Evening star., 1947-10-02
Air Force Command
Revamped 10 Select
Best Men for Jobs
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
The Air Force has revamped
its command to fit its new inde-
pendent status and promoted 13
high officers in the process.
Secretary of Air Symington and
Gen. Carl Spaatz, air chief of staff,
told news conference late yester-
day that the reorganization is in
tended to increase efficiency, "pick
the best man for the job" and give
added stature to various commands:
1t. Gen. Hoyt S. vandenberg was
appointed vice chief of staff under
Gen. Spaatz and promoted to full
general. The air force now has
four four-star generals, Gen. Eisell-
hover and Gen. Macarthur.
The promotions, all temporary
and all of recess character, re-
quire Senate confirmation. They
were announced at the White House
by President Truman.
NcW ASSIS umcnCS Listed.
The new assignments and promo
tions include:
Gen. McNarney, now air force
member of the military staff of the
United Nations, appointed COM
manding general of the Air Material
Command at Wright Field, Ohio.
1t. Gen. Nathan F. Twining pres
emily commander at Wright Field,
appointed theater commander in
Alaska, in control of all ground and
air forces there.
Maj. Gen. Lauris Norstad, now
director of plans and operations in
the Army, to be deputy chief of staff
for operations of the Air Force with
the rank of lieutenant general (He
will transfer back to the Air Force as
soon as is convenient for the Army
Maj. Gen. Curtis E. Lemay, deputy
chief of staff for research and de-
velopment, to be commander Of
air forces in Europe with the rank
of lieutenant general.
Maj. Gen. Idwal H. Edwards, for
mer European air theater COM
mander, to be deputy chief of staff
for personnel with the rank of lieu
tenant general.
Maj. Gen. Howard A. Craig, pres
ent commander of the Alaskan de-
partment, to be in charge of ma
terial with the rank of lieutenant
general.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin w. Chidlaw,
deputy commander for material,
promoted to lieutenant general.
Maj. Gen. Elwood r. Quesada,
chief of the Tactical Air Command
with headquarters at Langley Field,
Va, promoted to lieutenant general.
Maj. Gen. Edwin w. Rallings, air
controller, promoted to lieutenant
general.
Maj. Gen. Hubert r. Harmon,
now commander of the Caribbean
Air Defense, to be Air Force member
of the U. N. military staff.
Brig. Gen. Franklin o. Carroll,
director Of research at the Wright
Field Air Materiel Field Command,
promoted to major general.
Brig. Gen. Joseph H. Atkinson,
commander Of air in Alaska, pro-
NOTED to major general.
Three Colonels Promoted.
Three colonies were promoted
to brigadier generals-Edward' H.
White, assistant air controller; John
B. Montgomery, executive officer for
Secretary Symington, and Horace A.
Shepard, director of procurement at
Wright Field.
The news conference revealed
that guided missiles have become a
function of the operations division
of the Air Force. Gen. Spaatz told
questioners that this does not indi-
cate guided missiles have reached
the point of operational use, but
that their research and develop
ment has gone far enough so that
we have got to get them under study
right now" looking to their eventual
use in combat.
Asked about the strength OF the
Air Force, Gen. Spaatz said postwar
rehabilitation reduced it to prac-
tically no effective combat groups.
The budget now in effect provides
for 55 groups at peacetime strength
with Is others of skeleton strength
Two Types of Jets in Use.
Gen. Spaatz said there are "a
combat groups he would consider at
effective strength and that by 1.-The
turn of the year we anticipate we
will have the SIS effective groups"
The air fleet now used, Gen
Spaatz said, includes two types OF
Jet fighters, P-80 and P-84; BIS
and very new B-5O, heavy bomb
ers; medium bombers of the A-26
type to be gradually replaced by
the jet type"
When the effective strength OF
the combat units is reached, Gen
Spaatz said, it should give the
United States an air force equal to
or better than any in the world. u
He added that it probably will be
greater in strength; in training and
ability to operate, think it will be
far superior"
Anchorage, Alaska, was founded
In 1914 as a construction camp for
~. L. Doi1rnoI