History
Activated as a III Fighter Command P-47 Thunderbolt replacement training unit during World War II, 1943–1944.
During the early years of the Cold War, activated in 1955 as an Air Defense Command interceptor squadron for the defense of the Grand Coolie Dam and the Hanford Atomic Energy Reservation, Washington State. Initially equipped with F-86D Sabre Interceptors; in the Spring of 1957, the 56th FIS began re-equipping with the North American F-86L Sabre, an improved version of the F-86D which incorporated the Semi Automatic Ground Environment, or SAGE.
The transition into the F-86L was short-lived however, as the squadron began transition into the "missile-witha-man-in-it", the Lockheed F-104A in May 1958, becoming the 4th ADC squadron equipped with the Starfighter. In addition, the squadron received the two-seat, dual-control, combat trainer F-104B. The performance of the F-104B was almost identical to that of the F-104A, but the lower internal fuel capacity reduced its effective range considerably.
However, the F-104A was not very well suited for service as an interceptor. Its low range was a problem for North American air defense, and its lack of all-weather capability made it incapable of operating in conjunction with the SAGE system. Service with the ADC was consequently quite brief, and the F-104As of the 538th FIS were transferred to the Air National Guard. With the transfer of the Starfighters, the 56th FIS was deactivated at Larson AFB on 1 July 1960.
Read more about this topic: 538th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron
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