Editing McChord Field (section)

===Cold War===
In 1945 McChord was designated as a permanent station by the Army Air Forces. It was assigned to [[Continental Air Forces]] in April 1945, becoming headquarters of the [[1st Bombardment Wing (World War II)|1st]] and [[2d Bombardment Wing (World War II)|2d Bomb Wing]]s after their return from combat in Europe. In 1948, the field was re-designated McChord Air Force Base.<ref name="mchist"/>

====Air Defense Command====
: ''see also: [[25th Air Division]]''
[[File:319th FAWS North American F-82F Twin Mustang 46-494.jpg|thumb|319th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) North American F-82F Twin Mustang 46–494 at McChord AFB, Washington, October 1949]]
On 1 August 1946, McChord was assigned to the new [[Air Defense Command]], with a mission of air defense of the United States. During the [[Cold War]], numerous fighter-interceptor squadrons were stationed at the base, as well as Radar and Command and Control organizations, the [[25th Air Division]] being headquartered at McChord from 1951 until 1990.

The [[325th Fighter Group|325th Fighter Group (All-Weather)]] operated two squadrons of [[F-82|F-82F Twin Mustang]]s from McChord between 1948 and 1950, the first postwar fighter optimized for the air defense interceptor mission. Designed for very-long range bomber escort missions in the Pacific during World War II, the design became operational too late to see service and was adapted for the air defense mission.<ref name="mchist"/>

Other interceptor squadrons stationed at McChord were:
* [[64th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]]
* [[317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron]]
* [[318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]]
* [[465th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]]
* [[498th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]]

The base was the location of the first of twenty-eight stations built by ADC as part of the permanent air defense radar network, and was the top-priority site for ADC radars.<ref name="ReferenceA">A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 – 1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado</ref><ref name="Winkler, David F. 1997">Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.</ref> The 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, the first postwar general surveillance radar organization was activated at McChord on 21 May 1947. Defensive warning radars became operational at McChord on 1 June 1950 with [[World War II]]-era [[AN/CPS-4]] and [[AN/CPS-5]] radars being operated by the [[635th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron]]. ADC completed installation of two [[AN/CPS-6]]B medium-range search and height-finder radars in February 1951. Performance of these new radars was deemed inferior to the World War II vintage models and the calibration process delayed operational readiness at this and other sites. An [[AN/FPS-6]] height-finder radar was installed in the mid-1950s.<ref name="mchist"/>

In 1958, a [[Semi Automatic Ground Environment]] (SAGE) Data Center (DC-12), and Combat Center (CC-3) was established at McChord. It became operational in 1960. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack. It was initially under the command of the [[Seattle Air Defense Sector]] (SeADS), activated on 8 January 1958.<ref name="mchist"/>

The ADC radar site (P-1) was deactivated 1 April 1960 and repositioned to [[Fort Lawton AFS]] (RP-1) where the Air Force consolidated its anti-aircraft radars with the [[United States Army]] [[Seattle Defense Area]] Army Air-Defense Command Post (AADCP) S-90DC for [[Nike missile]] operations.<ref name="mchist"/>

SeADS was inactivated on 1 April 1966 and the SAGE headquarters combat center came under the 25th Air Division. The Command Center (CC-3) was active until 30 June 1966 when it was inactivated as part of an ADC reorganization. The Data Center (DC-12), with its [[AN/FSQ-7]] computer remained active until 4 August 1983 under the 25th AD when technology advances made the SAGE system obsolete.<ref name="mchist"/>

Today, the successor organization to the 25th AD, the [[Western Air Defense Sector]] (WADS), is a major tenant organization at McChord, being one of two air defense sectors responsible for the security and integrity of continental United States air space. WADS is staffed by members of the Washington [[Air National Guard]] (WANG) and the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF). Operationally, WADS reports to the [[North American Aerospace Defense Command]] (NORAD) headquartered at [[Peterson Air Force Base]], [[Colorado]].<ref name="mchist"/>

====Military Airlift Command====
[[File:McChord Main Gate.jpg|thumb|McChord Main Gate in the late 1940s or early 1950s. [[Mount Rainier]] is in the background.]]

In 1947 [[Tactical Air Command]] moved the [[62nd Operations Group|62nd Troop Carrier Group]] to McChord Field from [[Bergstrom Air Force Base|Bergstrom Field]], Texas. Headquarters Army Air Forces directed each Army Air Force have a tactical group assigned to establish a Wing headquarters. Thus, the 62nd Troop Carrier Wing (TCW), constituted on 28 July 1947, was activated at McChord Field on 15 August. The new Wing was assigned to [[Twelfth Air Force]], with the 62nd Troop Carrier Group becoming one of the Wing's subordinate units; its flying arm, being equipped with [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]]s. In 1948, 62nd TCW assets were tapped to support the now famous Berlin Airlift. More than 100 men, primarily mechanics, aerial engineers, and truck drivers were identified for a 90-day temporary tour of duty in Europe, to bolster airlift resources.<ref name="mchist"/>

On 6 October 1949, the 62nd received its first four-engine [[Douglas C-54 Skymaster]] transport. By Thanksgiving of that same year, the Wing was equipped entirely with C-54s, and its designation was changed from 62nd Troop Carrier Wing (Medium), to (Heavy). On 1 June 1950, the Wing was inactivated due to budget reductions. However, as a result of the Korean War, on 17 September 1951, the Wing was once again activated at McChord AFB. Shortly thereafter, the Group and its three flying squadrons, the 4th, 7th, and 8th, again assigned to the Wing, returned to McChord. Not two years had passed, however, before the Wing was once again on the move. Now flying the [[Douglas C-124 Globemaster II]].<ref name="mchist"/>

During 1952 and 1953, the 62nd airlifted troops, blood plasma, aircraft parts, ammunition, medical supplies, and much more, to the Far East, in support of the war in Korea. In April 1954, the 62nd transported a replacement French garrison to Dien Bien Phu, French Indochina. Operation Bali Hai saw the Globemasters fly around the world in a period of 8 to 10 days. By 1955 the Cold War was well under way, and the [[North American Aerospace Defense Command|North American Air Defense Command]] (NORAD) set out to build a chain of radar stations on the northernmost reaches of the continent. This chain of radars, known as the [[Distant Early Warning Line|Distant Early Warning]] (DEW) Line, was to detect incoming Soviet missiles and bombers, and give the U.S. forces enough warning to launch a counterattack, and get the National Command Authorities to safety. Between 1955 and 1957, the 62nd began to fly missions to the Alaskan arctic regions, carrying 13 million pounds of supplies and equipment to build the DEW Line. The resupply of the DEW Line stations kept the Wing occupied until 1969.<ref name="mchist"/>

The 62nd Troop Carrier Wing (Heavy) was reassigned to the [[Military Air Transport Service]] Continental Division on 1 July 1957 as TAC realigned its transport units. Meanwhile, the Air Force reorganized the structure of its wings, and the 62nd Troop Carrier Group, was inactivated 8 January 1960 when squadrons were assigned directly to the wing as part of the Air Force tri-deputate reorganization.<ref name="mchist"/>

During the [[International Geophysical Year]] 1957–1958, and subsequently through 1962 the 62nd TCW supported scientific stations in the Arctic Ocean by airlanding and airdropping supplies on the drifting ice. It helped transport United Nations troops and supplies to the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] in 1960. In 1963 the wing assumed responsibility for worldwide airlift of [[nuclear weapon]]s and associated equipment, continuing this mission through early 1971.<ref name="mchist"/>

In 1968, McChord AFB was relieved of its assignment to the subsequently renamed [[Aerospace Defense Command]] and was reassigned to [[Military Airlift Command]] (MAC) as one of three MAC bases in the western United States operating the [[Lockheed C-141 Starlifter]]. ADC, and later [[Tactical Air Command]] (TAC) continued to maintain a fighter alert detachment at McChord with [[Convair F-106 Delta Dart]] and later [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]] aircraft.<ref name="mchist"/>

On 18 September 1969 a [[United States Air Force]] twin engine [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]] crashed just after takeoff from McChord. It came down in the wooded area just south of the runway. Five men died and seven other men were injured.<ref>{{cite web|title=Accident description|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/25423134/|date=19 September 1969|access-date=11 October 2016}}</ref>

In 1975, TAC divested itself of its [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules]] tactical airlift fleet, transferring all tactical airlift wings, groups and squadrons to MAC. For the 62 AW, this resulted in a significant increase in the wing's total mission capabilities beyond strictly strategic airlift with the arrival of the 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron (36 TAS) and their C-130E aircraft and personnel from [[Langley Air Force Base]], Virginia.<ref name="mchist"/>

In 1980, following the eruption of [[Mount St. Helens]], a 36 TAS C-130 crew provided communications support during the search for survivors. One week after St. Helen's first eruption, a second one occurred. All of the base's flyable aircraft were evacuated following reports that ash was drifting northwest toward McChord. In 1988 McChord became involved in combating devastating [[Yellowstone National Park]] forest fires, carrying troops from [[Fort Lewis (Washington)|Fort Lewis]] to the fire areas.<ref name="mchist"/>

In 1991, [[Clark Air Base]] in the [[Philippines]] was evacuated due to the eruption of [[Mount Pinatubo]]. By 16 June, the evacuation order was issued and the first plane load of evacuees arrived at McChord on the 18th. In 1992, with the disestablishment of Military Airlift Command, McChord became an [[Air Mobility Command]] base. In November of that same year, two McChord C-141 Starlifters, participating in an air refueling training mission over north central [[Montana]], collided in mid-air, killing all 13 crewmen.<ref name="mchist"/>