533d Air Defense Group

The group was activated at Sterparone Airfield, Italy as the 533d Air Service Group shortly after VE Day in 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 959th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 783rd Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[1] The 533d supported 483d Bombardment Group in Italy in 1945 until it was inactivated in the fall.[2] The group was disbanded in 1948.[3]

F-51D as flown by the 354th FIS until July 1953

The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 533d Air Defense Group, and activated at Oxnard Air Force Base, California in 1953[4] with responsibility for air defense of Southern California. Assigned the 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS), which was already stationed at Oxnard, and flying World War II era F-51 Mustangs[5] as its operational component.[6] The 354th FIS had been assigned directly to the 27th Air Division.[6] The 354th FIS upgraded to F-94 Starfires in July 1953.[5] The group also replaced the 90th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at Oxnard.[7] The group was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[8][9]

The 533d was inactivated[4] and replaced by the 414th Fighter Group (Air Defense) in 1955[10][11] 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.[12] the group was disbanded once again in 1984.[13]

• Unknown, 28 May 1945 – 25 September 1945 (probably XV Air Force Service Command)
• 27th Air Division, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[4]

• Sterperone Airfield, Italy, 28 May 1945 – May 1945[2]
• Pisa, Italy, May 1945 – 25 September 1945[2]
• Oxnard Air Force Base, California, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Operational Squadron

• 354th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[14]

Support Units

• 533rd Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 533rd Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[8]
• 533rd Medical Squadron (later 533rd USAF Dispensary),[9] 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 783rd Air Materiel Squadron, 28 May 1945 – 25 September 1945
• 959th Air Engineering Squadron, 28 May 1945 – 25 September 1945

• North American F-51D Mustang, 1953
• Lockheed F-94C Starfighter, 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.