Arnold made the best of his exile and in May 1927, his participation in war games at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, impressed Maj. Gen. James E. Fechet, successor to Patrick as Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Ko je bil Mitchell na sodišču, so bili Arnold, Spaatz in Eaker opozorjeni, da bodo ogrozili svoje kariere, če bodo podprli Mitchella; kljub temu so vsi pričali v njegovo korist.