4683d Air Defense Wing
| 4683d Air Defense Wing
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | |
|---|---|
| Insignia | |
| Patch with 4683d Air Defense Wing emblem |  |
The 4683d Air Defense Wing is a discontinued
Thule Air Base, Greenland
, where it was discontinued in 1965.
The
air defense
mission.
History
The 4683d Air Defense Wing was established in 1960 when
Nike Missile air defense unit.[2]
The
931st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, already at Thule, was reassigned to the wing from the 64th Air Division immediately upon organization of the wing.[3] The 931st was located on Pingarssuit Mountain (Site N-32), 20 miles south of the main base.[2] The wing was assigned the 332d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying Convair F-102 Delta Dagger interceptor aircraft when the squadron moved to Thule from England Air Force Base, Louisiana in September 1960.[4][5] It also supported the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
(BMEWS) when the system was activated at Thule.
The 332d was inactivated at the end of May 1965.[4] The wing was discontinued in July[1] and replaced as host organization at Thule by the 4683d Air Base Group.[6] The wing's 931st AC&W Sq was assigned to the 4683d Air Base Group until the squadron was inactivated on 24 December 1965.[3] The Army's NIKE operations also ended in 1965, and Thule's primary mission became BMEWS operations.[2]
Lineage
- Designated as the 4683d Air Defense Wing and organized on 1 July 1960
- Discontinued on 1 July 1965
Assignments
- 64th Air Division, 1 July 1960
- Goose Air Defense Sector, 1 July 1963 – 1 July 1965
Stations
- Thule AB, Greenland, 1 July 1960 – 1 July 1965
Components
Group
- 4683d Air Base Group (attached)[6]
- Designated, organized, assigned to Goose Air Defense Sector and attached to 4683d Air Defense Wing on 1 October 1960
- Redesignated 4683d Combat Support Group on 1 April 1963
- Redesignated 4683d Air Base Group on 1 July 1965 and relieved from attachment to 4683d Air Defense Wing
- Reassigned to the 37th Air Division on 1 April 1966
- Reassigned to the 21st Air Division on 1 December 1969
- Discontinued on 31 March 1977
Operational Squadrons
|
Support Units
|
Aircraft
- Convair F-102A Delta Dagger, 1960-1965
Awards
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award |
1 January 1962-18 July 1962 | [10] |
Commanders
- Col. Chester L. Sluder, 1 July 1960 - 29 Oct 1960[2]
- Col. David B. Tudor, 20 Jul 1962-18 July 1963[2][11]
- Col. James W. Lancaster, by Jan 1965 - 1 July 1965[12]
See also
- List of MAJCOM wings
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
- List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons
References
Notes
- ^ a b 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. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Fletcher, Harry R (1993). Air Force Bases, Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America (PDF). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History. pp. 182–185.
- ^ a b Cornett & Johnson, p. 105
- ^ ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 127
- ^ a b Cornett & Johnson, p. 88
- ^ a b c d e See Fletcher, p. 185, list of units
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 108
- ^ Cornett & Johnson, p. 143
- ^ AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 71 (Part 1) [1] Archived 2015-08-04 at the Wayback Machine (Part 2), p. 547
- ^ "Abstract, History 4683 Air Defense Wing Jan-Jun 1963". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ "Abstract, History 4683 Air Defense Wing Jan-Mar 1965". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- 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 11 February 2012.
- Fletcher, Harry R (1993). Air Force Bases, Vol. II, Air Bases Outside the United States of America (PDF). Washington, DC: Center for Air Force History.
- 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.
- AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 71
Further Reading
- Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). Vol. II, 1955–1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archived from the original(PDF) on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies : the legacy of the United States Cold War defense Radar Program. Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. ]
