500th Air Defense Group

The group was activated as the 500th Air Service Group shortly after V-E 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 918th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 742nd Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support.[1] It supported 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in Germany and then returned to the US, where both groups were inactivated.[2]

When the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated in 1947, the 500th Air Service Group once again activated to support it.[3] The 500th was inactivated and replaced by 67th Airdrome Group, 67th Station Medical Group, and 67th Maintenance & Supply Group in the experimental Wing Base reorganization of 1947 (Hobson Plan),[3][4] which was designed to unify control at air bases[5] The group was disbanded in 1948.[6]

The group was reconstituted, redesignated as the 500th Air Defense Group, and activated at Greater Pittsburgh Airport on 18 February 1953[7] with responsibility for air defense of Western Pennsylvania. It was assigned the 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was already stationed at Greater Pittsburgh Airport, and flying North American F-86 Sabres,[8] as its operational component.[9] The 71st had been assigned directly to the 4708th Defense Wing.[9] The group also replaced the 81st Air Base Squadron as host organization for USAF portion of Greater Pittsburgh Airport. The group was assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities.[10] The group was inactivated[7] and replaced by 54th Fighter-Interceptor Group in 1955[11] as part of ADC'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 1945 – March 1946, (probably IX Air Force Service Command – September 1945, Third Air Force – January 1946, First Air Force – March 1946)
• Tactical Air Command, March 1946 – 31 March 1946
• Twelfth Air Force, 25 July 1947 – 15 November 1947
• 4708th Defense Wing (later 4708th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[7]

• 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[16]
• 500th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 500th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955[17]
• 500th Medical Squadron (later 500th USAF Infirmary, 500th USAF Dispensary),[18] 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 742nd Air Materiel Squadron 1 June 1945 – 31 March 1946, 25 July 1947 – 15 November 1947
• 918th Air Engineering Squadron 1 June 1945 – 31 March 1946, 25 July 1947 – 15 November 1957

• North American F-86A Sabre, 1953–1955[8]

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
• 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.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947–1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.