The 519th Air Defense Group is a disbanded

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

organization. Its last assignment was with the

4709th Air Defense Wing The 4709th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, where it was discontinued in 1956. It was ...

, stationed at

Suffolk County Air Force Base Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base is an air defense military installation located at civilian public-use Francis S. Gabreski Airport, located just north of Westhampton Beach, New York. It is currently the home base of the New York Ai ...

, New York, where it was inactivated in 1955. The

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

was originally activated as a support unit for the

485th Bombardment Group 485th may refer to: * 485th Aero Construction Squadron, part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico * 485th Air Expeditionary Wing, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command * 485t ...

at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in It/aly and then redeployed to the United States where it was inactivated in 1945. The group was activated once again in 1953, when ADC established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the

52d Fighter Group 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on ...

in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.

History

World War II and Post-War

The

was activated as the 519th Air Service Group in Italy shortly before the end of

in early 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. Designed to support a single combat group.Coleman, p. 208 Its 945th Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its 769th Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. It supported the

in Italy. The group returned to the US, where it continued to support heavy bombardment groups. The group was scheduled to move overseas in 1946, but its movement was cancelled. It was reduced to nominal strength of 4 officers and 7 enlisted men in March 1946, but re-manned in April. The group deployed to Alaska with the 97th Bombardment Group.Mueller, pp. 143, 145 It was replaced by 97th Airdrome Group, 97th Maintenance & Supply Group, and 97th Station Medical Group as part of the Air Force Wing/Base reorganization (

Hobson Plan The Hobson Plan was an organizational structure established by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948, following experimental organization in 1947. Known as the "Wing-Base Organization," it replaced the organization used by the United States A ...

) in 1947, which was designed to unify control at air bases. It was disbanded in 1948.

Cold War

The 519th was reconstituted, redesignated as an air defense group, and activated at Suffolk County AFB in 1953Cornett & Johnson, p. 82 with responsibility for air defense of the Northeastern United States. It was assigned the 45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) and 75th FIS, which were already stationed at Suffolk County AFB, flying

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...

sCornett & Johnson, p. 118 as its operational components.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 202Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 274 The 45th FIS and 75th FIS had been assigned directly to the 4709th Defense Wing. The group replaced 77th Air Base Squadron as USAF host unit at Suffolk County AFB. It was assigned three

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

s to perform its support responsibilities.Cornett & Johnson, p.147 Eight days later, the 331st FIS, equipped with a

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

equipped and Mighty Mouse rocket armed model of the "Sabre" was activated and assigned to the group.Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p.408 In May 1953, the 45th FIS moved to Morocco and was reassigned away from the group. Later in 1953, the 75th FIS upgraded to improved radar equipped "Sabres". The 519th was inactivated and replaced by the

(Air Defense) as result 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. The group was disbanded once again in 1984.

Lineage

* Constituted as: 519th Air Service Group : Activated on 20 January 1945 : Inactivated 1 December 1947 : Disbanded 8 October 1948 * Reconstituted and redesignated as: 519th Air Defense Group on 21 January 1953 : Activated on 16 February 1953 : Inactivated on 18 August 1955 : Disbanded on 27 September 1984

Assignments

* Unknown, 20 January 1945 – ''ca''. May 1945 (probably XV Air Force Service Command) * 20th Bombardment Wing (later VIII Bomber Command), ''ca''.1945 – March 1946 * Fifteenth Air Force, March 1946 – 1947 * 4709th Defense Wing (later 4709th Air Defense Wing), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955

Stations

Venosa Airfield The Foggia Airfield Complex was a series of World War II military airfields located within a radius of Foggia, in the Province of Foggia, Italy. The airfields were used by the United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force as part of the str ...

, Italy, 20 January 1945 – 8 May 1945 *

Capodichino Airport San Pietro a Patierno is a suburb of Naples, the chief city in Campania, Italy. Geography It is one of the largest suburbs of Naples and is relatively lightly populated compared to surrounding areas, with around 20,000 residents. The district of ...

, Naples, Italy, 8 May 1945 – 15 May 1945 *

Camp Patrick Henry Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, VA, 24 May 1945 – 24 May 1945 *

Sioux City Army Air Base Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, IA, Jul 1945–8 September 1945 * Salina Army Airfield, KS, 8 September 1945 – 4 October 1947 * Mile 26 Field, AK, 4 October 1947 – 1 December 1947 * Suffolk County AFB, NY, 6 February 1952 – 18 August 1955

Components

Operational Squadrons * 45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 28 May 1953 * 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 331st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 24 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 Support Units * 519th Air Base Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 519th Materiel Squadron, 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 519th Medical Squadron (later 519th USAF Infirmary), 16 February 1953 – 18 August 1955 * 769th Air Materiel Squadron, 20 January 1945 – 1 December 1947 * 945th Air Engineering Squadron, 20 January 1945 – 1 December 1947

Aircraft

* F-86A 1953 * F-86F 1953 * F-86D, 1953–1955

References

Notes

Bibliography

* 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) * * * * *

External links

{{USAAF 15th Air Force World War II 0519 Aerospace Defense Command units Military units and formations disestablished in 1984 Military units and formations established in 1953