4708th Air Defense Wing


The 4708th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 30th Air Division of Air Defense Command at Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan, where it was discontinued in 1956. It was established in 1952 at Selfridge as the 4708th Defense Wing in a general reorganization of Air Defense Command, which replaced wings responsible for a base with wings responsible for a geographical area. It assumed control of several fighter Interceptor squadrons that had been assigned to the 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, some of which were Air National Guard squadrons mobilized for the Korean War.
In early 1953 it also was assigned nine radar squadrons in the Midwest. Several of these radar squadrons were located in Canada as part of the Mid-Canada Line. At the same time its dispersed fighter squadrons combined with colocated air base squadrons into air defense groups. The wing was redesignated as an air defense wing in 1954. It was discontinued in and its units transferred to the 30th Air Division in 1956.

History

The wing was organized as the 4708th Defense Wing the beginning of February 1952 at Selfridge AFB, Michigan as part of a major reorganization of ADC responding to ADC's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. It assumed operational control and the air defense mission of fighter squadrons formerly assigned to the inactivating 56th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. The 61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft, and the 172d FIS, flying World War II era North American F-51 Mustang aircraft were located at Selfridge, while the 63d FIS, flying F-86 Sabre aircraft, was located at Oscoda AFB. The 136th FIS at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, flying World War II era Republic F-47 Thunderbolt aircraft was also transferred to the wing from the 101st FIW, and the 71st FIS at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, another F-86 unit, was transferred from the 1st FIW. The support elements of the 56th FIW's 56th Air Base Group and 56th Maintenance & Supply Group were replaced at Selfridge by the wing's 575th Air Base Group, and air base squadrons were activated at each of the dispersed locations assigned to the wing to support the fighter squadrons at those stations. The wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical units in a state of readiness to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft attempting to penetrate the air defense system in the Great Lakes area.
In July 1952, units at Oscoda AFB were transferred to the 4706th Defense Wing, while in the following month, the 166th FIS, at Youngstown Municipal Airport, where it flew Republic F-84 Thunderjet aircraft was transferred from the 4706th. In November, the federalized Air National Guard squadrons were returned to state control. The 136th FIS was returned to the New York ANG and replaced by the 47th FIS, the 166th FIS was returned to the Ohio ANG and replaced by the 86th FIS, and the 172nd FIS was returned to the Michigan ANG, and replaced by the 431st FIS. Another F-51 squadron, the 56th FIS, was activated at Selfridge later that month. although it converted to F-86 aircraft by the start of 1953.
In February 1953, another major reorganization of ADC activated Air Defense Groups at ADC bases with dispersed fighter squadrons. These groups were assigned to the wing and assumed direct control of the interceptor squadrons at those bases, as well as support squadrons to carry out their role as the USAF host organizations at the bases. As a result of this reorganization, the 575th Air Base Group was redesignated the 575th Air Defense Gp and assumed control of the fighter squadrons at Selfridge, while the 500th Air Defense Group at Pittsburgh and the 502d Air Defense Group at Youngstown controlled the squadrons at these locations. Oscoda AFB, where the 527th Air Defense Group was activated, returned to the control of the wing. Although the 518th Air Defense Group took over operations at Niagara Falls, it was assigned to another wing. The reorganization also resulted in the wing adding the radar detection, control and warning mission, and it was assigned eight Aircraft Control & Warning Squadrons in the United States and Canada to perform this mission. In November it added an additional AC&W Sq.
In 1955, ADC implemented 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. As a result of this project, the 500th Air Defense Gp was replaced by the 54th Fighter Group, the 502nd Air Def Gp was replaced by the 79th Fighter Group, the 527th Air Def Gp was replaced by the 412th Fighter Group, and the 575th Air Defense Gp was replaced by the 1st Fighter Group.
In March 1956, the 4711th Air Defense Wing moved to Selfridge from Presque Isle AFB, Maine and three of the 4708th's AC&W Sqs were assigned to it. Niagara Falls briefly was assigned to the wing in this realignment. The fighter groups and remaining radar detection and control squadrons of the wing were transferred to the 30th Air Division in July. With no remaining operational mission, the wing and the 4711th Wing were discontinued in July 1956 They would be replaced shortly by the 1st Fighter Wing, which was activated on 18 October 1956.

Lineage

Groups

Fighter Groups
Air Defense Groups
Fighter Squadrons
Support Squadrons
Radar Squadrons