28th Air Division

History

Established in December 1949, the Air Defense Command 28th Air Division "assumed responsibility for conducting the air defense of an area that embraced California, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. It became part of the Western Air Defense Force in 1950. With no fighter interceptor squadrons directly assigned, the division used interceptors of the 78th Fighter Wing, based at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, as well as Air National Guard interceptors based within its geographical area."

"By November 1954 its geographical boundaries included northern California, southern Oregon, and parts of Nevada and Utah. The division participated frequently in air defense exercises with U.S. Army artillery, U.S. Navy interceptors, and Strategic Air Command bombers."

"On 15 February 1959, it added the San Francisco Air Defense Sector to its components, and the geographical area expanded to include California and Arizona, and parts of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and New Mexico."

"The division gained the Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Reno Air Defense Sectors and also the 552d Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, whose Lockheed C-121 Constellation AWACS aircraft augmented naval picket ships in providing radar coverage seaward from the west coast of the United States. During 1961, it transitioned to a Semi Automatic Ground Environment system in all four of its sectors. Reorganization in 1963 altered the 28th's boundaries to include the states of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and parts of California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico."

"On 1 April 1966, the 28th was reassigned, in name only, to Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and replaced the Great Falls Air Defense Sector. The division's area included Montana and part of North Dakota, and later, parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Assumed additional designation of 28th NORAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966."

The division in the 1960s and 1970s deployed aircraft and personnel from subordinate units in support of the Vietnam War. Became part of ADTAC on 1 October 1979 with the inactivation of ADC and the incorporation of the CONUS air defense mission into Tactical Air Command. Beginning in April 1985, the 28th provided theater and Air Force commands with airborne forces for surveillance, warning, command and control, communications, and electronic combat operations. It was the Tactical Air Command single manager for the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), EC-130H Compass Call, EC-130E Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC), and EC-135K Tactical Deployment Control Squadron (TDCS) in support of unified and specified commands.

Inactivated on 29 May 1992 as part of the inactivation of Air Defense Tactical Air Command, its mission being incorporated into the Air Combat Command Western Air Defense Sector.

Lineage

• Established as the 28 Air Division (Defense) on 8 November 1949 : Activated on 8 December 1949 : Inactivated on 1 February 1952
• Organized on 1 February 1952 : Redesignated: 28 Air Division (SAGE) on 1 July 1960 : Redesignated: 28 Air Division on 1 April 1966 : Inactivated on 19 November 1969
• Activated on 1 April 1985 : Inactivated on 29 May 1992

Assignments

• Fourth Air Force, 8 December 1949
• Western Air Defense Force, 1 August 1950 – 1 July 1960
• Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
• Tenth Air Force, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• Air Defense Tactical Air Command, 1 April 1985 – 29 May 1992

Stations

• Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 8 December 1949 – 1 April 1966
• Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 1 April 1985 – 29 May 1992

Components

Sectors

• Los Angeles Air Defense Sector (LAADS) : Norton Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1960 – 1 April 1966
• Phoenix Air Defense Sector (PhADS) : Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 July 1960 – 1 April 1966
• Reno Air Defense Sector (ReADS) : Stead Air Force Base, Nevada, 1 July 1960 – 1 April 1966
• San Francisco Air Defense Sector (SFADS) : Beale Air Force Base, California, 15 February 1959 – 1 August 1963

Wings

• 78th Fighter Wing (Air Defense) : Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 18 October 1956 – 1 July 1960; 1 August 1963 – 1 April 1966
• 552d Early Warning and Control Wing : McClellan Air Force Base, California, 1 July 1960 – 1 April 1966; 1 April 1985 – 29 May 1992

Groups

• 78th Fighter Group (Air Defense) : Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 18 August 1955 – 18 October 1956
• 408th Fighter Group (Air Defense) : Kingsley Field, Oregon, 8 April 1956 – 1 March 1959
• 542d Aircraft Control and Warning Group : Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 1 January 1951 – 6 February 1952
• 566th Air Defense Group : Hamilton Air Force Base, California, 7 November 1952 – 18 August 1955

Interceptor squadrons

• 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 13th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 30 June 1968
• 18th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, 15 September – 19 November 1969
• 29th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron : Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 30 June 1968

Radar squadrons

• 658th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Winnemucca Air Force Station, Nevada, 1 February 1956 – 1 July 1960
• 666th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Mill Valley Air Force Station, California, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960
• 668th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Mather Air Force Base, California. 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960
• 682d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Almaden Air Force Station, California, 1 September 1957 – 1 July 1960
• 694th Radar Squadron : Lewistown Air Force Station, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 716th Radar Squadron : Kalispell Air Force Station, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 774th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Madera Air Force Station, California, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960
• 775th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Cambria Air Force Station, California, 6 February 1952 – 1 October 1954
• 776th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Point Arena Air Force Station, California, 6 February 1952 – 1 July 1960
• 777th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Klamath Air Force Station, Oregon, 6 February 1952 – 1 March 1959
• 778th Radar Squadron : Havre Air Force Station, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 779th Radar Squadron : Opheim Air Force Station, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 780th Radar Squadron : Fortuna Air Force Station, North Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 785th Radar Squadron : Finley Air Force Station, North Dakota, 15 September 1969 – 19 November 1969
• 786th Radar Squadron : Minot Air Force Station, North Dakota, 1 April 1966 – 19 November 1969
• 801st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 31 December 1969; 30 June 1971 – 1 July 1974
• 827th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Keno Air Force Station, Oregon, 1 September 1957 – 1 March 1959
• 858th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Fallon Air Force Station, Nevada, 8 October 1955 – 1 July 1960
• 859th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Red Bluff Air Force Station, California, 1 April 1956 – 1 March 1959
• 866th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Tonopah Air Force Station, Nevada, 1 October 1956 – 1 July 1960
• 902d Radar Squadron : Miles City Air Force Station, Montana, 1 April 1966 – 18 June 1968

Other squadrons

• 4754th Radar Evaluation Squadron : Hill Air Force Base, Utah, 1 July 1961 – 1 April 1966

• 8th Tactical Deployment Control Squadron (later, 8th Air Deployment Control Squadron) : Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 1 March 1986 - 29 May 1992

References

Notes

Bibliography

• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor (January 1979) Aerospace Defense Command, (Volume 21, Number 1)

References

1. Aircraft is F-104A-15-LO Starfighter Serial 56-780. Aircraft based at Hamilton AFB, California, but shown at Toa Yuan AB, Taiwan after the 1958 Taiwan Straits Crisis
2. (5 October 2007). "Factsheet 28 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency.
3. The inactivation and organization on 1 February 1952 represent a change from a Table of Organization to a Table of Distribution unit.