Western Air Defense Force

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 (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 border between the United States and Mexico in the south and west to the Pacific Ocean 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 (SAGE) system.

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

Air Defense Sectors

Los Angeles Air Defense Sector

Stationed at Norton AFB, California Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from 27th Air Division, 1 October 1959 Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960

Phoenix Air Defense Sector

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

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, 20 January 1952 Assigned to Geiger Field, 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