Active 1944-1945, 1952–1955 Type Fighter Interceptor Part of Air Defense Command | Country United States Role Air Defense | |
 | ||
Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 567th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group at the end of World War II but never deployed before it was inactivated in 1945.
Contents
The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. A year later ADC established it as an operational headquarters for fighter-interceptor squadrons as well. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 325th 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 at Venice Army Air Field, Florida toward the end of World War II as the 567th Air Service Group and trained to support a single combat group in an overseas theater. Its 985th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1005th Air Materiel Squadron would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support. It was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas. The unit was disbanded in 1948.
Cold War
During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 567th Air Base Group, and activated at McChord Air Force Base, Washington in 1952 as part of a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. It replaced the 325th Air Base Group as the USAF host unit for McChord. while the operational elements of the inactivating 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing transferred to the 4704th Defense Wing. The group was assigned seven squadrons to perform its support responsibilities. The group Also maintained aircraft stationed at McChord.
The group was redesignated as the 567th Air Defense Group and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Northwest United States. It was assigned the 317th and 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons (FIS), flying early model Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft armed with 20 mm cannon, from the 4704th Defense Wing as its operational elements. The same day, the 465th FIS, flying radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabres was activated as the group's third operational squadron. In July 1953, the 318th FIS moved to Greenland and was transferred from the group. In December 1953, the 317th FIS converted to F-86's.
The group was inactivated in 1955 and replaced by the 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense) as result of ADC'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.