1955 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Reorganization

ORGANIZATION. a. A most significant reorganization was planned for FY 1956. This calls for the conversion of the 483^rd Field Artillery Battalion, a component unit of the 298^th Regimental Combat Team, to be reorganized as the 158^th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Upon completion of the reorganization, Anti-aircraft Batteries will occupy various on-site positions located to provide permanent anti-aircraft protection for principal military and civil installations on Oahu.

– 1955 Annual Report pp. 3

483 = 158!

By LT COL WILLIAM J. WEST

That may not be the way the arithmetic books have it, but in the Hawaii National Guard it’s so! On 1 September, the 483^rd Field Artillery Battalion of Ft Ruger will be converted to the 158^th Anti-Aircraft Battalion (Gun-90mm) . The decision to go ahead with this conversion was made by General Makinney late in July, and quick approval was forthcoming from both Governor King and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Interest in the possible organization of an anti-aircraft outfit in the Hawaii National Guard first arose well over a year ago when certain members of the AG’s staff advanced the idea. There was considerable discussion of the idea at the time, but no concrete developments followed. The principal reason for advocating the organization of AAA was the need, in the opinion of those staff officers urging the idea, to diversify the troop allotment of the Hawaii National Guard. They felt that we were restricted to much as to choice of branch of service, inasmuch as the great bulk of our army units were either infantry or field artillery. They felt that our recruiting would be more successful if we had a wider range of other type units to attract men who were not interested in the infantry units. Their reason for recommending AAA was the fact that there existed a tactical need for such units in the Honolulu area. The only anti-aircraft defense existing in the islands is that on naval vessels which happen to be in port, and the 21^st AAA Bn of the 25^th Division, which is, however, limited to 40mm guns. In February of this year the AAA idea received a big boost when Lt General Clarke, CG USARPAC, wrote General Makinney a letter asking that the Hawaii National Guard consider the conversion of the 483^rd to AAA. In his letter General Clarke said, “As a means of alleviating the deficiencies in anti-aircraft defense of this area, it has been considered that a significant contribution could be made by the Hawaii National Guard.” That letter kicked off a new series of discussions which culminated in the AG’s decision to convert the 483^rd.

The question then arises, “Why convert? Why not just set up a AAA battalion?” In studying the desirability of the AAA proposal, there were many factors to be considered, and one of the foremost was that of personnel. A survey was made among Oahu army units of the Guard, and also of the USAR, to find out how many officers and men would actually be interested in getting into a AAA battalion. Questionnaires indicating interest were received from nearly 400 individuals. Of those 123 were in the 483^rd, 150 were in other 298^th RCT units, and 110 were from the USAR. That figure represented in the neighborhood of 32% of the 483^rd strength. 17 of the 33 officers and warrant officers in the battalion indicated interest. In order to satisfy USARPAC’s desire for a AAA battalion in being in as short a time as possible, a guaranteed source of manpower to insure a high percentage of authorized strength was necessary. Our disappointing recruiting results for the past year or so rendered it doubtful that a completely new battalion organized with a small cadre could achieve an effective strength in the foreseeable future. If we attempted to organize using large battery cadres, the 483^rd would undoubtedly be hard hit to supply the cadres and would probably never rrcover an effective strength of its own. So it followed that if we organized a new battalion, and preserved the 483^rd, we should not raid the latter too heavily for personnel, with the result that many men interested in AAA would be denied the opportunity to transfer. It was felt that a morale problem would then arise with those individuals. Another point considered was that loss of the 483^rd as part of the 298^th RCT would have no particular effect on the existence or training of the remaining elements of the combat team. The level of training to which we are restricted by circumstances does not require field artillery units training actively with infantry units. Another consideration in favor of conversion was the fact that among the officers indicating interest, there were very few outside of the 483^rd who had any artillery experience. Again in the interests of quickly developing an effective AAA battalion, it was felt that the majority of the officers of the new battalion should be basically qualified in artillery.

Careful consideration of all of these factors led to the conclusion that conversion was the most practical means of accomplishing the purpose- i.e. organization of a AAA battalion capable of contributing in the near future to the defense of the Honolulu area. This conclusion was reinforced when it became known to the General and his staff that NGB favored conversion of the 483^rd. And so, the decision was made to convert

By letter dated 27 June 1955, Chief NGB had allotted the 158^th AAA Bn to Hawaii. Organized under T / O&E 44-ISA, the proposed battalion will consist of Hq Btry, a medical detachment, and four gun batteries with an authorized (i.e. NG reduced) strength of 29 officers, 12 warrant officers, and 510 enlisted men which is somewhat more than the present authorized strength of the 483^rd. A comparison of the organization of the two battalions revealed that the AAA organization was essentially the same as that of the 483^rd, and that conversion could be acomplished readily with most of the 483^rd personnel going into vacancies similar, if not exactly, like those they were trained in. See chart at the bottom of page 12. Another comparison of actual 483^rd strength by grade with the AAA authorized strength by grade (tabulated below) showed that no grades would be lost in the conversion.

Grade	483rd Now	AAA Auth
Lt Col	1	1
Maj	0	2
Capt	7	13
Lt	21*	13
WO	4	12
M/Sgt	12	17
Sfc	29	46
Sgt	53	95
Cpl	105	185
Pfc	77	209
Pvt	57	88

* Can be absorbed into Maj and Capt positions

Based on the 1 July strength of the 483rd, the 158th on the date of conversion would have percentages of authorized strength as follows:

Off	100%
WO	33%
EM	65%

Furthermore, 245 men of the SAR and other Guard units are interested and if only 75% of them are enlisted in the 158^th, then the battalion would have 100% of its enlisted strength.

One of the most attractive features of this deal, which has not been mentioned so far, is the fact that the battalion will be classified as an “on-site battalion” and as such will be part of the National Guard’s AAA Special Security Force. By that we mean that the battalion will have its gun batteries permanently located in firing positions where they will be manned 24 hours a day by a full time detachment. The guns will be fully equipped and prepared to go into action within seconds after an alert. The full time detachments will consist of 15 members of each battery employed under the field civilian personnel program supported by Federal funds. The positions to be filled in each battery will be as follows:

Fire Control Officer	NGM 24
Radar Chief	NGM 18
Radar Operator	NGM 15
Fire Control Chief	NGM 17
Radar Repairman	NGM 18
Motor Mechanic	NGM 15
Artillery Mechanic	NGM 16
Radio Repairman	NGM 15
AAA Fire Control System Mechanic	NGM 11
Power Generator Operator	NGM 11
5 Utility Men	NGM 5

In addition to the above, each battery will have the usual full time ASMT, and battalion headquarters will have a Battalion Fire Control Officer (NGM-26) and two WO Administrative Assistants, one NGC-7 and one NGC-5. The usual service center, and additional CFMS, employees authorized as a result of the new battalion will bring to 74 the total of the full time positions which will be authorized.

As this is written, it appears that USARPAC will provide the sites for the gun batteries, which will probably be located on the Ft DeRussy parade ground, Sand Island near the 109^th AC&W Sq, Ft Shafter near the skeet range on Nimitiz Hwy, and Ft Kamehameha near the old replacement depot. Initially the battalion will remain at Ft Ruger in its present facilities, and battalion headquarters will probably remain there permanently. As the battery sites are prepared, the gun batteries will occupy them.

The conversion will be effective 1 September, and that will be the signal for intensifying a multitude of activities. One of the most important of these will be the selection of men for the full time positions. This must be done promptly in order to permit most of them to leave immediately for service schools on the mainland where they will attend courses to qualify them for their jobs. Some of these courses will be as long as 10 months. At the same time, all existing personnel of the 483^rd will have to be reassigned, and men from other units will have to be transferred in or enlisted. A great deal of effort will be devoted to turning in of excess equipment and drawing of items not now on hand. The training schedules and all that goes into implementing them will have to be re-oriented on the AAA ATP’s. Unit libraries will have to be re-stocked with applicable publications. Providing that funds are immediately available, USARPAC hopes to have gun sites ready in 10 to 12 months. The batteries can then start moving into the sites, and it is expected that the important items of equipment, i.e. guns, radar, etc. will be received at about the time the key personnel begin returning from the service schools. Field training plans have not been discussed, but it appears that the 158^th will go to camp somewhat later next summer than has been our practice in the past. Their 90s will probably be fired locally for the first time during that camp, but not from their home sites, and by this time next year we should have a going outfit.

– 1955 August The Hawaii Guardsmen pp. 10-12