4780th Air Defense Wing The 4780th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force ( USAF ) organization . Its last assignment was with the Air Defense Weapons Center , and it was stationed at Perrin Air Force Base , Texas , where it was discontinued in 1971 . The wing was organized in 1962 when Air Defense Command ( ADC ) assumed the interceptor pilot training mission from Air Training Command ( ATC ) . The 4780th assumed the personnel , equipment , and mission of ATC ' s 3555th Flying Training Wing , which was simultaneously discontinued . During the Cuban Missile Crisis , the wing maintained aircraft in alert state in Texas and Florida . The wing was discontinued in 1971 when ADC concentrated all its fighter crew training at Tyndall AFB , Florida . Between 1965 and 1969 , the wing was twice awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its mission performance , History . In 1958 , Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command took responsibility from Air Training Command ( ATC ) for the conduct of their combat crew training , However , ATC ' s 3555th Flying Training Wing ( Advanced Interceptor ) , which had trained all - weather interceptor pilots for all USAF commands , including Air Defense Command ( ADC ) since 1953 , continued interceptor crew training . Most interceptor pilots trained at Perrin , however , were later assigned to ADC . In March 1962 , ADC decided it wanted to merge Perrin AFB ' s interceptor school with other air defense resources . ADC acquired Perrin from ATC on 1 July 1962 and with it the 3555th Wing and its three Flying Training Squadrons . On that date , ADC discontinued the 3555th Wing and formed the 4780th Air Defense Wing ( Training ) with the 3555th ' s personnel and equipment . In addition to its operational squadrons , the wing was assigned a number of support and maintenance organizations to fulfill its role as USAF host organization for Perrin . The 4780th trained qualified pilots to operate the Convair F - 102 Delta Dagger and Convair F - 106 Delta Dart interceptor aircraft as combat weapons . In addition , it conducted lead - in training with the F - 102 for F - 106 Delta Dart and Convair B - 58 Hustler . From 1962 to 1971 Perrin had the largest fleet of F - 102 Delta Daggers in the US Air Force . Perrin AFB was the only F - 102 training base within ADC . The wing conducted a water survival skills school on nearby Lake Texoma , whose graduates included seventeen astronauts . In October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis the wing suspended its training mission and placed all its interceptor aircraft on five minute alert , some flying missions to Florida . The wing was awarded two Air Force Outstanding Unit Award s for its performance from 1965 through 1969 . In addition , elements of the wing earned a third award for the period from January 1969 through May 1970 , In 1969 the 4780th won the United States Air Force Flying Safety Plaque for flying 38 , 551 hours without a major accident . On March 3 , 1971 , it was announced that Perrin would close . On May 13 , 1971 , the last graduating class flew its F102s in formation over Sherman and Denison , Texas as a farewell to its two host cities . A few days later the last of the F - 102 Delta Daggers left the base , and the 4780th Air Defense Wing was discontinued . Components . Group Operational Squadrons Flight