567th Air Defense Group

567th Air Defense Group

F-94As of the 317th FIS, stationed at McChord AFB
Active 1944-1945, 1952–1955
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Type Fighter Interceptor
Role Air Defense
Part of Air Defense Command
Garrison/HQ McChord Air Force Base

The 567th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 25th Air Division at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated as a support unit for a combat group at the end of World War II but never deployed before it was inactivated in 1945.

The group was activated once again in 1952 to replace the support elements of the inactivating 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. A year later ADC established it as an operational headquarters for fighter-interceptor squadrons as well. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 325th Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History

World War II

The group was activated at Venice Army Air Field, Florida toward the end of World War II as the 567th Air Service Group and trained to support a single combat group in an overseas theater.[1] Its 985th Air Engineering Squadron would provide maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 1005th Air Materiel Squadron would handle all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron would provide other support.[1] It was inactivated before it could be deployed overseas.[2] The unit was disbanded in 1948.[3]

Cold War

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 567th Air Base Group, and activated at McChord Air Force Base, Washington in 1952[4] as part of a major reorganization of Air Defense Command (ADC) responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage.[5] It replaced the 325th Air Base Group[6] as the USAF host unit for McChord.[7] while the operational elements of the inactivating 325th Fighter-Interceptor Wing[8] transferred to the 4704th Defense Wing. The group was assigned seven squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[7][9][10][11][12] The group Also maintained aircraft stationed at McChord.[10]

F-86D of the 465th FIS

The group was redesignated as the 567th Air Defense Group[4] and assumed responsibility for air defense of the Northwest United States. It was assigned the 317th and 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons (FIS), flying early model Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft armed with 20 mm cannon,[13] from the 4704th Defense Wing as its operational elements.[14][15] The same day, the 465th FIS, flying radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabres[16] was activated as the group's third operational squadron.[17] In July 1953, the 318th FIS moved to Greenland and was transferred from the group.[15] In December 1953, the 317th FIS converted to F-86's.[13]

The group was inactivated in 1955[4] and replaced by the 325th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[18][19] as result of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars.[20] The group was disbanded once again in 1984.[21]

Lineage

Activated on 7 December 1944[22]
Inactivated ca. 15 August 1945
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Activated on 1 February 1952
Inactivated on 18 August 1955
Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

Components

Operational Squadrons

  • 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
  • 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 1 July 1953
  • 465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[23]

Support Squadrons

  • 567th Air Police Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[24]
  • 567th Food Service Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[24]
  • 567th Field Maintenance Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[10]
  • 567th Installations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[9]
  • 567th Medical Squadron[12] (later 567th USAF Hospital),[7] 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955
  • 567th Motor Vehicle Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[24]
  • 567th Operations Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[11]
  • 567th Supply Squadron, 1 February 1952 - 18 August 1955[24]
  • 985th Air Engineering Squadron, 7 December 1944 - ca. 15 August 1945
  • 1005th Air Materiel Squadron, 7 December 1944 - ca. 15 August 1945

Stations

Aircraft

Commanders

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Coleman, p. 208
  2. ↑ Coleman, p. 215
  3. ↑ Department of the Air Force Letter, 322 (AFOOR 887e), 8 October 1948, Subject: Disbandment of Certain Inactive Air Force Units
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Cornett & Johnson, p. 85
  5. ↑ Grant, p. 33
  6. ↑ Kane, Robert B. (2011-01-14). "Factsheet 325 Mission Support Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 Mueller, pp. 391–395
  8. ↑ Kane, Robert B. (2011-01-14). "Factsheet 325 Fighter Wing (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 134
  10. 1 2 3 Cornett & Johnson, p. 141
  11. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 152
  12. 1 2 See Abstract, History of 567th Medical Squadron, Apr 1952 (accessed 17 June 2012)
  13. 1 2 Cornett & Johnson p.116
  14. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 387
  15. 1 2 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 389
  16. ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p.129
  17. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp.571-572
  18. ↑ Maurer, Combat Units, p. 207
  19. ↑ Kane, Robert B. (2011-01-14). "Factsheet 325 Operations Group (AETC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  20. ↑ Buss, Sturm, Volan, & McMullen, p.6
  21. ↑ Department of the Air Force/MPM Letter 575q, 27 Sep 1984, Subject: Disbandment of Units
  22. 1 2 3 Abstract, History of 567th Air Service Group, Dec 1944 (accessed 17 June 2012)
  23. ↑ Robertson, Patsy (2012-07-03). "Factsheet 465 Air Refueling Squadron (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  24. 1 2 3 4 See Mueller, p. 395

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

Further Reading

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