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 July 1, 1960

History

Lineage

• Established as Western Air Defense Force and organized September 1, 1949.

Discontinued July 1, 1960

Assignments

• Continental Air Command, September 1, 1949 – January 1, 1951
• Air Defense Command, January 1, 1951 – July 1, 1960

Stations

• Hamilton AFB, California, September 1, 1949 – July 1, 1960

Components

Divisions

• 8th Air Division, McClellan AFB, California

May 1, 1954 – May 1, 1955

• 9th Air Division, Geiger AFB, Washington

October 8, 1954 – August 15, 1958

• 25th Air Division, McChord AFB, Washington

Attached: November 10, 1949 – August 1, 1950

Assigned: August 1, 1950 – February 1, 1952; February 1, 1952 – July 1, 1960

• 27th Air Division, Norton AFB, California

Attached: September 20, 1950 – February 1, 1952

Assigned: February 1, 1952 – October 1, 1959

• 28th Air Division, Hamilton AFB, California

Attached: August 1, 1950 – February 1, 1952

Assigned: February 1, 1952 – July 1, 1960

• 29th Air Division, Malmstrom AFB, Montana

Attached: March 1, 1951 – February 1, 1952

Assigned: February 1, 1952 – February 16, 1953

: (Reassigned to Central Air Defense Force)

• 34th Air Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

Attached: January 5, 1951 – February 1, 1952

Assigned: February 1, 1952 – February 16, 1953

: (Reassigned to Central Air Defense Force)

Wings

• 1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Norton AFB, California

Attached: July 1–31, 1950

Assigned: August 1, 1950 – February 6, 1952

• 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Hamilton AFB, California

Attached: November 10, 1949 – July 31, 1950

Assigned: August 1, 1950 – February 6, 1952

• 81 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, Moses Lake AFB, Washington

Attached: November 10, 1949 – August 1, 1950

Assigned: August 1, 1950 – September 5, 1951

• 302d Troop Carrier Wing, McChord AFB, Washington

Active duty: August 1, 1950 – June 8, 1951

: 355th Troop Carrier Squadron

: 356th Troop Carrier Squadron

• 325 Fighter-Interceptor Wing, McChord AFB, Washington

Attached: November 10, 1949 – July 31, 1950

Assigned: August 1, 1950 – February 6, 1952

• 552 Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, McClellan AFB, California

July 1, 1957 – July 1, 1960

• 4704th Defense Wing, McChord AFB, Washington

1 Feb-10 Dec 1952

Squadron

• 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, (AFRES) McChord AFB, Washington

Active duty: October 20, 1952 – September 25, 1953

Groups

• 84th Fighter Group , Geiger AFB, Washington

1955 – July 1, 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: August 2, 1951 – February 6, 1952

: 132d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (Maine ANG)

: 133d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (New Hampshire ANG)

: 134th Fighter Interception Squadron (Vermont ANG)

• 326th Fighter Group , Paine AFB, Washington

August 18, 1955 – July 1, 1960

: 321st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1955–1960)

• 408th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Kingsley AFB, Oregon

April 8, 1956 – July 1, 1960

: 322d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (1956–1960)

• 414th Fighter Group (Air Defense), Oxnard AFB, California

August 18, 1955 – July 1, 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/Eastern

reference

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 September 12, 1957, NORAD Headquarters operations commenced at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado. On May 12, 1958, the Canadian and US governments formally exchanged diplomatic notes which constituted the NORAD Agreement. The Western Air Defense Force was inactivated on July 1, 1960 when the NORAD Air Defense Sectors were established.

See also

• Eastern Air Defense Force
• Central Air Defense Force

References

1. USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1).
2. Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
3. 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.

External links