25th Air Division
T-33A "T-Bird" F-106A Delta Dart and F-15A Eagle from the 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, McChord AFB, WA in formation near Mt Rainier in Washington State.
Active	1948–1952, 1952–1990
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Command of air defense forces
Part of	Aerospace Defense Command, Tactical Air Command
Decorations	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
25th Air Division emblem (Approved 7 February 1953) [1]

The 25th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force intermediate echelon command and control organization. It was last assigned to First Air Force, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC). It was inactivated on 30 September 1990 at McChord Air Force Base, Washington.

History

The command was activated on 25 October 1948 ^[1] being the first Air Division for air defense. Its headquarters was at Silver Lake Air Warning Station, near Everett, Washington ^[1] under Continental Air Forces. The 25th AD did not assume any command responsibilities until 1949 when it became an intermediate level command under the Air Defense Command, Western Air Defense Force. Its initial Area of Responsibility (AOR) was a large area of the northwest Continental United States, from the 103rd meridian west and north of the 42nd parallel north. This encompassed an area consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and the western parts of North and South Dakota as well as Nebraska.

During the 1950s the AOR of the 25th AD changed frequently, but its core area always included the area of Washington State west of the Cascade Mountains. On 1 January 1951, Air Defense Command regained major command status, and the 25th AD was one of four Air Divisions assigned to the new command. Later that year, on 15 September HQ 25th AD was moved from Silver Lake to McChord Air Force Base, near Tacoma, Washington. ^[1]

Beginning on 1 January 1958, it the command organization for the Seattle Air Defense Sector Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Data Center (DC-12) at McChord. A few months later, on 1 September, the Portland Air Defense Sector, with its SAGE Direction Center (DC-13) at Adair Air Force Station, Oregon also came under the 25th AD; on 8 September the Spokane Air Defense Sector and DC-15 at Larson Air Force Base toned the 25th AD. In 1959, the Reno Air Defense Sector and DC-16 at Stead Air Force Base, Nevada was also incorporated.

During the Cold War era, the 25th AD equipped, administered, trained and provided air defense combat ready forces within the northwestern United States. It exercised command jurisdiction over assigned units, installations, and facilities and provided and maintained facilities for the Air Division control center. In addition, the division and its subordinate units also participated in numerous tactical air defense training exercises. ^[1] In the late 1950s, the Division also controlled United States-built radar stations in Western Canada as part of the Pinetree Line. These stations were turned over to the Royal Canadian Air Force in the early 1960s.

In May 1960, SAGE Combat Center Number 3 (CC-03) became operational at McChord, bringing these separate Direction Centers under a unified center under the 25th AD. In July, DC-16 at Stead was reassigned to the 28th Air Division at Hamilton Air Force Base, California and the inactivation of the Western Air Defense Force brought the 25th AD directly under the control of Air Defense Command. ^[1] In 1966 it was assigned to Headquarters, Fourth Air Force at Hamilton, ^[1] although it remained stationed at McChord. It also replaced the Seattle Air Defense Sector in 1966. Assumed additional designations of 25th NORAD Region and 25th CONAD Region after activation of the NORAD Combat Operations Center at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado and reporting was transferred to NORAD from ADC at Ent Air Force Base in April 1966. Assumed additional designation 25th ADCOM Region on 8 December 1978.

The division was a major part of Air Defense Command, and later Aerospace Defense Command (ADCOM) in 1968. In 1979 it was incorporated into Tactical Air Command with the inactivation of ADCOM as a major command. Under Air Defense Tactical Air Command. ^[1] In 1985 most active-duty units of ADCOM were inactivated or reassigned to other missions, and the air defense mission came under Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units under First Air Force.

It continued its mission until 1990, when the 25 AD was inactivated, with its mission and components becoming part of the First Air Force Northwest Air Defense Sector. ^[1]

Lineage

• Established as the 25 Air Defense Division on 27 September 1948

Activated on 25 October 1948

Redesignated 25 Air Division (Defense) on 20 June 1949

Inactivated on 1 February 1952

• Organized on 1 February 1952 ^[2]

Redesignated 25th Air Division (SAGE) on 1 March 1959

Redesignated 25th Air Division on 1 April 1966

Inactivated on 30 September 1990 ^[1]

Assignments

• Fourth Air Force, 25 October 1948
• Air Defense Command, 1 April 1949
• Fourth Air Force, 8 July 1949 (attached to Western Air Defense Force after 10 November 1949)
• Western Air Defense Force, 1 August 1950
• Air Defense Command, 1 July 1960
• Fourth Air Force, 1 April 1966
• Tenth Air Force, 15 September 1969
• Aerospace Defense Command, 1 December 1969
• Air Defense Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979
• First Air Force, 6 December 1985 – 30 September 1990 ^[1]

Stations

• Silver Lake Air Warning Station, Washington, 25 October 1948
• McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 14 September 1951 – 30 September 1990 ^[1]

Components

Sectors

• Southwest Air Defense Sector: 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1990

March Air Force Base, California

• Northwest Air Defense Sector: 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1990

McChord Air Force Base, Washington

Wings

Groups

Squadrons

Interceptor

• 5th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 June 1983 – 1 December 1987

• 318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 18 August 1955 – 7 December 1989

322nd Fighter Interceptor squadron Kingsley Field, Oregon

• 323d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Larson Air Force Base, Washington, 26 November 1952 – 18 August 1955

• 460th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, 1 April 1971 – 30 July 1974 ^[1]

Radar

See also

• List of United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command Interceptor Squadrons
• List of United States Air Force air divisions
• United States general surveillance radar stations

References

Notes

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 3 January 2015.
• 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. LCCN  97020912.^{[ dead link]}
• "ADCOM's Fighter Interceptor Squadrons". The Interceptor (January 1979) Aerospace Defense Command, (Volume 21, Number 1)