the wing was organized as the 4704th defense wing at the beginning of february 1952, in a major reorganization of adc responding to adc's difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying fighter squadrons to best advantage. five days later, the 325th fighter-interceptor wing (fiw) was inactivated and its operational elements, including the 123rd fighter-interceptor squadron (fis), 317th fis and 318th fis, transferred to the 4704th defense wing. the support elements of the 325th fiw were transferred from that wing's 325th air base group (abg) and 325th maintenance & supply group to the 4704th wing's 567th abg, which assumed host responsibility for usaf units at mcchord. the 317th and 318th fis at mcchord flew lockheed f-94 starfire fighter interceptor aircraft, while the 123rd fis, a federalized oregon air national guard (ang) unit, at portland afb, flew world war ii era f-51 mustang aircraft. by june, the 123rd had converted to f-86 sabre aircraft. the wing's mission was to train and maintain tactical flying units in state of readiness to destroy enemy aircraft in order to defend northwest united states. it also oversaw the transfer of air force facilities at portland afb from tactical air command (tac) to adc in march 1952. it managed supporting units at mcchord afb for the 25th air division, and controlled host support squadrons at dispersed fighter bases.