Evening star., 1941-06-22
D. {. Air Corpsmen
Expect 10 GET
Flying Training Soon
One Additional
Plane Brought Here
By Guard Officers

Enlisted personnel of the 121st
Observation Squadron Of the Dis
trict National Guard are expected TO
get some flying experience within a
short time as a result Of the assign
ment of an additional plane here.
But more of the flying machines are
expected within a short time also, as
the Army can find other outfits
which can spare them.
Two officers we're sent to Fort
Bragg to bring the second machine
back. 1t was formerly used by a
National Guard organization at
Pope Field.
Both of the planes are quartered
at Boiling Field of the Army at Ana
costa. where there are facilities for
| servicing them, which the local out
fit does not have at present.
Attending Air School.
A number of the enlisted men OF
the outfit are on active duty now and
are attending an Air Corps training
school for the service personnel at
Frederick, Md They are serving
with members Of Pennsylvania
National Guard air outfit which IS
on active duty.
These men, it was explained, Will
not be on active duty until the entire
organization is called into the serv-
ice. AS they are National Guards
men enlisted III an air outfit, they
will be placed on civilian rolls as
caretakers, and will be assigned TO
Boiling Field to service and care for
! the planes under the direction OF the
/ Regular service personnel. The
Army has a regular allowance for
/ planes, and sufficient men will be
called in to care for the two planes,
and as other flying equipment IS
assigned here additional men from
! the school will be employed.
Because Of the servicing facilities
available at the Army field here, the
local guardsmen are hoping that
they will be able to base their planes
at Boiling Field even after they are
ready to organize their caretaker
force and take over the actual work.
Although there is a tentative plan
for the local outfit to use Hybla
Valley Field. near Alexandria, Va II
was indicated that there are no
servicing facilities there. The base
now is used primarily as test
landing fed for the naval planes.
Observers to Fly.
Practically the only personnel
which will be taken up at this time
will be the qualified pilots and the
men in the observers course.
1t. George E. Patching, who. with
Maj. Stewart w. ToWle. U. S. A.
Air Corps, assigned to the new OUT
fit as inspector instructor, went to
Fort Bragg to bring back the newest
addition to the National Guard feet
here. said that except for the corps
Of men who are attending the care
takers school at Frederick, the other
men on the two drill periods a week
are being given intensive classroom
instruction, and a period Of close
order drill, as part Of the dressing
up program to get them ready for
the field.
Officers explained that although
they had received orders from the
War Department that they were on
the list for early entrance into the
Federal service. nevertheless no
further details have been received as
to the actual date of induction. A
part of the problem on the solution
of which induction depends is that
Of the completion of the quarters
and hangers to be constructed at
Columbia. S. c. Officers say that
they have heard that the contract
has been let for the necessary con-
struction work and the preparation
of the runways and other necessary
facilities.