US Air Force Military Training - Yearbook (Lackland, TX)

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, Y wwf- Y soufhern secfion of fhe regional areas where weafher con- difions are besf for fhis parficular fype of fraining. The Technical Training Commands are an oufgrowfh of efforfs made during fhe early days of fhe firsf World War fo frain Army aviafion mechanics sysfemafically. Sfafe uni- versifies and civil fechnical schools were used fhen, buf fhe sysfem was a failure due fo fhe large cosfs involved, as well as ofher reasons. Therefore, fhe Aviafion Secfion, Sig- nal Corps, esfablished schools af Sf. Paul, Minn., and af Kelly Field, Texas. The Kelly Field school was disconfinued affer fhe armisfice. In l92l fhe school was moved fo Chanufe Field, Illinois, and in I922 fhe Phofographic School, af Langley Field, and fhe Communicafions School, af Ff. Sill, were consolidafed wifh if. The school oufgrew ifs area, and in I935 anofher sife was soughf for a second school, which was esfablished af Lowry Field, near Denver, Colorado. The presenf expansion program of Army Aviafion has necessifafed fhe furfher expansion of fhe mechanic fraining program in order fo provide fhe ever-increasing Air Forces wifh an adequafe supply of frained mechanics, parficularly in view of fhe facf fhaf engines and equipmenf are con- sfanfly becoming more complex as well as progressively more modern. The Technical Training Command provides fechnical fraining for Army Air Forces personnel nof frained by fhe Flying Training Command. Under fhis cafegory comes nof only ground crew personnel, such as mechanics buf also such air crew members, as fhe aerial engineer and communicafions officer. 2. The TROOP TRANSPORT COMMAND fransporfs air- borne froops and equipmenf, parachufe froops and equip- menf, and 'rows froop- and cargo-carrying gliders. 3. The AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND, as discussed previously, is concerned wifh air fransporf, for milifary use all over fhe world. 4. The MATERIEL COMMAND. Experimenfal aviafion acfivifies, which were carried on af Washingfon by a few fechnicians prior fo fhe World War, were concenfrafed af Dayfon, Ohio, on November 5, l9I7, under fhe command of Colonel V. E. Clark, Signal Corps. The laborafories, lo- cafed af McCook Field, were supplemenfed by offices in Dayfon. ln I'-726 fhe Air Service became fhe Air Corps and fhe funcfions of supply, procuremenf and mainfenance of aircraff were added fo fhis division, and fhe name changed fo Maferiel Division. The locafion of fhe division was changed from McCook Field fo Wrighf Field in I926. The Maferiel Division has figured direcfly or indirecfly in nearly all imporfanf aircraff developmenfs, commercial as well as milifary. If is fhe greaf experimenfal and fesfing branch of fhe Air Force and includes, among ifs many accomplishmenfs, superchargers, fhe Whirlwind engine, use of efhylene glycol for high femperafure cooling, high ocfane gasoline, vibrafion confrol, mefal propellers, nighf and insfrumenf flying, haze penefrafing film for aerial

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The funcfion of fhe Training Command is, of course, fo coordinafe and direcf fhe immense iob of providing officers and men for fhe vasfly expanding Air Forces. In order fo accomplish fhis wifh fhe greafesf efficiency and fo eliminafe fhe possibilify of adminisfrafive bofflenecks, General Arnold sef up fhe Training Command as if now exisfs, under fhe command of Lieufenanf General Barfon K. Younf, wifh Headquarfers af Forf Worfh, Texas. The original plan called for separafe air crew and ground crew fraining under fwo commands buf, in order fo infegrafe and sfream- line funcfions of fraining acfivifies, fhe Flying Training and Technical Commands were consolidafed under one com- mand, calling for maximum efficiency wifh a minimum of sfaff personnel. The nafionwide program of fhe Command has been divided geographically info six subordinafe commands- fhree Flying Training and fhree Technical Training. The Flying Training Commands are known as fhe Army Air Forces Wesfern Flying Training Command, Cenfral Flying Training Command, and Easfern Flying Training Command. The Technical Training Commands are known as fhe Army Air Forces Wesfern Technical Training Com- mand, Cenfral Technical Training Command, and Easf- ern Technical Training Command. All of fhese regional fraining areas are complefe wifhin fhemselves. Each Flying Training Command has ifs own College Training Defachmenfs, Classificafion Cenfers, Pri- mary, Basic and Advance Schools lfor pilof fraineesl, Navi- gafor and Bombardier Schools. The Flying Training Com- mands also provide for insfrucfion in fixed and flexible gunnery and, as one of fhe lafer innovafions, Glider Pilof fraining. Mosf of fhe flying schools are locafed in fhe i Capfain C. Def. Chandler and Lieufenanf Roy T. Kirfland in Wrighf B airplane wifh fhe firsf machine gun lLewisl ever fired from a plane--I9l2. Lieufenanf H. H. Arnold in Wrighf B plane-l9l l. Officers and Planes--N I3 Pursuif Squadron, Third Pursuif Group.

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3, ,zen sr ,.- , rg... . We syn V' ,.s new ' as I-gZ:m.'f - 1-V 'Mr -safe J, 5, be - 'Q i 55714 R W sim 1 , is -.fa 'M I -'2 fs V , :-:-., I ' . ff 4 B S s ,sl if 4. , 4' fy X7 4, sf Q .I 4 SIM is gs s, Z .I 1 S xii? X II 1' I , I , -: - : : If -11.21-6:-Q +:-:..:- A - , ,,,, 2 75? , vi Mm-,, ' 5 f Y' -fr rf? -Q , 1 eg. + . I... Isl , ff' 'K if x 1 . we t 'R 2 phorography, nighi' and phoiography, and many ofher developmenis. 5. The AIR SERVICE COMMAND operafes air depofs, repairs aircrafr, and disiribuies aircraff, equipmenf, and supplies fo air unifs in Ihe Uniied Sfaies. 6. The PROVING GROUND COMMAND operaies prov- ing grounds io 'iesi' aircrafi and equipment 7. The ANTI-SUBMARINE COMMAND. 8. The FLIGHT CONTROL COMMAND. AIR COMBAT The various combaf uniis have been 'formed info fourfeen Air Forces, of which rhe firsi four are in -I-he Uniied Sfafes, fhe ofher Ien overseas. Each of 'Ihese Air Forces includes: I. A BOMBER COMMAND. 2. A FIGHTER COMMAND. 3. A BASE SERVICE COMMAND, and 4. An AIR SUPPORT COMMANQ I I+ is quiie probable I'ha+ if is eniirely foo soon Io a'Hemp'I' Io define Ihe role of Ihe airplane in reiafion 'ro 'Ihe o'I'her combai' 'forces of a na+ion. In spiie o'F 'rhai faci' fhere has been raging, and indeed s+iII goes on, a debaie beiween Ihose who feel Ihai air power has Io a large exieni super- ceded sea power and even Iand power as Ihe deciding eIemen+ in modern warfare, and Ihose who feel +haI' Ihis ex+reme fheory has yeI' Io be suppor+ed by acfual facis. There are ex'I'remis'rs who argue, like 'rhe Russian designer Seversky and 'rhe H'aIian General Douhei, I'ha'I 'rhe day of 'rhe surface 'Fleer is over, and +ha+ 'ihe 'iuiure wars will be decided by Ihe reIa+ive meriis of I'he air forces of Ihe combaianfs. On Ihe oiher hand, we have 'rhe sure evidence of Ihe failure of bombing alone eiiher Io permanenfly dis- rup+ fhe war effori of a couniry or fo Ierrorize i+s civilians in+o demands +ha'r iI's governmeni surrender. In neifher fhe Spanish Civil War nor in Ihis war, up un'riI 'rhe presen+, has II' been possible for fhe advocaies of air power alone Io prove fheir con+en'I'ions. A+ fhe same fime if musi be granred 'rhai no na+ion has as ye'I' been able Io mouni Ihe Iype of air aH'acIc envisioned Shown above is a Morane Roulier, Ihe firsi plane used by American aviafors in Worid War I Il9I8I, Below is a Wrighi airplane, Ihe 'firsf plane in Phiiippine Isiands af Fori McKinley II9I2I-pilofed by Lieufenani Frank P. Lahm.