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Air Defense Weapons Center (ADWC)

4756th OMS, AMS, FMS, MMS
Tyndall AFB, FL

The Air Defense Weapons Center (ADWC) was the largest support unit in ADC. It was a huge operation, maintaining large numbers of various aircraft, including the F-106, F-101, F-102, T-38. T-33, B-57 and possibly others. The major support units under the ADWC were: 4756th Avionics Maintenance Squadron (AMS), 4756th Field Maintenance Squadron (FMS), 4756th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (MMS), 4756th Organizational Maintenance Squadron (OMS). The squadrons were independent, each with its own Commander, Orderly Room, etc. The ADWC Commander Slot was a Brigadier General.

The ADWC F-106s were maintained combat ready for all systems and subsystems with no exceptions. Although the ADWC did not have an alert commitment, rails and racks were required to be tested with airborne evaluator equipment and qualified prior to live armament loading and firing. The Center operated under the same qualifying regulations, The ADC Weapons System Evaluation Program, (WSEP) as the Fighter Interceptor Squadrons with no exceptions made because of the Pilot Training Mission. The Center underwent ORIs with mass load and intercept flying phase under the same rules as any other squadron. In the mid 70's the Center operated the F-106 Pilot Training Program with 14 'A' models and 19 'B' models. CMSgt (Ret) Dick Lewis served in the 4756th AMS from Sep '72 until his Jul '77 retirement. He is our resident expert on ADWC Avionics affairs for that period. Thanks Dick.

Dick's MA-1 troops pulling a "coffin" rack. As point of interest in maintenance history, I called Dick from ADC to get me some photos of the coffin rack removal process in order for me to justify a mod to replace it. He arranged for the 4756th ABGp Photo Shop to take the group of photos for me. The photos were taken in Aug 1976. The end result was a new "coffin" rack. My last project at ADC was setting up the "Coffin Rack Speedline" at Tyndall to install this modification in the ADC/NGB Fleet of F-106s. The "Speedline" started in Aug 79. It saved having to pull the rack every time the moisture separator filter required periodic changing. Erv