530th Air Defense Group

The group was first activated as the 530th Air Service Group toward the end of World War II to provide support for a flying unit in Italy in 1945 as part of a reorganization of Army Air Forces (AAF) support groups in which the AAF replaced Service Groups that included personnel from other branches of the Army and supported two combat groups with Air Service Groups including only Air Corps units, it was designed to support a single combat group.[1] Its 956th Air Engineering Squadron[2] provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 780th Air Materiel Squadron[2] handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[1] The 530th supported the 301st Bombardment Group at Foggia, Italy.[2] The group returned to the United States and briefly supported the 301st Bombardment Group again at Pyote Army Air Field before all units at Pyote were inactivated in late 1945.[3] The 530th was disbanded in 1948.[4]

During the Cold War the group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 530th Air Defense Group, and activated at Geiger Field on 18 February 1953[5] with responsibility for air defense of the Northwestern United States. The group replaced the 87th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at Geiger Field. It was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[6] The organizations it supported included its headquarters, the 4702d Defense Wing, and later the 9th Air Division.[7] Its first operational squadron, the 440th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), was activated at Geiger two days later[8] flying airborne intercept radar equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed North American F-86D Sabre aircraft.[9] In March 1953, a second F-86D squadron, the 445th FIS was activated at Geiger.[10]

In July 1954, the 440th FIS moved overseas and was reassigned away from the group.[8] In December 1954, the 530th once again had two flying squadrons, when the 520th FIS, another F-86D unit,[11] was activated.[12] The 530th was inactivated[5] and replaced by the 84th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[13] in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command'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.[14] The group was disbanded again in 1984.[15]

• Unknown, 1 June 1945 (probably XV Air Force Service Command)
• 20th Bombardment Wing (later VIII Bomber Command),ca. July 1945 – 17 October 1945
• 4702d Defense Wing, 16 February 1953[5]
• 9th Air Division 8 October 1954 – 18 August 1955[5]

• Unknown (possibly Lucera), Italy 18 May 1945
• Foggia, Italy, 1 June 1945 – ca. July 1945[a 1]
• Mountain Home Army Air Field, Idaho 17 August 1945[16]
• Pyote Army Airfield, 23 August 1945 – 17 October 1945
• Geiger Field, Washington, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

• North American F-86D Sabre, 1953–1955

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

• Buss, Lydus H.(ed), Sturm, Thomas A., Volan, Denys, and McMullen, Richard F., History of Continental Air Defense Command and Air Defense Command July to December 1955, Directorate of Historical Services, Air Defense Command, Ent AFB, CO, (1956)
• Coleman, John M (1950). The Development of Tactical Services in the Army Air Forces. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946–1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

Further reading

• Grant, C.L., (1961) The Development of Continental Air Defense to 1 September 1954, USAF Historical Study No. 126
• Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol I. 1945–1955. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1.