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 1 July 1960.
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 1 September 1949. Discontinued 1 July 1960
Assignments Continental Air Command, 1 September 1949 – 1 January 1951 Air Defense Command, 1 January 1951 – 1 July 1960
Stations Hamilton AFB, California, 1 September 1949 – 1 July 1960
Components Air Divisions
8th Air Division (AEW&Con) Stationed at McClellan AFB, California Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 May 1954 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 May 1955
9th Air Division (Defense) Stationed at Geiger Field, Washington Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 8 October 1954 Inactivated on 15 August 1958
25th Air Division Stationed at Silver Lake, near Lake Stickney, Washington Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from Fourth Air Force, 1 February 1950 Moved to McChord AFB, Washington, 15 September 1951 Re-designated 25th Air Division (SAGE), 1 March 1959 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
27th Air Division (Defense) Stationed at Norton AFB, California Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 20 September 1950 Inactivated on 1 October 1959
28th Air Division (Defense) Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 Re-designated 28th Air Division (SAGE), 1 July 1960 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
29th Air Division Stationed at Great Falls AFB, Montana Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 March 1951 Great Falls AFB renamed Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 October 1955 Re-designated 29th Air Division (SAGE), 1 July 1960 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
34th Air Division (Defense) Assigned to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 5 January 1951 Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 15 February 1953
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
Wings
1st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Stationed at George AFB, California Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 Inactivated 6 February 1952
78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 Inactivated 6 February 1952
81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force, 1 January 1951 Re-assigned to Third Air Force (USAFE), 22 August 1951
101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing Federalized Maine Air National Guard Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF), 2 August 1951 Inactivated and returned to state control, 6 February 1952
142d Fighter-Interceptor Wing Federalized Oregon Air National Guard, 2 March 1951 Stationed at Geiger Field, Washington Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF), 11 April 1951
325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing Stationed at McChord AFB, Washington Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from Air Defense Command, 1 May 1951 Inactivated 6 February 1952
552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing Stationed at McClellan AFB, California Re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force from 8th Air Division (AEW&Con), 1 July 1957 Re-assigned to 28th Air Division, 1 July 1960
4702d Defense Wing Stationed at Hamilton AFB, California Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 Re-assigned to 25th Air Division, 1 November 1952
4703d Defense Wing Stationed at Larson AFB, Washington Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 Discontinued 7 April 1952
4704th Defense Wing Stationed at McChord AFB, Washington Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 Re-assigned to 25th Air Division, 1 December 1952
4705th Defense Wing Stationed at Norton AFB, California Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 Discontinued 1 March 1952
4750th Training Wing (Air Defense) Stationed at Yuma County Airport, Arizona Activated by Western Air Defense Force, 1 September 1953 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 October 1953
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
See also Eastern Air Defense Force Central Air Defense Force
References
USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1) Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.