Evening star., 1941-06-15
D. {. Air Squadron
Receives Assignment
OF Additional Plane
Corps of Men Will
Be Sent to Fort Brueg
To Bring Ship Here

10 pIiH9 OhiP tSiS
Flying equipment for the new OBJ
servation squadron of the National
Guard is gradually being acquired.
Their first plane, a two-seater ad-
vanced training plane, known as
ATS, Is being based for the present
at Boiling Field, where the qualified
personnel are able to use it for flight
training.
The latest information, IL Was said,
is that the Army has assigned here
an 047B, three-place observation
plane. This plane is said to he
now at Fort Bragg, N. c., and the
local outfit will have to form a
"ferrying party" to bring the plane
here by the air route.
With two planes practically in
hand, and more believed to be in
the offing, the organization will have
to find a base for its work. The
first two planes, it was said, will be
based for the time being at the
Army's Boiling Field.
Service Facilities Lacking.
While a tentative plan is said to
have been formulated for the use
of Hybla Valley Field, near Alexan-
ria, Va, it was pointed out that
there are no facilities there for the
! serVicing of planes. There is han
gar for storage purposes, but no
place for mechanics 10 work. Al
though the field operated privately
for number of years, it was said
that the Navy has taken it over as
an emergency landing field, and uses
/ it TO train in landing operations.
/ In the event, however, that if the
| number Of planes assigned the local
unit is increased before it goes into
the field, which perhaps will be in
the near future, there is possibility
that some facilities would have to
be provided elsewhere than at Boil
ing Field, and Hybla Valley may be
the spot, in which event the Navy
would have to grant permission for
the outfit to use it.
Local officers say that they are
without information as to the prog
reSs being made on the air station
which is being established for them
at Columbia, S. G. The contract for
the construction of hangers. bar
racks and camp facilities, including
paraphenalia for the care of the
planes, was let several weeks ago.
AS soon as word is received that
the facilities are completed it is
anticipated that the War Depart
ment will issue the orders calling
the outfit into the field. The organi-
J Zatlon several weeks ago received it's
preliminary orders which directed it
to stand by for the mobilization.
which will send them into the field
for their prospective year of training.
Early Return in Doubt.
The lack of training equipment
Tor troops, which have been in the
held for approximately six months,
according to those familiar with
guard affairs, would seen to indi-
cate that the units will not be re-
turned to their home stations with
in the year originally specified. al
though there has been no affirma-
tive movement on the part of the
administration to seek legislation
authorizing the continuance of the
troops in the field.
1t was pointed out that while
much has been learned by the troops
during the time that they have
been in the field; they have been
hardened and cotton onto the WAYS
OF Army discipline and even have
had some maneuvers, the latter have
been largely without the equip
ment with which they would be
expected to fight if they are in ac-
tual combat. Military experts point
out that, even with the hardening
process, discipline and preliminary
training, it would be idle to at
tempt to send these troops back to
their home station until they have
had an opportunity to get full train
ing with the real weapons with
Which they would be expected to
fight in the field and to be able
to face other units with other
weapons. The use of make-shift
apparatus TO serve as tanks, NOR
tars, machine guns and the like. it
was said, does not even approach
stage props"
Academy Appointments Limited.
There will be no opportunity for
young men of the city to enter the
competition for next year for can
didates for the United States Mill
tary Academy through the Ma
tional Guard, it was disclosed by
the War Department last week. A
letter has gone out to all corps area
commanders directing them to make
the necessary appointments from
National Guard units now in the
field. Heretofore the District of
Columbia has always obtained one
of the appointments, but there were
a number of candidates who took
the competitive examination. The
situation may have to be changed
for 1943 if the troops still are in
the field, because it was pointed out
that the men all may be too old to
comply with the maximum age
limits.
The War Department has not pre-
pared the details for selecting the
young men or announced an allo-
cation to units. The District of Co.
lumbia organizations are now serv-
ing under two area commanders.
The 29th Division troops are at
Fort George G. Meade, Md, and
the 260th Coast Artillery. one of
the largest outfits of the Guard, is
at Fort Bliss, Tex, in another corps
area.
With this setup it is possible that
the locals may get two chances at
the academy where they had only