Republican farmer., 1919-06-20
HERE'S A CHANCE
 FREE AIR RIDE
Col. Nicklin Will Take Re cruits to Mineola in
 Aeroplane.

Due to the less spectacular nature
 os their work, the balloons of the
 American Army were not much in the
 public eye during the war, but never
 theless, tho 22 American balloon com
 panies which operated on the front
 during hostilities accomplished quite
 as much, if not more, than the
 heavier-than-air branch of the air
 service
 The thrill of romance surrounded
 the pilots, the observers, and bonlbers
 of the plares: but little was heard Of
 the balloon observers who sat for long hours, sometimes from daylight to
 dark. in a swinging wicker basket be- heath 0 huge envelope filled with highly infammable hydrogen gas, continuing their important wosx until
 some daring German pilot sent the big
 bag down in flames, while the ob- server Ieaped to safety in his para chute.
 While the enlisted men of the avia- ton worked day and night repairing and preparing the planes for flight, the enlisted men of the balloon com panies advanced with the artillery, often before 1t, clearing roads, bring ing up the hydrogen tubes, building and maintaining telephone lines, fighting off the German planes, giving our own aviators confirmations of
 enemy planes brought down and bal looms burned. Sleeping in mine era ters, sheH holes andi deserted dugouts, frequently bombed and generally un der shellhre, they advanced tirelessly. The importance attached to the bal looms by the general staff is shown by the fact that very nearly half of the present authorized strength of the air service. 15.00O men, should go the bal loon section. Forty-two balloon com panies are now authorized and the total number of men needed Is 7,14o- Before the war we had no balloon companies. Like the tanks, the ex- ments were all the more remarkable
 on that account The development from now on will be even more re-
 Irarkable, and in addition to the ob-
 servation balloons, the Army will
 build huge dirigibles, ultimately build ing airShips with a gross lift of 900 tons.
 A balloon company has eleven sec tionS and 1t is really a combination of every branch of the service except | the artillery. Every man is trained 1 in infantry drill and fundamental tactics for Q balloon company ad- | vances behind the infantry and is ] prepared to reinforce a weak part of | the line at any time. Then there is | the maneupering section that handles ! the big gas bag builds the balloon | bed and wind-shields; clears the road | for an advance or builds a winch road-work of the engineers. There ] is a transportation section of 24 men with the same pay and duties as the motor transport corps. There is the | telephone and radio section which | duplicates the work of the signal corps; a machine gun section of 15
 men really an anti-aircraft section. | In addition there are the specialists
 the winch operators who operate the | motor on which the balloon is elevat- | ed or lowered; the triggers and fabric workers who rig the balloon repair | the fabric pack the parachutes etc. i; ! the basket detail who look after | the scientific instruments and maps; the chart room detail which prepares i the maps and aerial photographs and keeps the log of the balloon flight and its observations, assisting in con- l municating them to the proper au- | thorities; the hydrogen gas detail | which initiates the balloon and keeps | a supply of gas always on hand; the | lookouts, who are trained to spot an enemy plane miles away and who give our own aviators combinations | on enemy planes and balloons brought down. There is in addition a com pany clerk, mess sergeant and cooks l and the regular interior administra- | ton of the company If a man does not like one section, he is transferred | to the one where he is best fitted. l Every man has plenty of opportuni- | ties to make ascensions.
 Of the ITO enlisted mer in a bal | loon company. only 70 are privates. 1 There are 2 master signal electricians l II sergeants first class, 10 duty ser ! geants. IS corporals, cha auffeurs l first class, 5 chauffeurs. cooks and | 31 privates first class. The pay
 ranges from s3e per month for a | private to s75 for master electrician. ! A flying status gives a man 50 per icent increase in his pay. In addition l there is another bonus of 10 per cent | for foreign service. The 18th Balloon | company is now being organized at Mitchell Field. Mineola, for service in the Philippines. Hawaiian Islands, and | the Canal Zone. Colonel Nicklin, re- ] cruiting officer for this district, states that any applicant for enlistment in 1 this company will be accepted for air l service and be given Q ride by air | plane to Mineola. On arrival there
 he can request assignment to this
 company.