A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force
A Concise History of the U.S. Air Force

Author: Stephen Lee McFarland

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13:

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Except in a few instances, since World War II no American soldier or sailor has been attacked by enemy air power. Conversely, no enemy soldier orsailor has acted in combat without being attacked or at least threatened by American air power. Aviators have brought the air weapon to bear against enemies while denying them the same prerogative. This is the legacy of the U.S. AirForce, purchased at great cost in both human and material resources.More often than not, aerial pioneers had to fight technological ignorance, bureaucratic opposition, public apathy, and disagreement over purpose.Every step in the evolution of air power led into new and untrodden territory, driven by humanitarian impulses; by the search for higher, faster, and farther flight; or by the conviction that the air way was the best way. Warriors have always coveted the high ground. If technology permitted them to reach it, men, women andan air force held and exploited it-from Thomas Selfridge, first among so many who gave that "last full measure of devotion"; to Women's Airforce Service Pilot Ann Baumgartner, who broke social barriers to become the first Americanwoman to pilot a jet; to Benjamin Davis, who broke racial barriers to become the first African American to command a flying group; to Chuck Yeager, a one-time non-commissioned flight officer who was the first to exceed the speed of sound; to John Levitow, who earned the Medal of Honor by throwing himself over a live flare to save his gunship crew; to John Warden, who began a revolution in air power thought and strategy that was put to spectacular use in the Gulf War.Industrialization has brought total war and air power has brought the means to overfly an enemy's defenses and attack its sources of power directly. Americans have perceived air power from the start as a more efficient means of waging war and as a symbol of the nation's commitment to technology to master challenges, minimize casualties, and defeat adversaries.

The United States Army Air Arm
The United States Army Air Arm

Author: Juliette A. Hennessy

Publisher:

Published: 1958-01-01

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 9780891260141

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This book recounts the development of aviation in the United States Army from April 1861, when the Army first became interested in balloons as a means of observation, to April 1917, when America entered World War I. The origins and organizations of the Army's air arm are told in detail, with particular emphasis on early air force personnel, planes, and experiments. In the process the monograph traces the early development of what today is The United States Air Force. Originally published by the United States Air Force in 1958.

The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917
The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917

Author: Office of Air Force History

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-03-10

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9781508803027

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THIS MONOGRAPH, written by Mrs. Juliette A. Hennessy of the USAF Historical Division, recounts the development of aviation in the United States Army from April 1861, when the Army first became interested in balloons as a means of observation, to April 1917, when America entered World War I. The origins and organizations of the Army's air arm are told in detail, with particular emphasis on early air force personnel, planes, and experiments. In the process the monograph traces the early development of what today is The United States Air Force. Of necessity, the monograph tends strongly toward the chronological variety. This is owing to several factors, the thinness of aviation activities for most of the long period covered and an equal thinness in records being the principal factors. Only a few books which deal with this early period of Army aviation have been written, and all of them together do not cover the period. This, then, is the first attempt to put the story into a single volume. Because the story of the air arm from April 1917 to the beginning of World War II also has not been fully covered it is expected that the present monograph will be the first of three, which, when completed, will become the basis for a published history of the Army Air Arm, 1861-1939. Like other Historical Division studies, this history is subject to revision, and additional information or suggested corrections will be welcomed.

The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917
The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1985

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13:

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This monograph recounts the development of aviation in the United States Army from April 1861, when the Army first became interested in balloons as a means of observation, to April 1917, when America entered World War I. The origins and organization of the Army's air arm are told in detail, with an emphasis on early air force personnel, planes, and experiments. In the process, the monograph traces the early development of what today is The United States Air Force. Because the story of the air arm from April 1917 to the beginning of World War II also has not been fully covered, it is expected that the present monograph will be the first of three monographs that will become the basis for a published history of the Army Air Arm, 1861-1939. Chapter 1, Balloons and Airships in the U.S. Army, 1861-1913, describes balloon use during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and from 1902 to 1914, Chapter 2, Early American Planes and Their Inventors, examines the Langley plane, the Wright brothers' plane, and others. Chapter 3 focuses on The Signal Corp's First Air Installations and First Military Aviation Rating. Chapter 4 examines College Park and Other Air Schools, including those in Augusta, Texas City, the Philippines, and Hawaii, 1912-1913. Chapter 5 describes the Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego. Chapter 6 examines Aviation Legislation and the Aviation Section through 1914. Chapter 7 focuses on Aviation in 1915 and 1916, including the Aero Club of America and the National Guard, pyrotechnics and airplanes tested, the San Diego School, and the San Antonio Air center. Chapter 8 examines the Aviation Section in 1916, including the Aviation Center at Fort Sam Houston, reserve corps expansion, and balloons and Zeppelins. Chapter 9 describes the 1st Squadron with Pershing's punitive expedition of 1916. Chapter 10 examines the Army Flying Training Schools, the National Guard, and the Air Reserve. The final chapter focuses on the Aviation Section to 6 April 1917.

Citizen airmen : a history of the Air Force Reserve 1946-1994
Citizen airmen : a history of the Air Force Reserve 1946-1994

Author: Gerald T. Cantwell

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 565

ISBN-13: 142899162X

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For nearly fifty years, citizen airmen have served in the nation's defense as members of the Air Force Reserve. Citizen Airmen: A History of the Air Force Reserve, 194 & 1994 begins with the fledgling air reserve program initiated in 1916, traces its progress through World War II, and then concentrates on the period 1946 through 1994. The study skillfully describes the process by which a loosely organized program evolved into today's impressive force. The Air Force Reserve story is told within the context of national political and military policy and stresses that over the decades, as national needs have increased, reservists have met the challenges. Initially, the Air Force treated its reserve units as supplemental forces and equipped them with surplus equipment. Shortly after the Air Force Reserve was established in 1948, its members mobilized for Korean War duty and they served throughout the conflict. The Reserve program subsequently fell into disarray and required patient rebuilding. The passage of a series of key federal laws related to personnel issues and the introduction of the air reserve technician program greatly assisted in this rejuvenation process. In the l96Os, the Air Force Reserve demonstrated its mettle as it participated in numerous mobilizations reflecting the Cold War tensions of the era. Reservists were involved in operations ranging from the Berlin Crisis of 1961-1962 to the Southeast Asia mobilizations in 1968. In the 197Os, the Air Force Reserve program assumed heightened importance when the Department of Defense adopted the Total Force Policy. This concept treated the active forces, the National Guard, and all reserve forces as an integrated force. Reservists were now expected to meet the same readiness standards as their active duty counterparts. Since then, the Air Force Reserve has demonstrated its ability to perform a wide variety of missions. Air Reservists participated in American military operations in Grenada and Panama.

A Preliminary to War: The 1st Aero Squadron and the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916
A Preliminary to War: The 1st Aero Squadron and the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916

Author:

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 1428910689

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On March 15, 1916, the 1st Aero Squadron arrived at Columbus, New Mexico. Led by Captain Benjamin D. Foulois, the squadron included 11 officers, 82 enlisted men, and 1 civilian technician. The men unloaded an automobile, 6 motorcycles, and 12 motor trucks, vehicles rare in an army still wedded to the horse and mule. These were followed by wooden crates containing 8 wood, wire, and fabric Curtiss JN-3 biplanes, every airplane owned by the U.S. Army, save those assigned to its aviation school at San Diego, California. The squadron was in Columbus to join an expedition commanded by Brig. Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. President Woodrow Wilson had ordered Pershing's force into Mexico in response to a March 9 attack on the tiny border town by the Mexican desperado, Francisco "Pancho" Villa. For the first time, the U.S. Army's entire air force -- the 1st Aero Squadron -- had deployed for an active campaign. The 1st Aero Squadron played a significant role in the Punitive Expedition, but, in dramatic contrast to how an air force functions today, it served as a means of communication and observation, not as a combatant arm. Some experiments with bombs and machine guns had been conducted, and the war in Europe was quickly turning the airplane into a serious weapon of war. Nevertheless, U.S. Army leaders envisioned aviation's primary mission to be the receipt and transmission of information for tactical commanders and long-distance scouting as an adjunct to the cavalry. Accordingly, during the mobile phase of the Punitive Expedition, the 1st Aero Squadron enabled Pershing to locate and communicate with his widely dispersed, fast-moving columns and carried dispatches between Pershing's main and advanced bases. The squadron also scouted for hostile forces and kept a watch for threats to Pershing's line of communications. These efforts were made in some of the worst weather and poorest conditions imaginable, and by the end of April, all eight airplanes had been destroyed7.