Origins Northeast Air Command (NEAC) was originally formed from the
World War II facilities of the
United States Army Newfoundland Base Command (NBC), which formed on 15 January 1941. The NBC was formed to command bases in Newfoundland which came under United States control as a result of the 1940
Destroyers for Bases Agreement; the 1941 US-Danish Agreement on Greenland, and the development by
Air Transport Command of airfields in the Canadian
Northwest Territories and
Greenland to support aircraft ferry routes to Great Britain.
Newfoundland Base Command In the summer of 1940, President Roosevelt began negotiating with British Ambassador to the United States,
Lord Lothian for the American lease of British bases, the "rental" to take the form of fifty over-age destroyers. On 2 September 1940, the negotiations were completed. In exchange for the destroyers, the U. S. got ninety-nine-year leases for bases in
Dominion of Newfoundland,
Bermuda,
British Guiana,
Antigua,
Trinidad,
St. Lucia, Jamaica and the
Bahamas. No destroyers, or any other war material, was leased to Britain in exchange for the bases in Newfoundland or Bermuda, which were vital both as links in Britain's trans-Atlantic air routes and to waging the Battle of the Atlantic against Germany's submarines. The detailed lease agreements were not signed until March 1941. But by that time, American troops were already in Newfoundland. The first United States troops arrived in Newfoundland on 29 January 1941. The first base occupied was a temporary tent camp near St. John's called Camp Alexander. Nearby
Fort Pepperrell (renamed Pepperrell Air Force Base on 16 June 1949) received its first troops in November 1941. Newfoundland Base Command (NBC) was assigned to the
Northeastern (later Eastern) Defense Command, a subordinate continental defense command of
First United States Army, whose area included the east coast of the United States, with both commanded by Lt. General
Hugh A. Drum, based at
Fort Jay in New York City. In December 1941 the Northeastern Defense Command became the Eastern Theater of Operations (ETO) and assumed First Army's role in continental defense. In March 1942 the ETO was renamed the Eastern Defense Command. The NBC was under the direct control of
US Army General Headquarters for U.S. Troops in
Newfoundland in the defense of the
northeastern seaboard through First Army/Eastern Defense Command. The Base Command was responsible for its own supply, which was to be provided by the
Second Corps Area, the service of supply organization also headquartered at Fort Jay, to the same extent as for units of the field forces. NBC provided ground, antiaircraft, and
harbor defense of U.S. bases in
Newfoundland and Labrador, to work with Canada in defending Newfoundland, and to cooperate with the
United States Navy in Newfoundland defense. Newfoundland Base Command was headquartered at
Fort Pepperrell,
St. John's,
Newfoundland. Another major base was
Naval Station Argentia. The first USAAF presence in Newfoundland was in May 1941 when six
B-18 Bolos from the
First Air Force 21st Reconnaissance Squadron arrived at
RCAF Station Gander. Later, the
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command (AAFAC) used both Gander and
RCAF Station Torbay near
St. John's for antisubmarine patrols over the North Atlantic and to provide convoy overflights over the shipping lanes, patrolling for
U-boats. • Established as
Greenland Base Command (USA) on 1 September 1941 : Greenland Base Command became subordinate organization to Newfoundland Base Command, 1 September 1945 : Newfoundland Base Command Discontinued 1 October 1950. : Greenland Base Command Discontinued 19 October 1950. • Established as
Northeast Air Command and activated as a USAF major command on 1 October 1950. : Northeast Air Command assumed jurisdiction of former NBC and GBC USAF facilities and units. : Discontinued on 1 April 1957.
Assignments •
Eastern Defense Command (U.S. Army), 15 January 1941 •
Atlantic Division,
Air Transport Command (USAAF), 1 January 1946 •
Military Air Transport Service (MATS), 1 April 1948 – 1 October 1950 • HQ, United States Northeast Command, 1 October 1950 • HQ,
United States Air Force, 1 September 1956 – 1 April 1957
Stations Newfoundland Base Command •
RCAF Station Torbay, (Headquarters, Newfoundland Base Command) :
411th Bombardment Squadron (NBC), 1 May–30 August 1941 (
B-18 Bolo) :
49th Bombardment Squadron (NBC), 13 December 1941 – June 1942 (
B-18 Bolo) :
429th Bombardment Squadron (NBC), 28 August 1941 – 29 October 1942 (
B-18 Bolo) :
847th Bombardment Squadron (later 20th Antisubmarine Squadron) (AAFAC), 29 October 1942 – 25 June 1943 (
B-17 Flying Fortress) •
RCAF Station Gander :
19th Antisubmarine Squadron (AAFAC), 19 March–25 June 1943 (
B-17 Flying Fortress) :
6th Antisubmarine Squadron (AAFAC), 12 April–21 August 1943 (
B-24 Liberator) :
4th Antisubmarine Squadron (AAFAC), 8–23 June 1943 (
B-24 Liberator) •
Goose Air Base,
Labrador (
Air Transport Command,
North Atlantic Wing)
Greenland Base Command • Prins Christianssund (radio and weather station) (Bluie East One) (BE-1) •
Angmagssalik Army Airfield (Bluie East Two) (BE-2) (Air Transport Command) • Cape Tobin, Walrus Bay (radio and weather station) (Bluie East Three) (BE-3) • Ella Ø Island (radio, weather, and patrol station) (Bluie East Four) (BE-4) • Eskimonæs (radio and weather station) (Bluie East Five) (BE-5) (United States Navy) •
Narsarsuaq Army Airfield (Bluie West One) (BW-1) (Air Transport Command) (HQ Greenland Base Command) • Kipisako (alternate for Bluie West One) (Bluie West Two) (BW-2) (United States Navy) • Simiutak Island (Bluie West Three) (BW-3) (United States Navy) • Teague Field, Marraq Point (radio and weather station) (Bluie West Four) (BW-4) (United States Navy) • Egedesminde (radio and weather station) (Bluie West Five) (BW-5) (United States Navy) •
Thule (radio and weather station) (Bluie West Six) (BW-6) • Grønnedal Naval Base (radio and weather station), (Bluie West Seven) (BW-7) (United States Navy) •
Sondrestrom Army Airfield (Bluie West Eight) (Air Transport Command) (BW-8) • Cruncher Island (defensive position for approaches to Søndre Strømfjord radio and weather station) (Bluie West Nine) (BW-9)
Northeast Air Command •
Ernest Harmon AFB,
Newfoundland : 6602d Air Base Wing, 1951–1957 •
Goose AB,
Labrador : 6606th Air Base Wing, 1951–1957 •
McAndrew AB, Newfoundland : 6610th Air Base Group, 1951–1955 •
Narsarsuaq AB, Greenland : 6611th Air Base Group, 1951–1957 •
Pepperrell AFB, Newfoundland : 6604th Air Base Wing, 1951–1957 •
Sondrestrom AB, Greenland : 6621st Air Base Squadron, 1951 : Re-designated: 6621st Air Base Group, 1955–1957 •
Thule AB,
Greenland : 6622d Air Base Squadron, 1951 : Re-designated: 6612th Air Base Group, 1952 : Re-designated: 6607th Air Base Wing, 1954–1957 Jurisdiction of stations and units reassigned to Strategic Air Command, 1957
Units Division •
64th Air Division,
Pepperrell AFB : 20 December 1952 – 15 April 1957 The 64th Air Division was the primary operational component of the Northeast Air Command. It was an outgrowth of the 152d Aircraft Control and Warning Group (New York Air National Guard). Upon activation of the 64th AD, it inherited operational control of United States Army Anti-Aircraft units within the former NBC area. Reassigned to
Air Defense Command, 1957
Transport units • 6614th Air Transport Group :
Pepperrell AFB, Newfoundland, 8 April 1952 – 1 April 1957 :: 6622d Air Transport Squadron, Torbay Airport NF :: 6614th Air Transport Squadron, Harmon AB, NF :: 6615th Air Transport Squadron, Goose Bay AFB, LB Performed inta-theater transport of materiel and personnel. Reassigned to
Strategic Air Command, 1957
Interceptor squadrons •
59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :
Goose AFB, Labrador, 28 October 1952 – 1 April 1957 : F-94B Starfire; F-89D/J Scorpion; F-102A Delta Dart •
61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :
Ernest Harmon AFB, Newfoundland, 6 August 1953 – 1 April 1957 : F-89D Scorpion •
74th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :
Thule AB, Greenland, 20 August 1954 – 1 April 1957 : F-89B/D Scorpion •
318th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron :
Thule AB, Greenland, 1 July 1953 – 1 April 1957 : F-94A Starfire Interceptor Squadrons reassigned to Air Defense Command, 1957
Aircraft Control and Warning (Radar) Squadrons • 105th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Federalized NY Air National Guard, 152d AC&W Group) : Re-designated:
640th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 January 1953 :
Stephenville AS, Newfoundland, 8 April 1952 – 1 April 1957 • 106th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Federalized NY Air National Guard, 152d AC&W Group) :
McAndrew AB, Newfoundland, 8 April 1952 – 1 January 1953 • 107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Federalized NY Air National Guard, 152d AC&W Group) : Re-designated:
931st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 January 1953 :
Thule AS, Greenland, 8 April 1952 – 1 April 1957 • 108th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (Federalized NY Air National Guard, 152d AC&W Group) : Re-designated:
642d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, 1 January 1953 :
Red Cliff AS, Newfoundland, 8 April 1952 – 1 April 1957 •
920th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :
Resolution Island AS, Northwest Territory, 19 January 1952 – 1 April 1957 •
921st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :
Saint Anthony AS, Labrador, 1 October 1953 – 1 April 1957 •
923d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :
Hopedale AS, Labrador, 1 October 1953 – 1 April 1957 •
924th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :
Saglek AS, Labrador, 1 October 1953 – 1 April 1957 •
926th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron :
Frobisher Bay AB, Northwest Territory, 1 October 1953 – 1 April 1957 Units and jurisdiction of stations reassigned to Air Defense Command, 1957 ==See also==