Roots and Creation Roots and Creation of the U.S. Air Forceof the U.S. Air ForceRoots and Creation Roots and Creation of the U.S. Air Forceof the U.S. Air Force

Lesson OverviewLesson OverviewLesson OverviewLesson Overview

Air power before there was an ‘Air Force’ The predecessors to the US Air Force The Air Force’s path toward

independence

Air power before ‘Air Force’Air power before ‘Air Force’Air power before ‘Air Force’Air power before ‘Air Force’

Air Force birthday: Sep 18, 1947Before then, there

was no U.S. Air Force; only U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard

Pre-Air ForcePre-Air ForcePre-Air ForcePre-Air Force

But air power had a long role in the U.S. military for decades prior to 1947

What was the first war that featured air power? Civil War

1845 1850 1860 1870 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 1910 1915 19201845 1850 1860 1870 1880 1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 1910 1915 1920

Civ

il W

ar

First powered airplane flightHow can this be?

BalloonsBalloonsBalloonsBalloons

What were they used for?

E N S I N O E R C N A S A CR E C O N N A I S S A N C E

Air Power in the U.S. militaryAir Power in the U.S. military Air Power in the U.S. militaryAir Power in the U.S. military

1907-1918: The U.S. military’s air power belonged to the Aviation Section of U.S. Army’s Signal CorpsStarted with balloons and

added airplanes later Why the Signal Corps?

CommunicationsAir power was at first viewed

strictly as an information-gathering utility

How was information How was information passed down to the ground?passed down to the ground?

How was information How was information passed down to the ground?passed down to the ground?

Cameras Dropped messages Colored flares Aircraft maneuvers Radios And… pigeons

Air power in World War IAir power in World War IAir power in World War IAir power in World War I

But soon, missions went beyond reconnaissanceShooting down enemy

balloons and aircraft‘Dogfighting’ enemy

airplanesDropping munitions on

enemy

Creation of the Creation of the Army Air ServiceArmy Air ServiceCreation of the Creation of the

Army Air ServiceArmy Air Service

Despite air power’s combat roles, it remains buried in the Signal Corps

That changes when President Woodrow Wilson uses his executive powers to create the Army Air Service in May 1918

A combat arm of the Army (1918-1926) Equal to Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery

This change gave the Air Service more control, but it still answered to the Army

Insignia of the Air Service

Air Service Wants MoreAir Service Wants MoreAir Service Wants MoreAir Service Wants More

But funds were in short supply after WW 1 Congress no longer emphasized national

defense After all, WW1 was known at the time as the … ‘War to End All Wars’

As a result, the Army was tightfisted in how much money it gave to the Air Service

This only increased the Air Service’s desire for independence… equal to the Army and Navy

U.S. MilitaryU.S. Military

NAVYNAVY ARMYARMY

InfantryInfantry CavalryCavalry ArtilleryArtillery Air ServiceAir Service

AIRAIRFORCEFORCE

Brig Gen Billy MitchellBrig Gen Billy MitchellBrig Gen Billy MitchellBrig Gen Billy Mitchell

Brig Gen Billy Mitchell WW1 Army Air Service

general; most prominent advocate of air power

Believed air power would be crucial to winning future wars

Would be easier to direct air power if the Air Service were equal in stature to the Army and Navy

An independent service would also get a larger share of government money

U.S. Department of WarU.S. Department of WarU.S. Department of WarU.S. Department of War

The US Department of War disagreed with Mitchell

It believed in a three-pronged national defense, based on…

the Navy’s battle fleet

the Navy’s coastal defenses

the Army’s coastal defenses

Another name change Another name change and status elevationand status elevation

Another name change Another name change and status elevationand status elevation

In 1926, an act of Congress elevated the Air Service to the Army Air Corps

This was a compromise between advocates of a separate military service and traditionalists who believed air power existed only to support ground operations

Why is a ‘Corps’ better than a ‘Service’? It boosts the idea that the air arm is no

longer only in ‘service’ to ground troops… merely providing ‘service’ to the ground troops

The Army Air CorpsThe Army Air CorpsThe Army Air CorpsThe Army Air Corps

The Air Corps could conduct independent missions

By definition, a corpscorps is a branch or department of the armed forces having a specialized function

The Army Air Corps’ ‘specialized function’ was force projection from the air

Can anyone name another ‘corps’ of the U.S. military?

U.S. Marine Corps Does anyone know the Marine Corps’ ‘specialized

function’? Force projection from the sea

Aircraft DevelopmentAircraft DevelopmentAircraft DevelopmentAircraft Development

B-17

P-35

P-36

Another name changeAnother name changeAnother name changeAnother name change

The Army Air Corps officially became the Army Air Forces on 20 June 1941

The new Air Force remained under the command of the Army

But it could now oversee its own functions in combat, training, and maintenance

The war The war afterafter the ‘War to End All Wars’the ‘War to End All Wars’

The war The war afterafter the ‘War to End All Wars’the ‘War to End All Wars’

What was it?World War 2

Air power’s role was prominent in WW2 Bombing, dog-fighting, recon, transport,

troop-dropping, close-ground support

The argument for an independent Air Force could no longer be ignored

The National Security Act of 1947The National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947The National Security Act of 1947

In July 1947, President ______________ signed into law the National Security Act of 1947

Created the U.S. Air Force (finally independent of the Army)

Also created the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Agency

ReviewReviewReviewReview

In what war did air power first appear?The Civil War

What was the main role of air power in that war?Reconnaissance

The air arm of the U.S. military originally belonged to what branch of the Army?Signal Corps

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In addition to reconnaissance, what was air power used for in WW1?Shooting down other side’s aircraft, dropping

explosives Why was money for military aircraft in short supply?

The ‘War to End All Wars’ was over Woodrow Wilson uses executive power to create

what?Army Air Service

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Who believed U.S. airpower would be crucial to winning future wars and strongly advocated a separate Air Force?Billy Mitchell

What name replaced Army Air Service?Army Air Corps

What name change followed Air Corps?Army Air Forces

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In what war was air power so decisive that it led to creation of an independent Air Force?World War 2

What legislative act created the Air Force?The National Security Act of 1947