The 8th AD was established in 1949. Its initial assignment was the air defense of North and South Carolina under Fourteenth Air Force. It was inactivated in 1950 with its air defense mission taken over by Eastern Air Defense Force. In 1954 it was re-activated under Western Air Defense Force with a mission of being the command and control organization for Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) units of Air Defense Command. Its mission also included the training and equipping of Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star AEW&C units.