Eastern Air Defense Force

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 1 July 1960.

Eastern Air Defense Force
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

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 Canada–US 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 1 September 1949.

Discontinued 1 July 1960

Assignments

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

Stations

• Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, 1 September 1949 – 1 August 1950
• Stewart Air Force Base, New York, 1 August 1950 – 1 July 1960

Components

Air Divisions

26th Air Division Stationed at Roslyn Air Force Station, 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 Air Force Station, New York, 8 August 1958 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 August 1959 30th Air Division Stationed at Willow Run Air Force Station, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, New York, 1 January 1951 Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force Moved to Syracuse Air Force Station, 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 Air Force Base, Georgia, 15 November 1958 Re-assigned to Air Defense Command, 1 August 1959

33d Air Division (Defense) Activated at Tinker Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, Georgia Re-assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force, 10 April 1955 from Central Air Defense Force, 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 Air Force Base, Ohio, 8 September 1955 Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force Inactivated 1 February 1959 85th Air Division Activated at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 8 September 1955 Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force Inactivated 1 September 1958

Wings

23d Fighter-Interceptor Wing Activated at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, 1 January 1951 Assigned to Eastern Air Defense Force Inactivated 6 February 1952 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense) Stationed at Otis Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, Maine Moved to Grenier Air Force Base, New Hampshire, 1 May 1951 Moved to Larson Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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, 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 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, Michigan

Headquarters remained at Selfridge Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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 the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Aerospace Defense Command, The Interceptor, January 1979, United States Air Force (Volume 21, Number 1)
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, 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 Air Force Base, 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.