Before WWI, only a few Americans understood military duties. The nation had a small army, and the yearly appropriations could not finance equipment or weapons experiments. The Regular Army comprised about 75,000 soldiers from 1902-to 1912, and more soldiers were only enlisted when the yearly budgets averaged $93.6 million. Even though the United States economy experienced moderate prosperity, Americans did not support unchecked government spending. The United States Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Department in 1907, and the duty of the Aeronautical Department was to take control of all tasks relating to air machines, military ballooning, and all associated roles (Lake, 2021). During that period, there were a few aeronautical roles to undertake. Only eight balloons were purchased by the Signal Corps after the Civil War ended in 1907, even though two were bought in 1907. In 1908, the Signal Corps bought a little airship used at Fort Omaha, Nebraska, to give instructions to soldiers. 1909 marked a turning point in the United States Air Force (c) history when the Army officially accepted the first airplane identified as “Airplane No. 1.” Therefore, this paper focuses on discussing the origins of the U.S.A.F.
The origins of the modern USAF ideas for force presentation are founded in the United States Army’s endeavor to establish an aviation division, originally, the Aeronautical Unit of the Army Signal Corps, established in 1907. The U.S Army started showing a small aviation force, later headed by LT Benjamin D. Foulois as the Chief of the Air Corps. LT Benjamin established an aviation organization at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, with three Wright Flyer aircraft and three pilots. The Army created the first Aero Squadron comprising nine officers, nine air artisans, and 51 enrolled personnel in two organizations in 1913 (Vick, 2018). testimonies from senior and junior aviation officers such as 1LT Henry H. Arnold and CPT William Mitchel were presented before the House Committee on Military Affairs. The chief signal officer, BG George P. Scriven, submitted a proposal to improve Army Aviation. Each of the Army’s six regional commands would be assigned a cavalry unit under the idea. This created the Four Squadron Plan because the plan visualized only four battalions originally. Foulois became a captain in 1914, taking control of the 1st Aero Air unit, substituting the unit elements with “sections.” According to Roger Miller, an Air Force historian, the new unit structure is as follows:
“In May, he abandoned the company organizations and established a more flexible section organization, which included headquarters, supply, engineer, and transportation sections and eight airplane sections, one for each airplane. Under the new organization, two officers_a pilot and an assistant pilot- were assigned to each airplane. Each pilot took responsibility for care, repair and maintenance of his airplane and training and discipline of the crew (Vick, 2018).”
The beginning of the First World War in 1914 had a little immediate impact on the structure of the U.S Army aviation force. Up to 1917, the Army only had five air units, and by May the same year, the number increased to ten aero squadrons though they continued to be small and inefficiently armed air force compared to its rivals’ air force. The United States Air Service had 15 companies above the squadron level in December 1918: 14 groups and one chase wing. The wing and units disbanded abroad while balloon and squadron organizations returned to the U.S. Twelve squadrons survived even though most were separated (Taylor, 2017). The remaining squadrons were restructured into surveillance, pursuit, and bombardment groups under one wing structure. In 1923, Army aviation in the United States consisted of a single division, three battle units, one group command, and eleven surveillance units. There were four companies in each of the fighting categories. Mixed groups were also seen in Panama, Hawaii, and the Philippines, among other places.
In 1935, the establishment of the General Headquarters Air Force (GHQ Air Force), which brought about the command of all aviation divisions under a single command, marked the beginning of the transition to an independent air force. Maurer Maurer, an Air Force historian, refers to the complicated relationship between the Air Corps and GHQ as:
“As Commanding General, GHQ Air Force, [BG Frank] Andrews was in charge of roles such as training, instruction, maneuvers and tactical use of elements of his command. Since the Air Corps still handled individuals training and materials, it supplied officers, enlisted men and equipment to the Air Force (Vick, 2018).”
Being the Commander of the GHQ Air Force from its establishment in March 1935, General Andrew directed more resources and time towards planning, equipping, and training the air forces for more independent air duties. He was supported by the members of the General Staff. They concurred with the proposals of the Drum Board and Baker Committee to create the GHQ Air Force as a flexible and powerful force under the control of the Army Chief of Staff during peacetime. During war times, the unit would be under the command of the Commander in Chief of the field forces. U.S Air Force’s operations became more complex during WWII. The expansion of the air force founded on precision bombardment was endorsed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. U.S.A.F became organizationally independent in 1942 when the Army Air Corps joined the established USAAF.
During the 1942 dramatic restructuring by the War Department, the Army Air Force acquired equivalent privileges with the Navy and Army on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as absolute independence from the Army Ground Forces and Supply Services. Both the Air Corps and Battle Command were abolished as entities as part of the restructure, in favor of a more efficient command structure. It allowed the Army Air Forces to be managed dispersed (Venable, 2020).
The Army Air Forces were formed by combining multiple aviation elements from the preceding Air Corps. Even though the Air Corps existed according to the law as a branch of the Army, the office and position of Chief of Air Corps were eliminated. During the Second World War, the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 immediately impacted the AAF location practices. Measures were taken to safeguard coastal airfields from surprise attacks. Some of the steps include dispersing airplanes from main bases to airports and creating revetments and camouflage. Planes located on the West and East Coasts were re-positioned to remote locations (Baylis, 2022). During the 1942-1943 peak of AAF installation construction, four expansion programs were initiated simultaneously. Building bases that favored pilot training was ongoing in 105 current and new bases. The huge volume of aircraft operating as the Second World War approached its culmination in 1944-1945 gave upper echelons of control, such as the wing, operational management, air unit, and numbered air force, a more vital role.
The formal preparation for the postwar Air Force began many months before WWII ended.
MG Thomas Handy, the Assistant Chief of Staff at the time developed a strategy for the US Army, which included the Army Air Forces, in a report to George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff. MG Thomas Handy requested that the Army be made up of 1.5 million people, 28 divisions, and 105 aviation squadrons, according to the memo (Welsh, 2015). General Marshall, on the other hand, feared that Congress would be unable to approve the funding to support such a massive force. As a result of these issues, the projected force was reduced. Marshall backed the February Plan, which recommended a 16-air-group Army Air Force. Despite this, funding cuts and demilitarization have resulted in a smaller force. By the end of 1946, the USAAF had been downsized to fifty-five divisions, with only two rated combat-ready. As the government considered its postwar military priorities, the number and quality of the workforce changed throughout the next five years (Francis, 2019). On the other hand, there was a case to be made that the country required a strong, combat-ready air force, leading to the formation of the U.S.A.F as an indipendent entity in 1947. Two months after the establishment of the United States Air Force, a group headed by Thomas Finletter argued that the unit required 70 divisions to function efficiently. Truman and his top aides, on the other hand, contended that unfettered defense spending would lead to financial devastation.
When these conflicts erupted, the USAF was undergoing numerous major restructuring operations. The United States Air Forces explored a new wing and base management structure that separated temporary units managed by relevant commands from permanent organizations governed by Headquarters Air Force (AFCONs).With more than 5,778 human-crewed aircraft, 2,130 air-launched cruise vehicles in service, U.S.A.F is the world’s biggest and technically sophisticated air force. There are 328 439 active-duty Air Force troops (Grissom et al., 2016). Additionally, the Air Force engages 168,900 civilians, including outsiders hired through a third party. The US Air Force, on the other hand, has its oldest and most antiquated aircraft ever after twenty years of failing to advance its aircraft under Clinton and George W. Bush, and George H. W. Bush.
In conclusion, The country had a small army, and annual appropriations couldn’t cover the cost of new weapons or equipment. From 1902-to-1912, the Regular Army had about 75,000 soldiers, and more soldiers were only enlisted when annual budgets averaged $93.6 million. In 1907, the United States Signal Corps established a small Aeronautical Department, whose mission was to take charge of all tasks relating to air machines, military ballooning, and other related roles. During the War Department’s dramatic restructure in 1942, the Army Air Force was given equal standing on the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the Navy and Army, as well as complete independence from the Army Ground Forces and Supply Services. Many months before WWII ended, the initial preparations for the postwar Air Force began.In a report to Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, MG Thomas Handy, the Assistant Chief of Staff at the time, established a strategy for the US Army, which included the Army Air Forces. Today, the United States Air Force is the world’s largest and most technologically advanced air force, with over 5,778 human-crewed aircraft and 2,130 air-launched cruise vehicles in service.
References
Baylis, J. (2022). Strategy in the contemporary world. Oxford university press.
Francis, E. T. (2019). A House Built on Sand: Air Supremacy in US Air Force History, Theory, and Doctrine. ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE FORT LEAVENWORTH, KS.
Grissom, A. R., Lee, C., & Mueller, K. P. (2016). Innovation in the United States Air Force: Evidence from Six Cases. RAND Corporation-Project Air Force Santa Monica United States.
Lake, W. R. (2021). ORIGINS OF AMERICAN CLOSE AIR SUPPORT. AirPower History, 68(3), 19- 22.
Taylor, L. C. (2017). Kiffin Rockwell, the Lafayette Escadrille and the Birth of the United States Air Force. AirPower History, 64(2), 59.
Welsh III, M. A. (2015). A call to the future: the new air force strategic framework. Strategic Studies Quarterly, 9(2), 3-10.
Vick, A. J. (2018). Force Presentation in US Air Force History and Airpower Narratives. RAND Corp Santa Monica United States.
Venable, J. (2020). Rebuilding America’s Military: The United States Air Force (No. 223, p. 11). Heritage Foundation Special Report.
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