Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/54

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 LeqMaton Durzng he 'ar 'ears single department bills and four independ- ent air department bills) were introduced in Congress, but they failed to receive hear- mgsJ Although Congress did not yet take legislative action on unification and a co- ordinate air arm, opimon inside of Congress as well as that of the general pubhc was moving rapxdly to favor such legislation. Tbo only strong oppomton came from the Navy. '1'o point up the whole issue Presddent Truman spoke forcefully m favor of umfi- carton in his message to Congress on 19 December 1945. He emphasized the unsatis- factory nature of the prewar military and naval organization, pointing out the nu- merous improvisations necessary to secure coordination and urnfled actran dunng the war. He saxd, "... it is now time to take stock, to dscard obsolete orgamzational forms and to prowde for the future the soundest, the most effectxve, and the most economical kind of structure for our armed forces of which the most powerful Nation is capable." He also insisted on parity for air power, declanng: "Par power has been developed to a point where its responsxbili- ties are equal to those of land and sea power, and its contribution to our strateguc planning is as great .... Parity for ar power can be achieved m one department or in three, but not m two. "½ For the first time in the hstory of Ameri- can awation the commander4n-chief of the armed forces had taken a deftrote stand n favor of an independent air arm. His message gave considerable stimulus to the already strong movement m the direction of a consolidation in which axr power would be recognized as coordinate with the ground and sea forces, a movement whmh led in two years to the adoption of the National Security Act of 1947. PERSONNEL LEGISLATION One of the great problems of the war years was the procurement of pilots. The passage of the Aviation Cadet Act and the Aviation Student Act, which have been discussed m the preceding chapter, had am thorizod two dfferent groups of gradu- ates--commmsioned d erdisted from the Par Corps training centers. By the begin- ning of 1942, however, the need for priors had resulted in the removal of educatiouaI quahficatmns for the appointment of avia- ton cadets. The removal of age differences between the two groups, done t about the same tme, placed the two classes of traknoes practxcally on a parity vath each other, with the exception of their career opportumtes following graduatmn Now the problem was how to deal wth those graduates among cnhsted men who were good officer materre1 and those graduated cadets who did not have the qualificatmns for a corramson. The solution seemed to be the creation of a new grade2 s Early m 194P. the AAF commanding gen- eral directed that legislation be prepared prowdrag for the rank of flight officer. A draft was prepared in the Directorate of Legislative Planning, AAF, and after cer- tain rowsruns it was approved by the Sec- retary of War and the Bureau of the Budget  On 19 May 1942 Secreta7 of Wa Stunson submitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives a draft of a bill which was entitled "an Act to crea(e the tulle of Flight Officer m the Army Air Forces, to amend the Aviafinn Cadet Act, and for other purposes" Mr Stimson stated that the bill was designed to provide a uni- form system of trmning in the AAF. Congress enacted the bill vath no changes and t became Pubhc Law 658, 77 Cong., 2 Sees. on 8 July 1942.  By this act Con- gress created in the AAF the grade of flight officer. Flight officers were to have the rank, pay, and allowances provided for a warrant officer, junior grade This act sus- pended, for the duratmn of the war and six months thereafter, Section S of the Army Awatmn Cadet Act except for per- sons already enlisted or appointed as avia- tion cadets prior to the date of the enact. ment of this legislation. Section 3 of the Army Aviation Cadet Act had specified that graduates of the Aviatmn Cadet course were obhgated to accept commmsions as second heutenants in the Air Corps Reserve. Under the terms of the Fhght Officer Act, pilots who completed thee training suc- THIS PAGE Declassified lAW EO12958