Active 1944-1946, 1953–1955 Type Fighter Interceptor Part of Air Defense Command | Country United States Role Air Defense | |
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Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 514th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force (USAF) organization. Its last assignment was with the 31st Air Division at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minnesota. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955. The group was originally activated as a support group for the 319th Bombardment Group in Italy at the end of World War II. After the end of combat in Europe, it deployed to Okinawa, where it was inactivated.
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The group was activated once again in 1953, when Air Defense Command (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 475th Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.
World War II
The group was activated as the 514th Air Service Group in late 1944, absorbing its personnel and equipment from the 306th Service Group as part of a reorganization of Army Air Forces (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. The group drew its personnel and equipment from the disbanded 306th Service Group The 514th was designed to support a single combat group. Its 940th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 764th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. The 514th supported the 319th Bombardment Group in Italy, then returned to the United States for transfer to the Pacific Theater. The group sailed from Naples, Italy to Boston, Massachusetts. Upon arrival in the United States members of the group received 30-day leaves, following which the group reassembled in South Carolina.
The 514th staged through Fort Lawton, Washington and the Caroline Islands before arriving on Okinawa. The unit performed same mission on Okinawa as it had in Italy. The group was awarded credit for participation in the Ryukus Campaign. It was disbanded in 1948.
Cold War
The 514th was redesignated as an air defense group, reconstituted and activated at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport in 1953. with responsibility for air defense from its base in the upper midwestern United States. The group was initially assigned the 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Minneapolis-St Paul Airport, where it flew World War II era North American F-51 Mustangs. as its operational component. The 18th FIS had been assigned directly to the 31st Air Division. The group replaced the 72nd Air Base Squadron as host active duty USAF unit at Minneapolis-St Paul Airport. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.
The 18th FIS upgraded to North American F-86 Sabre jet fighters in July then to a later model F-86 in December. It finally replaced its F-86s with airborne intercept radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed Northrop F-89 Scorpions in January 1954. In September 1954, the 18th FIS moved to Alaska and was reassigned. A second operational squadron, the 337th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, was then activated and assigned to the group in 1954. The 337th FIS flew F-89s while assigned to the group. The group inactivated with its mission, personnel and equipment being transferred to the 475th Fighter Group (Defense) in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command'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.