Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03


announced by the War Department, will
take part in the 1891 Army Air Corps
field exercises designed to demonstrate
the efficiency Of Army aviation In coast
defense operations.
Each State will send five planes, max
ing a total Of 95 ships, which win be
| formed into an organization to be known
as the 22nd Observation Wing. 1t VIII
be commanded by Maj. Ralph Royce OF
the Air Corps.
"This is the first time in the history
of the living Army" said Assistant Sec
rotary of War F.. Trubee Dawson, that
National Guard units have been called
upon to participate in Air Corps held
exercises. Flying In a division OF $40
planes will be new experience to the
militia pilots, and, for that matter. also
to the Regular Army pilots, as up to
this point they have not been members
of anything larger than an air brigade.
We have not even wing in actual oper-
alton, although we have such units on
paper. .
to consolidate our widely scattered air
Corps units into an air division, which
numbers about $50 fighting planes out
Of total of $40. we would miss q Won
derful opportunity by neglecting the
National Guard, its splendid pilots and
fine equipment.
Under present training conditions,
National Guard squadrons function as
isolated units and there Is little inter-
mingling of National Guard air units,
as units.
"The National Guard personnel par
ticipating in the air division exercises
will be under an air discipline of the
strictest kind. They will be operating
on schedule where split seconds count.
In the main their duties will be flying
duties, but many of them will meet new
problems in administration and mainte-
nance and the experience gained on
these exercises will be something to i'm
press them for the rest Of their lives
and increase their value as flying Of
flcers.
The National Guard air squadrons
of today are accomplishing successfully
the demands made of them: The local
value of many units has been mani
tested in several fields of succor. The
Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana,
New York and Massachusetts, units
have all performed most valuable food
relief work. The washington and Min
nesota squadrons have been used most
successfully on forest patrols. The
guard squadronS have also been used
In emergencies to carry mail. ferry the
sick and to assist in quelltng prison
breaks.
In 1922 the National Guard air
units comprised only seven squadrons,
1876 officers and 643 enlisted men. BY
June 80, 1927. 1t had increased to Is
squadrons, 3ll officers and 1872 en-
listed men, On December 81, 1880, 1t
consisted OF 19 squadronS, 361 officers
and 1.795 enlisted men. For the fiscal
year 1926 records show that the air
units few ,953 hours. or So hours AZ
minutes per pilot, while for the fiscal
year 1880 the total was 28,774 hours, or
liz hours and 80 minutes per pilot.
The average flying time per pilot for
five fiscal years, 1925 through 1880, was
81 hours per pilot. It Is conservatively
estimated that the 1885, 800 hours flown
during these five years represent APP
proximately 1859 900 miles flown,
showing one fatality for every 462 ,281
miles Travelled. In 1929-30 the Guard
flew about 100000 miles without a
single fatal accident"
Sergt. Earl L. Maud, Battery A,
26Oth Coast Artillery, has been ordered
honorably discharged on account OF re-
moval from the District.
The commanding of1lcer, Special
Troops, 29th Division, has been ordered
TO detail detachment Of Is or more
men from the goth Division Military
Police Company to act as honorary eS-
cort to Confederate veterans who will
hold ceremonies at Arlington National
Cemetery June z in commentator OF
Confederate Memorial day.
Corps. Samuel r. Voorhees, and
Eugene G. Dawson have been ordered
reduced to the grade Of private in Com
pany B, l2lst Engineers, upon recon-
mendation Of the company commander
At the same time Pvts. (f1rst class
James A. Munro and william r. Barkes
have been ordered promoted to I'LL
these vacancies.
When the team of the Medical De-
tachment Of the 10Sth Engineers, Hi
nois National Guard, won the recent
first air competition conducted by the