Evening star., 1946-09-23
|AAF 10 Offer Courses
In Is u. ). Schools for
Officer Candidates

A Nationwide Army Air Forces
Reserve Officers Training Corps
program. designed to provide the
AAF with steady flow of college
trained officers, is being installed
this fall at 76 colleges and uni
versities with facilities available for
the enrolment of 1920 student
candidates for reserve commissions,
it was announced today.
Maj. Gen. Earle E. Partridge,
assistant chief of air staff for op-
erations and training, said the Air
ROTC courses would be available
Immediately to 1900 elementary and
5000 advanced students. Future
plans anticipate an enrolment of
$4,000 potential airmen at $50
colleges.
Georgetown and Howard Univer-
sites in Washington and Maryland
University, at College Park. are the
only ones in this area admitted
to the new Air ROTC program
which is expected to become as i'm
portant an adjunct to the building
Iof a strong postwar Air Reserve as
the Infantry ROTC has been to
its branch of the Army for the
past Is years. Infantry units have
long existed at Georgetown, Howard
and Maryland Universities.
For some years prior to the war,
the AAF had no ROTC units. A
few, which had existed previously,
were abolished in the middle 30s.
TwO-Year Course Proposed.
The new program will consist of
two-year elementary course and
a tWo-year advanced course. lead
ing to a commission as second lieu
tenant in the Air Reserves, Gen.
Partridge said. Units at the three
universities in this area will provide
for the elementary course and the
first year advanced course.
Elementary students will receive
general instruction to give them
basic military knowledge. Those in
the advanced course will be taught
the background, tactical and tech
nical aspects of the Army Air Forces
during the third year of the pro-
gram. In the final year they will
receive specialized instructions to
qualify them for definite duty as
signments in the AAF, such as
communications, engineering orI
transportation officers.
Between the Junior and senior
year. Air ROTC students will at
tend a six-week summer camp and
put to practical application the
theory learned in school and receive
instruction in courses not offered on
the campus.
Not until the final year will the
Air students receive orientatiOn
flight training and qualified stu
dents who desire to enter AAF
flying schools will be checked at the
end of this period. Students OF
sufficient flying aptitude will receive
high priority for selection as stu
dent officers at the flying schools
Air ROTC graduates who try for
their wings will do so as commits
stoned officers and enter a training
program especially designed to avoid
repetition of instruction.
Officer Instructors Assigned.
Officer instructors are now being
assigned to the 76 colleges and
universities participating in the
program. Gen. Partridge said ap-
proximately 600 instructors will be
needed, 300 officers and 300 non-
commissioned officers They will be
qualified AAF personnel, most of
them with overseas combat expert
ence Those selected were graduated
from a special school at Perrin
Field, Sherman, Tex.
The program is open to all quail
flied college students and war vet
Grams may receive special benefits,
including credit for the first years
training If the veteran served at
least six months active duty in the
military service. Ole year or more
of military.service would permit him
to enter directly into the advanced
course.
Air ROTC students will be given
the same pay allowances as those
taking the infantry courses.