United States Taiwan Defense Command
United States Taiwan Defense Command 美軍協防台灣司令部 | |
---|---|
United States Pacific Command | |
Garrison/HQ | HSA Compound, Yuanshan, Taipei |
Commanders | |
First commander | VADM Alfred M. Pride |
Last commander | RADM James B. Linder |
First chief of staff | RADM Frank W. Fenno |
Last chief of staff | Brig Gen Dan A. Brooksher |
The United States Taiwan Defense Command (USTDC; Chinese: 美軍協防台灣司令部) was a sub-unified command of the United States Armed Forces operating in Taiwan from December 1954 to April 1979.
History
The United States Taiwan Defense Command was originally formed as the Formosa Liaison Center (founded in 1955 after the signature of the
When the
In 1954, the United States Seventh Fleet also dispatched a detachment to the Zuoying Military Port in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The USAF
The
USTDC was a combined arms theater headquarters for the defense of
The
In August 1958, in response to the situation of the
In August 1958,
On 10 September 1958, as part of the U.S. response to the
In September 1958, the number of US troops stationed in Taiwan increased from 5,500 in 1955 to 20,000.
The
In April 1965, the
On 7 April 1965, the
On 13 May 1966 – 21 July 1966, the
In May 1967,
The increase in the
During the peak period of the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969, the number of US troops stationed in Taiwan gradually rose to 30,000.
The 314th TAW returned to
The
On 6 November 1972, the
With the withdrawal of the
In 1972 the US president ordered the withdrawal of all
On 31 August 1973, the F-4D fighter detachment belonging to the 523th Tactical Fighter Squadron withdrew to Clark Air Base, and was replaced by a
After the US military withdrew from Vietnam, as airlift operations at CCK began to wind down, on 13 November 1973 the
10 June 1974, Brigadier General David O. Williams Jr., Chief of Staff of the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command, formulated a drawdown plan for the U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan until 2 May 1976.[4]
In September 1974, there were only 5,800 US troops stationed in Taiwan. On 26 March 1975, the US military advisory team stationed in Matsu, Kinmen, was withdrew, and the withdrawal of the 7th Fleet Detachment from the Zuoying Military Port in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
On 10 April 1975, the
In May 1975, the
As of 31 July 1975, the number of U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan was 3,098. They were 1,684 in the
On 7 January 1976, with the dissolution of 327th Air Division, and Taipei Air Station was shut down,[5] the number of US troops stationed in Taiwan was reduced to 1,400. As of the end of 1977 (31 December), the size was 1,200, including 949 military personnel. And the rest of the civilian staff.
In January 1976, Chiayi Air Base was to be shut down and the 6215th Support Squadron was disbanded.
On 26 May 1976, the newly appointed commander of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Taiwan was demoted from major general to brigadier general, and on 26 September 1977, was demoted to colonel.
In August 1977, the newly appointed commander of the United States Taiwan Defense Command was demoted from Vice admiral to Rear admiral.
As of 30 September 1978 (the end of the fiscal year), the number of US troops stationed in Taiwan was 753. According to the number of services, they were 357 in the Air Force, 209 in the Navy, 176 in the Army, and 11 in the Marine Corps.
On 1 January 1979, the United States and the
On 1 March 1979, the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Taiwan was dissolved, the last commander, Colonel Hadley N. Thompson, depart Taiwan on 26 April 1979.
The Command held its final flag retreat ceremony during the afternoon of 26 April 1979. Rear Admiral James B. Linder was the last USTDC commander to depart Taiwan on 28 April 1979, and the last U.S. soldier left Taiwan on 3 May 1979.
The former site of the USTDC headquarters became the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 1983.
Number of U.S. soldiers stationed in Taiwan by year
Year | Number |
---|---|
1950 | 11 |
1951 | 411 |
1952 | 411 |
1953 | 811 |
1954 | 4,174 |
1955 | 7,093 |
1956 | 5,379 |
1957 | 6,261 |
1958 | 19,044 |
1959 | 4,402 |
1960 | 4,147 |
1961 | 4,349 |
1962 | 4,121 |
1963 | 3,923 |
1964 | 3,802 |
1965 | 4,175 |
1966 | 7,689 |
1967 | 9,038 |
1968 | 8,874 |
1969 | 9,243 |
1970 | 8,813 |
1971 | 8,565 |
1972 | 8,289 |
1973 | 8,267 |
1974 | 4,619 |
1975 | 2,584 |
1976 | 2,090 |
1977 | 995 |
1978 | 753 |
1979 | 0 |
2021 | >24[6][7] |
2022 | >30[8] |
Forces earmarked for the TDC
The USTDC commanded a total of about 9,000 troops, including 4,000 infantry troops drawn from Army and Marine battalions, including an airborne battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division, 4 attack submarines, 5 navy frigates, 7 navy missile boats, a naval air wing comprising a Marine bomber squadron of 18 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk ground attack aircraft, 21 transport and SAR helicopters, 12 Kaman SH-2 Seasprite ASW helicopters and nine Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft; a joint Army-Marine artillery group comprising a brigade fielding 203 mm and 155 mm self propelled and towed guns plus one battalion of MGR-1 Honest John rockets and MGM-29 Sergeant surface-to-surface missiles, and two Marine tank battalions fielding the M48 Patton tank.
The USAF component included 4 squadrons (72 aircraft) of
List of commanders
Name | Rank | Portrait | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|
Alfred M. Pride | Vice Admiral | April 1955 – November 1955 | |
Stuart H. Ingersoll | Vice Admiral | November 1955 – July 1957 | |
Austin K. Doyle | Vice Admiral | July 1957 – September 1958 | |
Roland N. Smoot | Vice Admiral | September 1958 – May 1962 | |
Charles L. Melson | Vice Admiral | May 1962 – July 1964 | |
William E. Gentner Jr. | Vice Admiral | July 1964 – July 1967 | |
John L. Chew | Vice Admiral | July 1967 – August 1970 | |
Walter H. Baumberger | Vice Admiral | August 1970 – September 1972 | |
Philip A. Beshany | Vice Admiral | September 1972 – August 1974 | |
Edwin K. Snyder | Vice Admiral | August 1974 – July 1977 | |
James B. Linder | Rear Admiral | July 1977 – April 1979 |
List of Chiefs of Staff
Name | Rank | Portrait | Tenure | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Frank W. Fenno | Rear Admiral | 1955 – 1956 | ||
Charles Cochran Kirkpatrick | Rear Admiral | 1956 – 1957 | ||
Harold Huntley Bassett | Major general | 1957 – August 1958 | ||
Neil D. Van Sickle | Major general | October 1958 – 1959 | ||
William G. Lee Jr. | Brigadier general | 1959 – August 1960 | ||
Robert Francis Worden | Brigadier general | August 1960 – August 1962 | ||
Frederick J. Suterlin | Brigadier general | 23 August 1962 – August 1964 | ||
Kenneth O.Sanborn | Major general | 1964 – 1967 | ||
Carlos Talbott | Major general | May 1967 – September 1968 | ||
John A. Des Portes | Brigadier general | September 1968 – September 1970 | ||
Clarence J. Douglas Jr. | Brigadier general | September 1970 – August 1972 | ||
William C. Burrows | Major general | August 1972 – June 1974 | ||
David O. Williams Jr. | Brigadier general | June 1974 – April 1976 | ||
Dan A. Brooksher | Brigadier general | April 1976 – July 1978 | The last chief of staff, no more candidates for chief of staff after leaving Taiwan |
See also
- Taiwan–United States relations
- Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty
- Military Assistance Advisory Group
- United States Forces Japan
- United States Forces Korea
References
- ^ "MISSION IS TO CONDUCT AIR DEFENSE OF TAIWAN AND PENGHU ISLANDS". US Air Force History Index.
- ^ "National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 20". nsarchive2.gwu.edu. George Washington University. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "CHANGEOVER OF CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY FROM CURRENT OPERATIONS AT CHING CHUAN KANG AB, TAIWAN TO CLARK AB, PHILIPPINES ACCOMPLISHED". US Air Force History Index live. 16 November 1973. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "US TAIWAN DEFENSE COMMAND, TAIPEI, TAIWAN. TAIWAN DRAWDOWN ACTIONS 74/06/10 - 76/05/02 AND IMPACT OF US FOREIGN POLICY VIS-A-VIS THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (ROC)". US Air Force History Index.
- ^ "TAIPEI, TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA. TERMINAL HISTORY 6213ABS. TAIPEI AIR STATION BASE CLOSURE". US Air Force History Index live.
- ^ "U.S. Troops Have Been Deployed in Taiwan for at Least a Year - WSJ". Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ Lubold, Nancy A. Youssef and Gordon. "WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. to Expand Troop Presence in Taiwan for Training Against China Threat". WSJ. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- ^ Kane, Tim (24 May 2006). "Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2005". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ "U.S. Troop Deployment Dataset".
- http://ustdc.blogspot.com
- Biography of Lt. Gen. Carlos Talbott, from the United States Air Force at archive.today (archived 2012-12-12)
- Biography of Brig. Gen. Clarence J. Douglas, from the United States Air Force at archive.today (archived 2012-12-12)
- Bruce A. Elleman (April 2012). High Seas Buffer: The Taiwan Patrol Force, 1950–1979. Task Force 72 of the United States Seventh Fleet. Rear Admiral Thomas Binford was the first commander of this force in August 1950, using the heavy cruiser USS Saint Paul (CA-73)as his flagship (p. 21).