The 534th 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 4706th Air Defense Wing at

Kinross Air Force Base Kincheloe Air Force Base was a United States Air Force (USAF) base during the Cold War. Built in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1943 during World War II, the base was in service The base was known by various names, including Kinross Mun ...

, Michigan where it was inactivated in 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 ide ...

was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group 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 United States where 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 507th Fighter Group 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 534th Air Service Group shortly after

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easter ...

in 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. It was designed to support a single combat group.Coleman, p. 208 Its 960th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 784th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The group provided support for one combat group in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. It returned to the United States for inactivation. 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 and redesignated as the 534th Air Defense Group, and activated at Kinross Air Force Base in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 83 with responsibility for air defense of the North Central United States, but without an operational squadron until April, when the 438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), flying

Lockheed F-94B Starfire The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet powered all-weather, day/night interceptor of the United States Air Force. A twin-seat craft, it was developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer in the late 1940s. It reached ope ...

s armed with 20 mm cannon.Cornett & Johnson, p.128 was activated. The 438th FIS upgraded to Mighty Mouse rocket armed

Northrop F-89D Scorpion The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed for that role from the outset to enter service. Though its straight wings limited its per ...

s in December 1953. The group replaced the 91st Air Base Squadron as USAF host base unit at Kinross. 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, ...

s to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p.147''See'' The 534th was inactivated and replaced by 507th Fighter Group (Air Defense), in 1955 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 534th was disbanded once again in 1984.Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units

Lineage

* Activated as 534th Air Service Group on 21 May 1945 : Inactivated on 17 October 1945 : Disbanded on 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated 534th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

* Unknown, 21 May 1945 – 17 October 1945 (probably

Air Service Command, Mediterranean Theater of Operations The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

) * 4706th Defense Wing (later 4706th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Stations

* Italy, 21 May 1945 – 1945 * Pyote Army Air Field, TX, 1945 – 17 October 1945 * Kinross Air Force Base, MI, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadron * 438th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 27 April 1953 – 18 August 1955 Support Units * 534th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 534th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 534th Medical Squadron (later 534th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 784th Air Materiel Squadron, 21 May 1945 – 17 October 1945 * 960th Air Engineering Squadron, 21 May 1945 – 17 October 1945

Aircraft

* Northrop F-89D Scorpion, 1953-1955 * Lockheed F-94B Starfighter, 1953

References

Notes

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

{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed 0534 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations established in 1953 Military units and formations disestablished in 1984