New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-28
THE. ARMY AVIATION RESERVE
Plans for Putting Military Aviation Sound bas-ihe Ne"
Army Training Schools and the Reserve Formations
Which Provide FOR a Second Line of Defence

not and should not DE lhNsus 7" "'
all. They work or the seroplanes ana
in the general duties Of camp AND held'
These must be mer expert II over
hauling ana repairing motors, others
diagnosing engine trouble, others as
sembling and adjusting all me parts
Of the aeroplanes. >chaufeurs TO drive
motor trucks, and q number OF men
merely for camp duties, pitching tents
guard, sanitary and kitchen police etc
These men who are not 20 ny snoulo
have no expectation o. flying. Any
such hope or expectation simply creates
discomfort.
Now. National Guard units are not
organized on any such basis. Except
in the matter Of command there IS sub
stantial equality among the men. All
take part in the same things. They
drill. shoot, ride and do their work to-
cether. Artillery and signal corps have
special duties, but all work together as
a team In which they play different
parts. In a football team every man
does not expect 20 carry the ball.
The work of an aviation unit IS dlf-
ferent The fier ana his observer go
I'D alone. They get all the excitement
and take all the risk. The men on the
ground merely get things ready and
keen them ready for those who fly. TO
their minds they do all the work and
get none OF the fun. II is pretty sure
that National Guardsmen who are TO 90
cnlv this will not enlist in aviation units
preferring infantry, cavalry or otner
branches of service Their only reason
for wishing 70 join an aviation unit Is
the expectation Of getting chance TO
become Aiers. Motor machinists, me-
chanics and chauffeurs Will not join the
National Guard simply 20 do the same
sort of work as their daily Jobs. hven
if they should enlist, mechanics, VINO
report at the aviation field only once or
twice A week for a few hours, accord
ING 10 the established schedule OF Ma
tional Guard duty, can neither be USED
nor trained successfully in the repair
and maintenance Of aeroplanes.
The army aviation reserve corps
does not entirely eliminate this difil-
Guilty. but offers a practical way out OF
it. Reserve military aviators Will be
trained under the direction of army
aviation officers at schools maintained
or supervised by the army. Those near
the schools can take their training
without interference with business or
professions. Those at distance must
be trained during leaves of absence or
vacations. Many college students will
be eager thus to employ their vacations
fitting themselves for valuable military
service.
There will be no difficulty getting all
the men needed as reserve military
aviators-men of excellent character
and education. The cost of the train
ing is too great to warrant spending
the time and money on any other sort
of men. The character Of service re-
quired from military aviators makes
education and intelligence essential
In times of peace the expert motor
and aeroplane mechanics may have to
be drawn upon largely from the avia-
ton establishments maintained by or
under the supervision Of the army. In
times of war men expert in all sorts
of work will enlist in large numbers,
content TO do whatever they are best
fitted for, under a military discipline
in which soldiers do what they are told
without choice or discomfort. With
this provision for reserve military avia-
tors and reserve aviation mechanics,
there can be assigned to the aviation
reserve corps any number of enlisted
men required for duties of camp and
field. Men for such service can be Sc
cured through the enlisted reserve
corps which the army plans to develop
as fully as possible.
In time of war, if the aviation re-
serve corps lacks enlisted men, the re-
ouired number of recruits can simply
be sent to the various units from the
recruiting stations-with a few nom
commissioned officers and men from
the regular army to whip these recruits
into shape as soldiers. Training for
the duties required of them will be a
very simple matter.
Although these plans contemplate
primarily an aviation reserve corps
under direct control OF the regular
army, provision has been made for
training a number of National Guards
men at the San Diego aviation school.
RAYNAL C. BOILING,
Captain Signal Corps, N. G. n. Y,
Commanding LIST Aero Company.
New York, Oct. "a, 1916.