Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/37

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 August 1939, $4,000,000 was made available for the CAA civil pilot trmnmg program2  and $5,000,000 more was made available by the Independent Offices Appropriation Act of April 18, 1940, On the urging of Presx- dent Roosevelt, who wanted to increase the program in order to train 50,000 volunteer pilots, Congress appropriated $32,000,000 to be used for the CAA ciwlian prior training program by the F/rs Supplemental tional Defense Appropriation Act, approved 26 June 19402" Largely through CAA train- hag the number of civilian pilots m the United States ose from 26,000 in 1939 to 41,006 in 1940, and to 62,277 m 19412  In the winter of 1940 Congress gave fur- ther aid to the mvilian contract schools wh/ch were training flying cadets under the provisions of the act of ApriI 3, 1939. This was accomplished by a provision of the Emergency Supplemental Appropma- lion Act of February 12, 1940 which author- izod the Secretary of War to sell to civihan flying schools, at cost, the spare parts and accessories necessary for the repair and maintenance of Army planes furrushed to them for training purposes2 The expansion of the Ar Corps training program also necessitated a great expan- sion of training œacilitms. On 14 March 1941 the War Department directed the Air Corps to complete the 54-group program as soon as poeruble and immedmtely thereafter to undertake an expansion to 84 combat groups wath 7,79 tactreal aircraft. On 18 February 1941 the Ch:ef of Staff directed the Chief of the Air Corps to ncrease pilot training to 30,000 per year and technician training to 100,000 per year. " To attmn these training goals the Air Corps had to provide new tramhag amhhes to accomodate the greatly increased num- ber of students. For the 30,000-prior expan- sion, the OCAC, which had begun planning for this program in 1940, omginaHy esti- mated that 36 additional flying school units, including 3 new gunnery schools units and an additional 6 replacement cen- ter units, would be needed. The units were subsequently allocated to 20 new flying fields, ! new gunnery school, and I replace- ment center. Funds for the flying school and replacement units were included in the budget estimate and appropriated m legis- lation approved 5 April 194!.z By this legis- lation funds were also made available for the completion of 2 new techmca! training stations to be used m the 100,000-techni- man expansionJ " The authorization for more training and combat axrcraft also re- quired more air depots to carry on repair and maintenance, in addition to the six operating or under construction in Janu- ary 1941. Brig. Oen. George H. Brett, Act- mg Chief of the Air Corps, requested funds for three more depots and the Fourth Sup- plementa Natonm Defense Act, approved 17 March 1941, made available $45,000,000 for the purpose of building these depots. On 5 April 1941 the Air Corps rectared an appropriation of $14,000,000 for the con- structional of two additional air depotsJ o' Training expansion and the expanmon of tactics1 units nvolved also the acqmsRion of new bases and additional gunnery and bombing ranges. Many of the bases were acquired through the agency of the Civil Aeronautics Administration which had re- ceived $40,000,000 from Congress in Octo- ber 1940 wth whmh to construct, Improve, and repair not more than 250 public air- ports to be designated by the Secretaries of War and Navy. By March 1941 a list of first priority airdromes had been agreed upon by the Army, Navy, and the CAA, and all the funds allocated. To meet pressing needs Congress appropriated an addtxona! $94,000,000 to the CAA in June 1941, and m- creased the number of airports to be m- improved to 399. On 25 August 1941 the CAA received an additional $5,500,000 to round out arport development already started , Funds to burial the miIitary housing and technical faclhtles at fields acquired through the CAA were made available by the regular military appropriation acts and the supplemental and deficiency appropria- tions in 1940 and 1941. Finally, on 17 De- cembar 1941, Congress enacted legislation which included a total appropriahon of $?9,371,25 for Air Corps construction, and the CAA was given $59,115,300 with which to develop 105 addtmnal airports m fulfill- THIS PAGE Declasstried lAW EO12958