JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- AFDW SPOTLIGHT | Air Force District of Washington Commander Maj. Gen. James A Jacobson recently visited with Air Force District of Washington's United States Air Force Airmen who serve on the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) team. With just a handful of the 200 Airmen serving among the 1,200-person team, the WHCA is a one-of-a-kind military unit dedicated to providing premier, worldwide, vital information services and communications support to President Donald J. Trump and staff from The White House.
Originally known as the White House Signal Detachment (WHSD), was officially formed by the War Department on 25 March 1942 during the Roosevelt Administration. The detachment was activated under the US Army Military District of Washington to provide normal and emergency communications requirements in support of the President of the United States.
The Agency evolved over the past 75 years from a small team of 32 personnel working out of the basement of the White House to a self-supporting joint service command. Headquarters for WHCA is at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C.. WHCA also has supporting detachments in Washington, D.C. and various locations throughout the United States. WHCA is organized into functional areas each with its own mission in support of the total WHCA mission of Presidential support.