Evening star., 1941-03-23
Air Corps 10 Make
Boiling Field Its
Nerve Center Soon
Shift of Headquarters
Command From Langley
To Be Made by Saturday
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH 5. EDGERTON.
Boiling Field, until recently one
OF the least important tactically of
all major Army airdromes will be-
come the nerve center of America S
real independent air power Saturday.
Established here to provide con-
tinued flight training for Army Air
Corps officers on duty in Washing
ton and to house the planes required
for liaiSon work between the War
Department and outlying Army
posts, Boiling Field is about to be-
come the home of the headquarters
OF the General Headquarters Air
Force, the Nations principal air
striking force.
Transfer of personnel and equip
ment of the G. H. @. Air Force from
Langley Field, Va, to Boiling Field
now is in progress and will be COM
pleted as facilities become available.
1t. Gen. Delos c. Emmons, COM
. manding general of the G. H. Q. Air
Force, will close his headquarters at
Langley Field Friday and his three
starred flag will be unfurled at Boil
ing Field the next morning.
The impending transfer already
has resulted in one of the biggest
building booms in the history of
new Boiling Field, which has been
under construction for many years,
never completed.
May Be Great Center.
Boiling Field ultimately will prob
ably represent an investment of $10,-
100000 or more and with the $13,-
100000 Washington National Air
port across the Potomac, adjacent
Anacostia Naval Air Station will
compose one of the worlds greatest
aviation centers.
The new construction program
now nearing completion includes II
additional barracks for headquarters
personnel and attached units, five
administration buildings. hospital.
two warehouses, an inflrmary, a
Link trainer building and recre-
alton hall.
There already has been transferred
to Boiling Field the newly organized
301st Signal Company, aviation,
which will provide radio and other
communications for the air force
headquarters. This company was
organized at Langley Field. 1t has
an enlisted strength of 134 men.
Remaining to be transferred from
Langley Field are Headquarters and
the Headquarters Squadron of the
G. H. @. Air Force. with total
enlisted strength of 240 men. The
Headquarters Squadron, a flight
unit, is equipped with military and
headquarters aircraft of various
types for use of the Headquarters
staff.
Air Corps Nerve Center.
Boiling Field not only is to be
headquarters for the G. H. @. Air
Force, but also the training center
for the high command of the main
striking force of American air power
Commanders and staffs for special
air power units for duty anywhere
in the world would be organized
and developed into working teams
there, in close coordination with
the high commands of the military
services.
Should it become necessary. for
example, to organize a special task"
force for the defense of South
America against invasion, the air
force commander and his staff would
be organized and would map their
campaign at Boiling Field, in CO.
operation with the War Depart
ment high command and the COM
manders of Army, Navy or Marine
Corps units which might participate.
The G. H. Q. Air Force, whose
destinies are to be controlled from
Boiling Field, is Americas closest
approach to the independent air
force 1t was created in 1884. when
the War Department organized the
combat units of the Air Corps into
q separate command, apart from
the Air Corps and under direct con-
troll of the chief C staff.
Five years later the G. H. @. Air
Force was placed under command
of the chief of the Army Air Corps.
The chief of Air Corps. Maj. Gen.
Henry H. Arnold, now also is acting
deputy chief of the War Department
general staff for air, a setup that
provides the former close linking
of the air striking force and the
War Department general staff.