Evening star., 1927-11-03
Air Corps Reserves.

The national defense act of 1920
created the present Reserve Corps. and
since that time this important phase
of national defense has been increasing
year by year. both in size and in USE
| fulness. The initial complement Of
officers forming the Air Corps Reserve
consisted mainly of those officers who
had been trained during the World
! War and who had held emergency
commissions during that period.
| The value of an efficient flying re-
serve in case OF a national emergency
cannot be overestimated. 1t is from
the reserve groups that air officers
must be drawn to fill the gap between
| peace time and wartime strength in
Army Air Corps units. Many prob.
| lens have arisen relative to the de-
velopment. training and co-ordinating
Of the Reserve Corps. Normally, re-
serve officer is called to active duty for
period of Is days of each year. Due
to lack of funds and training facilities,
| it has not been possible to make even
this meager training available to all
officers of the Air Corps Reserve
Moreover. it soon became apparent
that this short period of training was
| insufficient to maintain even a sem
blance of the flying efficiency neces
sary to render this reserve force i'm
mediately effective in event of emer
Sency. Certain professional training
was possible through the medium of
| correspondence courses, but in order
| for an officer to keep his hand in, so
| to speak. as an airplane plot requires
actual flying experience not consoli-
dated into a 15.day period, but dis
tributed throughout the year. This
problem has been met in measure
| by permitting reserve pilots to fly air
planes at Regular Army flying fields
and by the establishment of reserve
| flying fields throughout the United
States. Many of these officers affili-
ated themselves with National Guard
Air United. which enables them to
maintain fair measure of flying eff
cheney.
Reserve Unit Valued.
| The War Department recognized the
value of reserve officer units in pre-
pairing the f1ve-year Army Air Corps
development program, and provided
therein the opportunity for reserve
officers to be called to active duty in
order to obtain increased flying prac-
tice. The 1878 appropriations made
it possible to place 10 of these officers
on continuous active duty for a period
of one year.
Reserve officers desiring active duty
are required to make application to
| the Chief of Air Corps, stating their
willingness to accept such duty for a
period Of one year. When this appli-
cation is received the officers record
is carefully checked to determine his
flying ability and his educational and
professional qualifications. The appli-
cant's ability to fly service planes, as
distine uished from training planes, Is
! aCnnfi1I ,ic
usefulness to tactical unit is almost
nil in so far as flying is concerned. He
must. however. have other qualifica.
tions, for on an Army flying field
there are many other duties besides
| flying. The planes must be housed,
| repaired and occasionally overhauled.
| To do this work there must be me-
chanics. and 1t requires an officer who
has special mechanical knowledge to
properly direct this work. In order to
provide spare parts, tools and equip
ment for the maintenance Of airplanes,
a supply department is necessary. An
| operations Office acts as a clearing
house for airplanes and flying per.
sonnel. All missions and planes are
dispatched from this Office, and a com.
petent officer must be available to
supervise the execution of these duties.
| The radio. parachute and photo Sec
tfons must have competent officers to
direct the work. To carry out this
and other functions connected with
the operation of flying field there are
enlisted men who must be housed, fed
and clothed. This work IL done by the
SQUADRON commander and his assist
ants. Aw
4 The reserve officers who now are or
active duty have been assigned to tao.