25th Air Division

The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord Air Force Base, Washington.

History

The command was activated on 25 October 1948, being the first Air Division for air defense. Its headquarters was at Silver Lake, near Everett, Washington under Continental Air Forces (ConAC). The 25th AD did not assume any command responsibilities until 1949 when it became an intermediate level command under the Air Defense Command, Western Air Defense Force. Its initial Area of Responsibility (AOR) was a large area of the northwest Continental United States, from the 103rd meridian west and north of the 42nd parallel north. This encompassed an area consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and the western parts of North and South Dakota as well as Nebraska.

During the 1950s the AOR of the 25th AD changed frequently, but its core area always included the area of Washington State west of the Cascade Mountains. On 1 January 1951, Air Defense Command regained major command status, and the 25th AD was one of four Air Divisions assigned to the new command. Later that year, on 15 September HQ 25th AD was moved from Silver Lake AFS to McChord AFB, near Tacoma, Washington.

Beginning on 1 January 1958, it the command organization for the Seattle Air Defense Sector Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-12) at McChord AFB. A few months later, on 1 September, the Portland Air Defense Sector, with its SAGE Direction Center (DC-13) at Adair AFS, Oregon also came under the 25th AD; on 8 September the Spokane Air Defense Sector and DC-15 at Larson AFB toned the 25th AD. In 1959, the Reno Air Defense Sector and DC-16 at Stead AFB, Nevada was also incorporated.

During the Cold War era, the 25th AD equipped, administered, trained and provided air defense combat ready forces within the northwestern United States. It exercised command jurisdiction over assigned units, installations, and facilities and provided and maintained facilities for the Air Division control center. In addition, the division and its subordinate units also participated in numerous tactical air defense training exercises. In the late 1950s, the Division also controlled United States-built radar stations in Western Canada as part of the Pinetree Line. These stations were turned over to the Royal Canadian Air Force in the early 1960s.

In May 1960, SAGE Combat Center Number 3 (CC-03) became operational at McChord AFB, bringing these separate Direction Centers under a unified center under the 25th AD. In July, DC-16 at Stead AFB was reassigned to the 28th Air Division at Hamilton AFB, California and the inactivation of the Western Air Defense Force brought the 25th AD directly under the control of Air Defense Command. In 1966 it was assigned to Headquarters, Fourth Air Force at Hamilton AFB, although it remained stationed at McChord AFB. It also replaced the Seattle Air Defense Sector in 1966. Assumed additional designation of 25th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent AFB in April 1966.

The division was a major part of Air Defense Command, and later Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) in 1968. In 1979 it was incorporated into Tactical Air Command with the inactivation of ADCOM as a major command. Under Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). In 1985 most active-duty units of ADCOM were inactivated or reassigned to other missions, and the air defense mission came under Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units under First Air Force.

It continued its mission until 1990, when the 25 AD was deactivated, its mission and components becoming part of the First Air Force Northwest Air Defense Sector.

Lineage

• Established as 25 Air Defense Division on 27 September 1948.

Activated on 25 October 1948

Re-designated 25 Air Division (Defense) on 20 June 1949.

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952

Re-designated: 25th Air Division (SAGE) on 1 March 1959

Re-designated :25th Air Division on 1 April 1966

Organized 1 April 1966, replacing Seattle Air Defense Sector

Assumed additional designations 25th NORAD/CONRAD Region, 1 April 1966

Assumed additional designation 25th ADCOM Region, 8 December 1978

Inactivated on 30 September 1990, assets transferred to Northwest Air Defense Sector.

Assignments

• Fourth Air Force, 25 October 1948
• Air Defense Command, 1 April 1949
• Fourth Air Force, 8 July 1949

Attached to Western Air Defense Force, 10 November 1949-1 August 1950

• Western Air Defense Force, 1 August 1950
• Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
• Fourth Air Force, 1 April 1966
• Tenth Air Force, 15 September 1969
• Aerospace Defense Command (ADTAC), 1 December 1969
• Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979
• First Air Force, 6 December 1985-30 September 1990

Stations

• Silver Lake AWS, Washington, 25 October 1948
• McChord AFB, Washington, 14 September 1951-30 September 1990

Components

Sectors

• Southwest Air Defense Sector: 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1990

March AFB, California

• Northwest Air Defense Sector: 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1990

McChord AFB, Washington

Wings

Groups

Squadrons

Interceptor

• 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Minot AFB, North Dakota, 1 June 1983-1 December 1987

• 323d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Larson AFB, Washington, 26 November 1952-18 August 1955

• 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, 1 April 1971-30 July 1974

Radar

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• 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.
• Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1)
• Air Force Historical Research Agency: 25th Air Division

External links