4703d Defense Wing

4703d Defense Wing
Active	1952
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Interceptor
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Defense Command

The 4703d Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command (ADC)'s Western Air Defense Force at Larson Air Force Base (AFB), Washington. It was established in 1952 in a general reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC), which replaced wings responsible for a base with wings responsible for a geographical area. It then assumed control of several Fighter Interceptor squadrons that had been assigned to the 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing, which was an Air National Guard unit mobilized for the Korean War. The wing's 569th Air Base Group briefly assumed the host responsibility for Larson, but the wing and group were inactivated only 45 days later when Larson became a Tactical Air Command base. The wing's units were transferred to the nearby 4702d Defense Wing.

History

The wing was organized at Larson AFB, Washington on 1 February 1952 ^[1] in a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. ^[2] It absorbed the personnel and equipment of the operational elements of the 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW) (Maine ANG) which inactivated at Larson AFB five days later and was returned to the ANG. ^{[1] [3]} The 82nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) of the inactivating 78th Fighter-Interceptor Wing moved from Hamilton AFB to Larson AFB on 6 February 1952 ^[4] to replace the 319th FIS, which deployed from Larson AFB to Suwon Air Base, Korea the day after the 4703rd Defense Wing was organized, although it remained assigned to the wing on paper. ^[5] Both Squadrons were equipped with F-94 Starfire interceptor aircraft. ^[6] The wing's 569th Air Base Group (ABG) absorbed the support elements of the 101st FIW's 101st ABG. ^[7] However, the wing was short-lived because Larson AFB was transferred from ADC to Tactical Air Command (TAC) in April 1952. ^[1] The 82nd FIS was reassigned to the 4704th Defense Wing in March, ^[8] while the 569th ABG was transferred Western Air Defense Force days later, ^{[1] [7]} The 569th ABG was replaced by the 62nd ABG at the beginning of April, while TAC's 62nd Troop Carrier Wing moved to Larson AFB from McChord AFB the same month. ^[9] The 4703rd Air Defense Wing was discontinued and remaining the ADC squadron at Larson AFB was eventually reassigned to the 4702nd Defense Wing, ^[4] which moved to nearby Geiger Field later in 1952. ^[1]

Lineage

• Designated as the 4703d Defense Wing and organized on 1 February 1952

Discontinued on 7 April 1952

Assignments

• Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952 - 7 April 1952 ^[1]

Components

• 569th Air Base Group, 1 February 1952 - 17 March 1952
• 82nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 6 February - 13 March 1952 ^[10]
• 319th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 6 February - 7 April 1952 (attached to Fifth Air Force after 1 March 1952) ^[5]

Stations

• Larson AFB, Washington, 1 February 1952 - 7 April 1952

Aircraft

• F-94B, 1952

Commander

• Col. Thomas W. Steed, 1 February 1952 - 7 April 1952 ^[11]

See also

• List of MAJCOM wings of the United States Air Force
• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons

References

Notes

1. Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946-1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
2. Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126, p. 33
3. Cornett & Johnson p. 63
4. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 287. ISBN   0-405-12194-6.
5. Maurer, p. 391
6. Cornett & Johnson, pp. 119, 125
7. Cornett & Johnson, p. 85
8. Maurer, p. 287
9. Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p.  99. ISBN   0-912799-12-9.
10. AFHRA Factsheet, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine (accessed March 3, 2012)
11. Abstract, History of 4703rd Air Def Wg (accessed Feb 16, 2012)

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
• Grant, C.L., (1961) The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-405-12194-6.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 . Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN   0-912799-12-9.

Further Reading

• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. I. 1945-1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN   978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2013-01-23.