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Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force (Icelandic: Varnarlið Íslands; IDF) was a sub-unified command of the United States Department of Defense. It existed from 1951 to 2006. It came into existence when the United States agreed to provide for the defense of Iceland, which has only limited defense forces.
The IDF was composed of United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force personnel as well as local Icelandic civilians. In the 1950s, there were United States Army field forces stationed in Iceland, and the first commander of the IDF was a U.S. Army brigadier general. By the 1980s the IDF only included a few U.S. Army and, in addition, some United States Coast Guard personnel.
The IDF was formally headquartered at Naval Air Station Keflavik, though its base was actually at Miðnesheiði near Keflavík.
The initial personnel of the Iceland Defense Force "..arrived on 7 May 1951, commanded by an Army brigadier general responsible to the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, for NATO operations and to the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic, for tactical operations and control." Brig. Gen. Edward J. McGaw was the first commander.
In 1955, the U.S. Navy's Barrier Force, Atlantic had been established in Argentia, Newfoundland, to fly early-warning missions using the WV-2 (EC-121 Warning Star) radar aircraft over the North Atlantic. These aircraft made frequent deployments to Keflavik. On July 1, 1961, Commander Barrier Force, Atlantic moved from Argentia to Keflavik. The duties of Commander, Iceland Defense Force were assumed by the rear admiral commanding Barrier Force Atlantic. By the 1980s, Commander, Iceland Defense Force was a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with three other titles and roles: Commander, Iceland Sector ASW Group (CTG-84.1), Commander, Fleet Air Keflavik, and NATO Island Commander Iceland. Commander Fleet Air Keflavik (COMFAIRKEF) was the senior Navy command in Iceland, responsible for the operational readiness of Navy units assigned. The commander of Fleet Air Keflavik was the operational commander in charge of all Navy and anti-submarine warfare operations. Administratively, he reported to Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet, located in Norfolk, Virginia.
The IDF remained a subordinate of United States Atlantic Command (LANTCOM) after 1951 for a long period. In 1999, LANTCOM was renamed and reorganized as United States Joint Forces Command. The IDF remained under U.S. Joint Forces Command from 1999 to 2002. From October 2002 until its disbandment, it was under the control of the United States European Command.
From 1951 to 1959, a secret ban was imposed by the Icelandic government on the stationing of black US troops in Iceland. This ban was disclosed in late 1959. The Icelandic government relented somewhat from this policy in 1961, when it declared that it "will not oppose the inclusion of three or four colored soldiers in the Defense Force, but hopes that they will be carefully selected". The number of black troops increased gradually throughout the 1960s, and all restrictions were most likely unofficially withdrawn in the 1970s or 1980s.
There were more than 25 different commands of various sizes attached to the Iceland Defense Force. Although staffing varied over the years, it was approximately 1350 U.S. military personnel (not including Reservists), 100 Department of Defense civilians, and 650 Icelanders, both civilians and firemen given military training manning the local Naval Firefighting team, as well as military members from Norway, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom worked on NAS Keflavik. A contingent of the United States Marine Corps was responsible for ground defense.
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Iceland Defense Force
The Iceland Defense Force (Icelandic: Varnarlið Íslands; IDF) was a sub-unified command of the United States Department of Defense. It existed from 1951 to 2006. It came into existence when the United States agreed to provide for the defense of Iceland, which has only limited defense forces.
The IDF was composed of United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force personnel as well as local Icelandic civilians. In the 1950s, there were United States Army field forces stationed in Iceland, and the first commander of the IDF was a U.S. Army brigadier general. By the 1980s the IDF only included a few U.S. Army and, in addition, some United States Coast Guard personnel.
The IDF was formally headquartered at Naval Air Station Keflavik, though its base was actually at Miðnesheiði near Keflavík.
The initial personnel of the Iceland Defense Force "..arrived on 7 May 1951, commanded by an Army brigadier general responsible to the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, for NATO operations and to the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic, for tactical operations and control." Brig. Gen. Edward J. McGaw was the first commander.
In 1955, the U.S. Navy's Barrier Force, Atlantic had been established in Argentia, Newfoundland, to fly early-warning missions using the WV-2 (EC-121 Warning Star) radar aircraft over the North Atlantic. These aircraft made frequent deployments to Keflavik. On July 1, 1961, Commander Barrier Force, Atlantic moved from Argentia to Keflavik. The duties of Commander, Iceland Defense Force were assumed by the rear admiral commanding Barrier Force Atlantic. By the 1980s, Commander, Iceland Defense Force was a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with three other titles and roles: Commander, Iceland Sector ASW Group (CTG-84.1), Commander, Fleet Air Keflavik, and NATO Island Commander Iceland. Commander Fleet Air Keflavik (COMFAIRKEF) was the senior Navy command in Iceland, responsible for the operational readiness of Navy units assigned. The commander of Fleet Air Keflavik was the operational commander in charge of all Navy and anti-submarine warfare operations. Administratively, he reported to Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet, located in Norfolk, Virginia.
The IDF remained a subordinate of United States Atlantic Command (LANTCOM) after 1951 for a long period. In 1999, LANTCOM was renamed and reorganized as United States Joint Forces Command. The IDF remained under U.S. Joint Forces Command from 1999 to 2002. From October 2002 until its disbandment, it was under the control of the United States European Command.
From 1951 to 1959, a secret ban was imposed by the Icelandic government on the stationing of black US troops in Iceland. This ban was disclosed in late 1959. The Icelandic government relented somewhat from this policy in 1961, when it declared that it "will not oppose the inclusion of three or four colored soldiers in the Defense Force, but hopes that they will be carefully selected". The number of black troops increased gradually throughout the 1960s, and all restrictions were most likely unofficially withdrawn in the 1970s or 1980s.
There were more than 25 different commands of various sizes attached to the Iceland Defense Force. Although staffing varied over the years, it was approximately 1350 U.S. military personnel (not including Reservists), 100 Department of Defense civilians, and 650 Icelanders, both civilians and firemen given military training manning the local Naval Firefighting team, as well as military members from Norway, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom worked on NAS Keflavik. A contingent of the United States Marine Corps was responsible for ground defense.