Western Air Defense Force

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Air Defense Command

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Regions of ADC Air Defense Forces and known Air Force Bases with ADC units, 1949–1960 Note: States containing ADC bases of Western & Central ADF and Eastern & Central ADF identified as Central/Western and Central/Eastern
Active 1949–1960
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
Role Air Defense
Part of Air Defense Command

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 July 1, 1960.

United States Air Force Air and space warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces, and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially formed as a part of the United States Army on 1 August 1907, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 18 September 1947 with the passing of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and the fourth in order of precedence. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force articulates its core missions as air and space superiority, global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

California State of the United States of America

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 9.7 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second-most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

Contents

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.

Continental Air Command 1948-1968 United States Air Force major command

Continental Air Command (ConAC) (1948–1968) was a Major Command of the United States Air Force (USAF) responsible primarily for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

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.

Canada–United States border international border between Canada and the USA

The Canada–United States border, officially known as the International Boundary, is the longest international border in the world between two countries. It is shared between Canada and the United States, the second- and fourth/third largest countries by area, respectively. The terrestrial boundary is 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi) long, of which 2,475 kilometres (1,538 mi) is Canada's border with Alaska. Eight Canadian provinces and territories, and thirteen U.S. states are located along the border.

Rio Grande River forming part of the US-Mexico border

The Rio Grande is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico. The Rio Grande begins in south-central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, it forms part of the Mexico–United States border. According to the International Boundary and Water Commission, its total length was 1,896 miles (3,051 km) in the late 1980s, though course shifts occasionally result in length changes. Depending on how it is measured, the Rio Grande is either the fourth- or fifth-longest river system in North America.

Pacific Ocean Ocean between Asia and Australia in the west, the Americas in the east and Antarctica or the Southern Ocean in the south.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.

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

Discontinued July 1, 1960

Assignments

Stations

Components

Air Divisions

Air Defense Sectors

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

Wings

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
Assigned to Puntzi Mountain AS, British Columbia
Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-1 January 1953
Assigned to Baldy Hughes AS, British Columbia
Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-16 February 1953
Assigned to Saskatoon Mountain AS, Alberta
Assigned to WADF, 16 April 1952-16 February 1953

See also

Related Research Articles

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Central Air Defense Force

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Eastern Air Defense Force

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4709th Air Defense Wing

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4708th Air Defense Wing

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685th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

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References

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