United States Taiwan Defense Command
The United States Taiwan Defense Command (USTDC; Chinese: 美軍協防台灣司令部; pinyin: Měijūn Xié Fáng Táiwān Sīlìng Bù) was a sub-unified command of the United States armed forces. It was originally formed as the Formosa Liaison Center (founded in 1955 after the signature of the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty of December 1954 and the first Straits crisis of Sept. 1954). In November 1955, the FLC become the Taiwan Defense Command. The command reported directly to the Commander-in-Chief Pacific (CINCPAC). The command was composed of personnel from all branches of the U.S. armed forces and had its headquarters in Taipei. The first commander of the USTDC was Alfred M. Pride, Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet.
| United States Taiwan Defense Command 美軍協防台灣司令部 | |
|---|---|
.svg.png){kind=icon} Badge of the USTDC | |
| Active | December 1954 – April 1979 |
| Country |  |
| Type | Sub-unified command |
| Size | 30,000 troops from Combined Arms and branches |
| Part of |  |
| Garrison/HQ |  HSA Compound, Yuanshan, Taipei |
| Commanders | |
| First commander |  |
| Last commander | |
USTDC was a combined arms theater headquarters for the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of hostilities, the USTDC commander would have coordinated with the Government of the Republic of China in the defense of Taiwan and the Pescadores. In the event of such a contingency, three existing service commanders would have reported to the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command commander. The 327th Air Division commander would be the air component commander, the Taiwan Patrol Force commander would be the naval component commander (the Taiwan Patrol Force being drawn from the United States Seventh Fleet), and the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group China (the MAAG) would be the Army component commander. The 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Thirteenth Air Force, at Clark Air Base in the Philippines had reinforcement air defence functions for Taiwan for a period.
In May 1967, Carlos Talbott of the U.S. Air Force became chief of staff of the command. From July 1968 – September 1970 the chief of staff was Brigadier General John A. Des Portes, U.S.A.F. In September 1970, Clarence J. Douglas, also of the Air Force, assumed duties as chief of staff.
The Command held its final flag retreat ceremony during the afternoon of 26 April 1979. Rear Admiral James B. Linder was the last USTDC commander to depart Taiwan on 28 April 1979.
The former site of the USTDC headquarters became the Taipei Fine Arts Museum in 1983.
Forces earmarked for the TDC
The USTDC commanded a total of about 30,000 troops, including 9,000 infantry troops drawn from Army and Marine battalions, including an airborne battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division, 3 attack submarines, 4 navy frigates, 7 navy missile boats, a naval air wing comprising a Marine bomber squadron of 18 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk ground attack aircraft, 21 transport and SAR helicopters, 12 Kaman SH-2 Seasprite ASW helicopters and nine Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft; a joint Army-Marine artillery group comprising a brigade fielding 203 mm and 155 m self propelled and towed guns plus one battalion of MGR-1 Honest John rockets and MGM-29 Sergeant surface-to-surface missiles, and two Marine tank battalions fielding the M48 Patton tank.
The USAF component included 4 squadrons (72 aircraft) of North American F-100 Super Sabre and Republic F-105 Thunderchief air superiority fighters, After 1972, there were two F-4 squadrons transferred from Kadena Air Base to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base,a Squadron of Nine Lockheed AC-130 ground attack aircraft, three KC-130 aerial refueling tankers, a EW and recon wing of a lone Lockheed RC-130 Hercules and a lone Boeing RC-135 aircraft. and a squadron of three Lockheed C-141 Starlifter heavy strategic airlifters and six Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical airlifters.
List of commanders
| Name | Rank | Portrait | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred M. Pride |  |
 |
April 1955 – November 1955 |
| Stuart H. Ingersoll | |
 |
November 1955 – July 1957 |
| Austin K. Doyle | |
.jpg) |
July 1957 – September 1958 |
| Roland N. Smoot | |
 |
September 1958 – May 1962 |
| Charles L. Melson | |
 |
May 1962 – July 1964 |
| William E. Gentner Jr. | |
 |
July 1964 – July 1967 |
| John L. Chew | |
 |
July 1967 – August 1970 |
| Walter H. Baumberger | |
August 1970 – September 1972 | |
| Philip A. Beshany | |
 |
September 1972 – August 1974 |
| Edwin K. Snyder | |
 |
August 1974 – August 1977 |
| James B. Linder |  |
 |
August 1977 – April 1979 |
See also
References
| Library resources about United States Taiwan Defense Command |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Taiwan Defense Command. |
- http://ustdc.blogspot.com
- Biography of Lt. Gen. Carlos Talbott, from the United States Air Force at Archive.today (archived 2012-12-12)
- Biography of Brig. Gen. Clarence J. Douglas, from the United States Air Force at Archive.today (archived 2012-12-12)
- Bruce A. Elleman (April 2012). High Seas Buffer: The Taiwan Patrol Force, 1950–1979. Naval War College Newport Papers 38. ISBN 978-1-884733-95-6. Task Force 72 of the United States Seventh Fleet. Rear Admiral Thomas Binford was the first commander of this force in August 1950, using the heavy cruiser USS Saint Paul (CA-73) as his flagship (p.21).
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