Evening star., 1933-06-18
ARMY AIR CORPS
CRIPPLED BY DRAFT
OF FORESTRY SERVICE
Continued From First Page)

lust been concluded in California. Wnlie
more than 800 combat planes from al
narts of the country were concentrates
at March Field, Riverside, Calf, tnat
Acid was required to furnish SO many
cf it's own personnel for forestry camp
duty that the whole 18th Pursuit Group
If three squadrons was laid up.
All except one or two planes Oh eacA
suuadron were put out OF aotlVe conn-
mission, the engines filled with cosnlo.
line to preserve them and the PLANES
placed in storage. The laying ny Va
the group not only seriously mtelte.eo eo
with the maneuvers, regarded as OF tne
almost Importance in the working OUT
of problems of defense resulting from
nrogress in combat plane speeds ana
eficiency, but also cripples the nrst-
line coastal defense of the California
More than IS officers from March
Field alone already are in forestry
camps throughout the West, while 10
others are engaged in full-time G. c. O.
Activities at March Field, where a large
preliminary training camp has peen es-
tablished. ,-.,
" all permanent Air Corps posts
throughout the United States. seven
officers and IL enlisted men were taken
in a single group from the Sd Attack
Group, Fort Crockett, Tex, necessltat.
ing the laying up OF more IMAM a MAJ,
solladron. and others have been taken
subsequently.
At Mitchell Field, N. z, home OF the
9th Observation Group, airplanes nae
to be moved out of the hangers ana
staked down in the open air to pro-
vide quarters in the hangers for 1000
forestry recruits, while large number
of officers of the group were taken out
of the squadrons for duty with the
civilian workers.
Only One Officer Remains.
In a number of cases tactical squad
rons of the Air Corps upon which the
Nation must depend for emergency de-
fense, have been reduced to one om-
Ger. usually the commanding ofhcer,
while all but one or two planes nave
been put out of commission.
Langley Field, Hampton, Va, home
of the I'd Bombardment Wing, COM
posed of the I'd Bombardment Group
and the 9th Pursuit Group, has been
the scene of training camp for for
estry recruits, large number OF the
bonus marchers from the National
Capital having been sent there. The
sQuadrons are undermanned and, with
a number of new planes to be delivered,
it will become necessary to decommis-
sior ships there.
Crissy Field, Calf, reports that in
order to provide for emergency missions
in connection with the forestry camps,
including ambulance plane service, its
flying officers have been placed on a
continuous "alert" status requiring
them to be ready to fly on 15-minute
notice.
Instructors Withdrawn.
Several instructors in the Flight
Surgeons School Of the Air Corps at
Randolph Field have been withdrawn
from the school and sent to forestry
camps, seriously crippling the school.
Training camps for the Civilian Con-
struction Corps have been established
on the landing fields of a number of
the Air Corps tactical posts, among
them Langley Field, March Field,
Mitchell Field, Rockwell Field, Calf,
and Chanute Field. Ill.
One of the most serious phases of the
situation, in the opinion of Air Corps
officers, is that officer-pilots assigned
to forestry duty are losing all flying
training, and if the duty is continued
for very many months, will be untitled
lfor combat service without taking re-
ifresher courses, since continuous train
ling is necessary to keep combat pilot
in condition for duty.
Under the present division of duties
between the Army and Navy, the vital
duty of coastal defense is entrusted to
the Army Air Corps. 1t was the pur-
pose of the so-called "five-year pro-
gram" to provide sufficient airplanes
and personnel to meet the requirements
of any emergency which could be rea-
sonably foreseen involving air defense
of portions of the coast. The Air Corps
never has been brought up to the min
imum strength contemplated in the
program as necessary, and is still fur
ther being reduced by the conservation
camp service.