 1, 1949 – July 1, 1960

Components

Air Divisions

* 8th Air Division (AEW&Con) : Stationed at

McClellan AFB McClellan Air Force Base (1935–2001) is a former United States Air Force base located in the North Highlands area of Sacramento County, northeast of Sacramento, California. History For the vast majority of its operational lifetime, McCle ...

, California : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 May 1954 : Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 May 1955 * 9th Air Division (Defense) : Stationed at

Geiger Field Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately west-southwest of downtown Spokane, Washington, United States. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes are ...

, Washington : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 8 October 1954 : Inactivated on 15 August 1958 * 25th Air Division : Stationed at Silver Lake, Washington : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from

Fourth Air Force The Fourth Air Force (4 AF) is a numbered air force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California. 4 AF directs the activities and supervises the training of more than 30,000 Air Force Res ...

, 1 February 1950 : Moved to McChord AFB, Washington, 15 September 1951 : Re-designated 25th Air Division (SAGE), 1 March 1959 : Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960 *

27th Air Division The 27th Air Division was a United States Air Force numbered air division and the geographic Air Defense Command region controlled by the 27th AD. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command (ADC)'s Tenth Air Force, at Luke Air Force Base, ...

(Defense) : Stationed at Norton AFB, California : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 20 September 1950 : Inactivated on 1 October 1959 * 28th Air Division (Defense) : Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 : Re-designated 28th Air Division (SAGE), 1 July 1960 : Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960 * 29th Air Division : Stationed at Great Falls AFB, Montana : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 March 1951 : Great Falls AFB renamed Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 October 1955 : Re-designated 29th Air Division (SAGE), 1 July 1960 : Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960 * 34th Air Division (Defense) : Assigned to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 5 January 1951 : Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 15 February 1953

Air Defense Sectors

* Los Angeles Air Defense Sector : Stationed at Norton AFB, California : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from

, 1 October 1959 : Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960 *

Phoenix Air Defense Sector The Phoenix Air Defense Sector (PhADS) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Command 28th Air Division, being stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It was inactivated on 1 Apri ...

: Stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 15 June 1959 : Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960

Wings

1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, VA. where it is a tenant unit, being supported by the 633d Air Base Wing. Its 1st ...

: Stationed at George AFB, California : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 : Inactivated 6 February 1952 * 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing : Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 : Inactivated 6 February 1952 * 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing : Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 : Re-assigned to

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in ...

( USAFE), 22 August 1951 * 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing : Federalized

Maine Air National Guard The Maine Air National Guard (ME ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Maine, United States of America. It is, along with the Maine Army National Guard, an element of the Maine National Guard. As state militia units, the units in the Maine ...

: Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF), 2 August 1951 : Inactivated and returned to state control, 6 February 1952 * 142d Fighter-Interceptor Wing : Federalized

Oregon Air National Guard The Oregon Air National Guard (OR ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Oregon, United States of America. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard. As state militia units, the units in the O ...

, 2 March 1951 : Stationed at

, Washington : Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF), 11 April 1951 *

325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing The 325th Fighter Wing (325 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force based in Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Mission The 325th Fighter Wing's primary mission is to provide air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots and maintenance per ...

: Stationed at McChord AFB, Washington : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from Air Defense Command, 1 May 1951 : Inactivated 6 February 1952 * 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing : Stationed at

, California : Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from 8th Air Division (AEW&Con), 1 July 1957 : Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960 * 4702d Defense Wing : Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 : Re-assigned to 25th Air Division, 1 November 1952 * 4703d Defense Wing : Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 : Discontinued 7 April 1952 * 4704th Defense Wing : Stationed at McChord AFB, Washington : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 : Re-assigned to 25th Air Division, 1 December 1952 * 4705th Defense Wing : Stationed at Norton AFB, California : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 : Discontinued 1 March 1952 * 4750th Training Wing (Air Defense) : Stationed at Yuma County Airport, Arizona : Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 September 1953 : Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 October 1953

Groups

* 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

* 115th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Federalized

Alabama Air National Guard The Alabama Air National Guard (AL ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Alabama, United States of America. It is, along with the Alabama Army National Guard, an element of the Alabama National Guard. As state militia units, the units in ...

, 20 January 1952 : Assigned to

, Washington : Assigned to WADF, 17 March 1952-16 February 1953 * 917th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Assigned to Puntzi Mountain AS, British Columbia : Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-1 January 1953 * 918th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Assigned to Baldy Hughes AS, British Columbia : Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-16 February 1953 * 919th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Assigned to Saskatoon Mountain AS, Alberta : Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-16 February 1953

References

* 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. * Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. * 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. {{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed Numbered air forces of the United States Air Force 1949 establishments in California 1960 disestablishments in California Military history of California Military units and formations established in 1949 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984