518th Air Defense Group

518th Air Defense Group
Active1945, 1953–1955
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleAir Defense
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lt Gen Donavon F. Smith[1]

The 518th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4707th Air Defense Wing, stationed at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, New York, where it was inactivated in 1955.

The group was originally activated the 518th Air Service Group, a support unit for the 465th Bombardment Group at the end of World War II in Italy and then redeployed to the Caribbean, where it supported redeploying units until it was inactivated in 1945.

The group was activated once again in 1953, when Air Defense Command (ADC) established it as the headquarters for a dispersed fighter-interceptor squadron and the medical, aircraft maintenance, and administrative squadrons supporting it. It was replaced in 1955 when ADC transferred its mission, equipment, and personnel to the 15th Fighter Group in a project that replaced air defense groups commanding fighter squadrons with fighter groups with distinguished records during World War II.


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  1. ^ "USAF Biography, Lieutenant General Donavon Francis Smith". Archived from the original on 31 March 2013. (retrieved 17 January 2013)