858th Air Defense Group

The 858th Air Defense Group was an Air Defense Command unit of the United States Air Force, originally activated in 1955 at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. Its primary mission was to provide air defense for the San Francisco Bay Area during the early years of the Cold War, overseeing the operation and readiness of interceptor squadrons and support elements. The group was responsible for coordinating radar surveillance and directing fighter aircraft to intercept potential airborne threats. The 858th Air Defense Group was inactivated in 1959 as part of a broader reorganization of continental air defense assets.