Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/59

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 $2  U.m. I-STORICAL STUI)IES Leõisliio Dtrig ihe War Ygar, kinds, mechanics, telephone operators, tele- graphers, crytographers, drivers, and nu- merous other obs. They released many men from these assignments thereby making them available for duty overseas and in combat areas. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE AAF The AJ played an active pert m pushg a major part of the legislaton discussed m this chapter; it initiated legaslation it con- sidered necessary and opposed legislation conmdered injurious to the effectiveness of the AAF in the war effort. Close hamon was maretinned with Congress although it was necessary to go through War Depart- ment channels m handling legislative mat- tore. After the reorganization of 1941, and the establishraent of the Army Air Forces, legis- lative matters concerning the AAF were handled for short periods by the Legislative Planning Dvlsion, Office of the Air Judge Advocate, and by other legislative service organizetrans m an interval marked by fre- quent organizational changes involving the transfer of legislative duties.  In 1943 the Legrelative Planning Division was inacti- vated and the Office of Legislature Services was established in Headquarters, AAF. It was to coordinate and have general super- vision of all legislative matters within the AAF, subject to War Department Procure- ment Regulation No. 1, Sectran V. Ths of- rice was under the general supervision and coordination of the Legislative and Lmlson Divimon, War DepartmontY  In the early planrang for the postwar Air Force m 1944 it was proposed that the Office of Legisla- tive Planning on the proposed general staff should have essentmlly the same functions as were at that time exercised by the Legis- lative and Liaisor Dwsicn of the War De- partment. tt was planned that the legis- latve office of the new (and separate) U.S. Air Force should have essentially the same functions as the exLsting AAF Office of Leg- islative Services.  Postwar planning, of course, involved pIanning and drafting legislatmn wth which to implement the policies and ob jectives set up for the Air Force. A memo- randurn sent from Headquarters, AAF, m the spring of 1945 dealt rather exhaustively with plans for the Air Force and proposed that the following items be considered. s 1) The drafting of legislation to provide a O-group postwar AAF. 2) Making pohcy decisions so that legis- ]ation could be drafted and presented to Congress in acceptable form on the follow- ing points: a) Organization and personnel strength of the AAF; b) Extent to which AAF units would be kept to T/O strength; c) Extent to which reserves and cvil- lan personnel were to be used to man the postwar Air Force; d) Mmntenance of a 70-group KAF at war strength xth emphasis on the fact that the United States would be the prune target of the eggres. sot in World War III; e) Plans for National Guard and re- serve training. A consideration of the internataonal situ- ation which developed after World War II indicates that these tems wez'e well worth consideration. The course of Azr Force de- velopmeat in the postwar years (1946-51) makes it evident, however, that full imple- mentation of a 70-group Air Force program dd not come untd the threat of Busman Cornmumsm to our national security carne so obvious that it could no be ig- nored. THIS PAGE Declassified lAW EO12958