Eastern Air Defense Force

Eastern Air Defense Force Air Defense Command
Emblem of the Eastern Air Defense Force
Active	1949–1960
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Air Defense
Part of	Air Defense Command

71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron North American F-86A Sabres attached to EADF, 1950. Aircraft identified: North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 48-210 North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 48-201 North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre 48-151

The Eastern Air Defense Force (EADF) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command being stationed at Stewart Air Force Base, New York. It was inactivated on July 1, 1960.

History

EADF 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.

The command was originally assigned the region within the Continental United States (CONUS) to the east of the 102d degree of longitude, along the Canadian border to the most easternmost point of Maine; the southern boundary being the 102d degree of longitude along the Rio Grande boundary with Mexico, east to the southernmost point of Texas and along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean coastlines.

This was adjusted in 1951 with the activation of Central Air Defense Force (CADF) with the region being adjusted to the area east of the 90th degree of longitude south to the point of the Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee state boundaries, and eastward to the Atlantic Ocean coastline along the Tennessee/Kentucky and Virginia/North Carolina border, with all areas north and east of those boundaries. Organizations stationed west and south of that delineation were transferred to CADF.

The delineation was again adjusted in March 1956 to the region generally to the east of the 90th degree of longitude south to the point of the Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee state boundaries, then south along the Mississippi river to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. CADF organizations in the southeast were reassigned to the EADF.

Eastern Air Defense Force was inactivated on 1 July 1960, with its assigned units reassigned either to 26th, 30th or 32d Air Divisions, or to the new Air Defense Sectors created with the advent of the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system.

Lineage

• Established as Eastern Air Defense Force and organized September 1, 1949.

Discontinued July 1, 1960

Assignments

• Continental Air Command, September 1, 1949 – January 1, 1951
• Air Defense Command, January 1, 1951 – July 1, 1960

Stations

• Mitchel AFB, New York, September 1, 1949 – August 1, 1950
• Stewart AFB, New York, August 1, 1950 – July 1, 1960

Components

Air Divisions

• 26th Air Division

Stationed at Roslyn AFS, New York

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 September 1950 from First Air Force

Re-designated 26th Air Division (SAGE), 8 August 1958

Moved to Syracuse AFS, New York, 8 August 1958

Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 August 1959

• 30th Air Division

Stationed at Willow Run AFS, Michigan

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 1 April 1959 from Air Defense Command

Re-designated 30th Air Division (SAGE), 1 April 1959

Moved to Truax Field, Wisconsin, 1 April 1959

Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 July 1959

• 31st Air Division

Activated at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, 8 October 1950

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 January 1951

• 32d Air Division

Activated at Stewart AFB, New York, 1 January 1951

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Moved to Syracuse AFS, New York, 1 December 1953

Re-designated 32d Air Division (Defense), 15 August 1958

Re-designated 32d Air Division (SAGE), 15 November 1958

Moved to Dobbins AFB, Georgia, 15 November 1958

Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 August 1959

• 33d Air Division (Defense)

Activated at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 19 March 1951

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 20 May 1951

• 35th Air Division

Stationed at Dobbins AFB, Georgia

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force, 10 April 1955 from Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 10 April 1955

Inactivated 15 November 1958

• 37th Air Division

Stationed at Truax Field, Wisconsin

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 8 September 1955 from Air Defense Command

Inactivated 1 April 1959

• 58th Air Division

Activated at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, 8 September 1955

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Inactivated 1 February 1959

• 85th Air Division

Activated at Andrews AFB, Maryland, 8 September 1955

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Inactivated 1 September 1958

Wings

• 23d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Activated at Presque Isle AFB, Maine, 1 January 1951

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Inactivated 6 February 1952

• 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense)

Stationed at Otis AFB, Massachusetts

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 1 January 1951 from Air Defense Command

Inactivated 6 February 1952

• 52d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey as 52d Fighter All-Weather Wing

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 1 January 1951 from Air Defense Command

Re-designated 52d Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 1 May 1951

Inactivated 6 February 1952

• 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Stationed at Selfridge AFB, Michigan

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force 1 January 1951 from Air Defense Command

Inactivated 6 February 1952

• 101st Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Maine Air National Guard, 10 February 1951

Stationed at Dow AFB, Maine

Moved to Grenier AFB, New Hampshire, 1 May 1951

Moved to Larson AFB, Washington and re-assigned to Western Air Defense Force (WADF), 2 August 1951

• 103d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Connecticut Air National Guard, 2 March 1951

Stationed at Brainard Field, Connecticut

Moved to Suffolk County AFB, New York, 1 June 1951

Inactivated and returned to state control, 6 February 1952

• 122d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Indiana Air National Guard, 10 February 1951

Stationed at Stout Field, Indiana

Moved to Baer Field, Indiana, 1 May 1951

Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 1 December 1951

• 128th Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Wisconsin Air National Guard, 10 February 1951

Stationed at General Mitchell Field, Wisconsin

Moved to Truax Field, Wisconsin, 16 February 1951

Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF), 20 May 1951

• 133d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Minnesota Air National Guard, 10 February 1951

Stationed at Holman Field, Minnesota

Re-assigned to Central Air Defense Force (CADF) 20 May 1951

• 142d Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Federalized Oregon Air National Guard

Stationed at Geiger Field, Washington

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force from Western Air Defense Force (WADF), 11 April 1951

Moved to O'Hare International Airport, Illinois, 1 May 1951

Inactivated and returned to state control, 6 February 1952

• 551st Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing

Stationed at Otis AFB, Massachusetts

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force from 8th Air Division (AEW&Con), 1 July 1957

Re-assigned to 26th Air Division, 1 July 1959

• 4621st Air Defense Wing (SAGE)

Stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 April 1956

Re-assigned to 26th Air Division, 18 October 1956

• 4622d Air Defense Wing (SAGE)

Stationed at Stewart AFB, New York

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 June 1956

Re-assigned to 26th Air Division, 18 October 1956

• 4706th Air Defense Wing

Stationed at O'Hare International Airport, Illinois

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 February 1952

Re-assigned to 30th Air Division, 16 February 1953

• 4708th Air Defense Wing

Stationed at Selfridge AFB, Michigan

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 February 1953

Re-assigned to 30th Air Division, 16 February 1953

• 4709th Defense Wing

Stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 February 1952

Re-assigned to 26th Air Division, 16 February 1953

• 4710th Defense Wing

Stationed at New Castle AFB, Delaware

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 February 1952

Re-assigned to 26th Air Division, 16 February 1953

• 4711th Defense Wing

Stationed at Presque Isle AFB, Maine

Activated by Eastern Air Defense Force on 1 February 1952

Re-assigned to 32d Air Division, 16 February 1953

Groups

• 152d Aircraft Control and Warning Group

Federalized New Hampshire Air National Guard, 1 September 1951

Stationed at Grenier AFB, New Hampshire

Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force

Re-assigned to 32d Air Division, 6 February 1952

• 156th Aircraft Control and Warning Group

Federalized Michigan Air National Guard, 16 September 1951

Stationed at Selfridge AFB, Michigan

Headquarters remained at Selfridge AFB, personnel deployed to locations in the Chicago, Illinois area

Inactivated and returned to state control, 6 February 1952

• 4700th Air Defense Group

Stationed at Stewart AFB, New York

Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force from Air Defense Command, 1 January 1951

Re-assigned to 4709th Air Defense Wing, 20 September 1954

Squadron

• 614th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

Stationed at: Grenier AFB, New Hampshire. 1 July 1952-1 December 1952

See also

• Central Air Defense Force
• Western Air Defense Force

References

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

• USAF Aerospace Defense Command publication, The Interceptor, January 1979 (Volume 21, Number 1)
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9
• 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.