4704th Defense Wing

4704th Defense Wing
F-86Ds of the wing's 357th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
Active	1952-1954
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Interceptor and Radar
Role	Air Defense
Size	Wing
Part of	Air Defense Command
Garrison/HQ	McChord Air Force Base

The 4704th Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, where it was discontinued in 1954. It was established in 1952 at McChord in a general reorganization of ADC, which replaced wings responsible for a base with wings responsible for a geographical area. It commanded three fighter interceptor squadrons initially, and added three more squadrons before the end of the year. In early 1953 it added several radar squadrons in the Pacific Northwest, one of which was an Air National Guard squadron mobilized for the Korean War. When it was discontinued in the fall of 1954 its units transferred to the 25th Air Division.

History

The wing was organized as the 4704th Defense Wing at the beginning of 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] Five days later, the 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing (FIW) was inactivated^[3] and its operational elements, including the 123rd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), 317th FIS and 318th FIS, transferred to the 4704th Defense Wing.^[3][4][5] The support elements of the 325th FIW were transferred from that wing's 325th Air Base Group (ABG) and 325th Maintenance & Supply Group to the 4704th Wing's 567th ABG,^[6] which assumed host responsibility for USAF units at McChord.^[7] The 317th and 318th FIS at McChord flew Lockheed F-94 Starfire fighter interceptor aircraft, while the 123rd FIS, a Federalized Oregon Air National Guard (ANG) unit, at Portland AFB, flew World War II era F-51 Mustang aircraft.^[5][8] By June, the 123rd had converted to F-86 Sabre aircraft.^[5] The Wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical flying units in state of readiness to destroy enemy aircraft in order to defend Northwest United States.^[9] It also oversaw the transfer of Air Force facilities at Portland AFB from Tactical Air Command (TAC) to ADC in March 1952.^[10] It managed supporting units at McChord AFB for the 25th Air Division,^[11] and controlled host support squadrons at dispersed fighter bases.

Additional fighter squadrons were assigned to the wing during 1952. In March, the 82nd FIS, flying F-94s^[12] at Larson AFB, Washington was transferred from the 4703rd Defense Wing^[13] in preparation for the transfer of Larson from ADC to TAC. In August, the 83rd FIS, flying F-89 Scorpion aircraft^[12] moved to Paine AFB, WA and was assigned to the wing.^[14] At the beginning of November, the 123rd FIS was released back to the ANG and its personnel, mission and equipment were absorbed by the newly activating 357th FIS.^[15] A final fighter squadron, the 323d FIS at Larson AFB, which was assigned to the 25th Air Division, was briefly attached to the wing at the end of 1952.^[16]

At the beginning of 1953, the wing added the aircraft detection, warning and control mission, when six radar squadrons were assigned to it.^[17][18][19] ADC again made major organizational changes in February 1953 that affected the wing. The 567th ABG redesignated as the 567th Air Defense Group and assumed responsibility for command of the 317th and 318th FIS.^[4] The 503rd Air Defense Group activated at Portland AFB^[20] and the 357th FIS was assigned to it, while the 529th Air Defense Group activated at Paine AFB^[21] and the 83rd FIS was assigned to it.^[14][15] Responsibility for ADC units at Larson AFB transferred to the 4702nd Defense Wing.^[12] In October 1953, the Federalized 136th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron (AC&W Sq) of the ANG was returned to the control of the State of Texas^[18] and its personnel and equipment transferred to the newly activated 689th AC&W Sq.^[22]

The wing was discontinued in 1954 and its equipment and personnel were transferred to other ADC units at McChord. Its subordinate air defense groups were then assigned directly to the 25th Air Division.^[6][20][21]

Lineage

• Designated as the 4704th Defense Wing and organized on 1 February 1952

Discontinued on 8 October 1954

Assignments

• Western Air Defense Force, 1 February 1952^[1]
• 25th Air Division, 10 December 1952 - 8 October 1954^[1]

Components

Groups

• 503rd Air Defense Group

Portland International Airport (formerly Portland AFB), 16 February 1953 - 8 October 1954

• 529th Air Defense Group

Paine Field (formerly Paine AFB), 16 February 1953 - 8 October 1954

• 567th Air Base Group (later 567th Air Defense Group), 1 February 1952 - 8 October 1954

Squadrons

Fighter Squadrons

Stations

• McChord AFB, Washington, 1 February 1952 - 8 October 1954

Commanders

• Col. Alan T. Bennett, 1 February 1952 - ca. 1 January 1953^[10]
• Col. Loring F. Stetson, Jr., ca. 1 January 1953 - unknown^[11]

Aircraft

• F-84G, 1953
• F-86D, 1953-1954
• F-86F, 1952-1953
• F-89B, 1952-1953
• F-94A, 1952-1954
• F-94B, 1952-1953

See also

• List of MAJCOM wings of the United States Air Force
• List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
• Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons

v t e Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) Bases CONUS Ethan Allen Amarillo Beale Charleston Davis-Monthan Dobbins Dover Dow Duluth Eglin Edwards Ellington Ellsworth England Ent Fairfax Fallon Fort Heath Fort Lee Geiger George Glasgow Grand Forks Grenier Griffiss Gunter Hamilton Hancock Homestead Hurlburt Hunter Jacksonville Key West Kincheloe Kingsley Kirtland Lackland Laredo Larson Luke MacDill March Malmstrom McCoy McChord McClellan McGhee Tyson McGuire Minneapolis-St. Paul Minot Mitchel New Castle Niagara Falls Norton O'Hare Otis Oxnard Paine Perrin Peterson Pittsburgh Portland Presque Isle R.I. Bong (unbuilt) Richards-Gebaur Robins K.I. Sawyer Selfridge Seymour Johnson Sioux City Stead Stewart Suffolk County Tinker Travis Truax Tyndall Vandenburg Vincent Walker Webb Westover Wright-Patterson Wurtsmith Youngstown Overseas Ernest Harmon Frobisher Bay Goose Bay Keflavik McAndrew Pepperrell Thule Stations CONUS Adair Aiken Almaden Alpena Antigo Arlington Heights Baker Bedford Bellefontaine Belleville Benton Blaine Brookfield Brunswicck Bucks Harbor Burns Calumet Cambria Cape Charles Cape Cod (built during control) Carmi Caswell Chandler Charleston Cheyenne Mountain Claysburg Clear Colville Condon Continental Divide Cottonwood Cross City Crystal Springs Curlew Custer Cut Bank Dallas Center Dauphin Island Dickinson Duncanville Eldorado Empire Finland Finley Flintstone Fordland Fort Fisher Fort Lee Fortuna Gettysburg Grand Marais Grand Rapids Guthrie Hanna City Havre Highlands Houma Hutchinson Joelton Keno Killeen Kingman Kirksville Klamath Lake Charles Lake City Las Cruces Las Vegas Lewistown Lockport Lufkin Lyndonville Madera Makah Mica Peak Miles City Mill Valley Minot Montauk Moriarty Mount Hebo Mount Laguna Mount Lemmon Naselle North Bend North Charleston North Truro Oklahoma City Olathe Omaha Opheim Osceola Othello Owingsville Ozona Palermo Point Arena Port Austin Port Isabel Pyote Red Bluff Rochester Rockport Rockville (Indiana) Roslyn Rye Saint Albans San Clemente Island Santa Rosa Island Saratoga Springs Sault Ste Marie Shemya Snelling Snow Mountain Sweetwater Texarkana Tierra Amarilla Thomasville Tonopah Topsham Two Creeks Wadena Walnut Ridge Watertown Waverly West Mesa Willow Run Winnemucca Winslow Winston-Salem Woomera Yaak Zapata Overseas Armstrong Baldy Hughes Beausejour Cape Makkovik Cartwright Cut Throat Island Elliston Ridge Fox Harbour Hofn Hopedale Kamloops La Scie Langanes Latrar Melville Puntzi Mountain Ramore Red Cliff Rockville Saglek St. Anthony Saskatoon Mountain Sioux Lookout Spotted Island Stephenville Air Defense units Forces Central Air Defense Eastern Air Defense Iceland Western Air Defense First Fourth Tenth Fourteenth Air Divisions 8th 9th 20th 21st 23rd 24th 25th 26th 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th 37th 58th 64th 73rd 85th Sectors Albuquerque Bangor Boston Chicago Detroit Duluth Goose Grand Forks Great Falls Kansas City Los Angeles Minot Montgomery New York Oklahoma City Phoenix Portland Reno Sault Sainte Marie San Francisco Seattle Sioux City Spokane Stewart Syracuse Washington Wings Fighter 1st 4th 23rd 32nd 33rd 50th 52nd 56th 78th 81st 325th 328th 507th Detection and Control 71st 73rd 551st 552nd Air Defense 46th 4620th 4621st 4622nd 4624th 4625th 4627th 4628th 4683rd 4700th 4702nd 4703rd 4704th 4705th 4706th 4707th 4708th 4709th 4710th 4711th 4750th 4751st 4752nd 4756th 4780th Groups Fighter 1st 4th 14th 15th 23rd 32nd 33rd 50th 52nd 53rd 54th 56th 57th 78th 79th 81st 82nd 84th 325th 326th 327th 328th 329th 337th 343rd 355th 408th 412th 414th 473rd 475th 476th 478th 507th Air Defense 10th 500th 501st 502nd 503rd 514th 515th 516th 517th 518th 519th 520th 521st 525th 527th 528th 529th 530th 533rd 534th 564th 566th 567th 568th 575th 637th 665th 678th 692nd 701st 751st 762nd 765th 778th 780th 827th 858th 4606th 4620th 4676th 4700th 4721st 4722nd 4727th 4728th 4729th 4730th 4731st 4732nd 4733rd 4734th 4735th 4750th 4756th Aircraft Control & Warning 503rd 505th 540th 541st 542nd 543rd 544th 545th 546th 563rd 564th 565th 566th Squadrons Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons Aircraft Control and Warning Squadrons Major weapon systems Electronic TB-29 EB-57 EC-121 Fighters Propellor: F-47 F-51 P-61 F-82 Subsonic Jet: P-80 F-84 F-86 F-89 F-94 Supersonic Jet: F-101 F-102 F-104 F-106 Missiles AIM-4 AIM-26 AIR-2 CIM-10 Ships Guardian Interceptor Interdictor Interpreter Investigator Locator Lookout Outpost Pickett Protector Scanner Searcher Skywatcher Tracer Watchman Vigil Miscellaneous Air Defense Command Emblem Gallery (On Wikimedia Commons) General Surveillance Radar Stations

References

Notes

Bibliography

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

• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980. Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. 
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. 
• Mueller, Robert (1989). Air Force Bases, Vol. I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-53-6. 
• 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

• Grant, C.L., The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, (1961), USAF Historical Study No. 126
• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missiile Defense. Vol I. 1945-1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. 
• Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies: The legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 9720912. 

External links

• 4704th Air Defense Wing