The 516th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 organization. Its last assignment was with the 35th Air Division, being stationed at McGhee Tyson Airport

McGhee Tyson Airport

-Top Destinations:-Accidents and incidents:* On 06 August, 1962, an American Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electra veered off the runway on landing, striking the raised edge of an under-construction taxiway with the landing gear, causing it to collapse...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. It was inactivated on 18 August 1955.

History

Activated in a reorganization of Army Air Forces 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. Its Air Engineering Squadron provided maintenance that was beyond the capability of the combat group, its Air Materiel Squadron handled all supply matters, and its Headquarters & Base Services Squadron provided other support. Supported the 460th Bombardment Group in Italy, then supported flying units redeploying from Europe to the United States until inactivated in the Caribbean. It was disbanded in 1948.
Redesignated as an air defense group, reconstituted and activated at McGhee-Tyson Airport in 1953 with responsibility for air defense of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...

, Alcoa Aluminum Facilities and TVA dam infastruture in the Tennessee Valley. Assigned the 469th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was already stationed at McGhee-Tyson Airport, and flying F-47 "Thunderbolts" as its operational component. The 469th FIS had been assigned directly to the 35th Air Division. The 469th replaced its "Thunderbolts" with F-86 "Sabres" in July 1953 In March 1954, the 469th was joined by the 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, also flying "Sabres". Replaced the 74th Air Base Squadron as USAF host organization at McGhee-Tyson Airport. Assigned three squadrons to perform its support responsibilities. Replaced by the 355th Fighter Group (Air Defense) on 18 August 1955 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. Disbanded again in 1984.

Lineage

• Activated as 516th Air Service Group on 25 Jan 1945

Inactivated on 26 Sep 1945

Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948

• Reconstituted and redesignated 516th Air Defense Group on 21 Jan 1953

Activated on 16 Feb 1953

Inactivated on 18 August 1955

Disbanded on 27 Sep 1984

Assignments

• Unknown, 25 Jan 1945 - 1945
• Caribbean Division, Air Transport Command
  Air Transport Command
  Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
  
  , 1945 - 26 Sep 1945
• 35th Air Division, 1 January 1952 – 18 August 1955

Stations

• Spinazzola Airfield, Italy 26 Jan 1945 - 1945
• Waller Field, Trinidad 1945 - 26 Sep 1945
• McGhee Tyson Air Force Base, Tennessee, 16 Feb 1953 – 18 August 1955

Components

• 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 18 March 1954 – 18 August 1955
• 469th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16 Feb 1953 – 18 August 1955
• 516th Air Base Squadron 16 Feb 1953 - 18 August 1955
• 516th Materiel Squadron 16 Feb 1953 - 18 August 1955
• 516th Medical Squadron (later 516th USAF Dispensary) 16 Feb 1953 - 18 August 1955
• 776th Air Materiel Squadron 26 Jan 1945 - 26 Sep 1945
• 942nd Air Engineering Squadron 26 Jan 1945 - 26 Sep 1945

Operations

Provided support for one combat group in Italy, then supported flying units redeploying from Europe to the United States. 1945

Provided air defense of Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...

, Alcoa Aluminum Facilities and TVA dam infastruture in the Tennessee Valley and acted as USAF host for McGhee Tyson Airport. 1953-1955

Aircraft

• F-47D Thunderbolt, 1953
• F-47N Thunderbolt, 1953
• F-86A Sabre, 1953-1954
• F-86D Sabre Interceptor, 1954-1955

External links