Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/77

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 sistent with the provisions of the Air Force Organization Act of 1951, were repealed.  Section 402 of Title IV s worthy of note in that it contained the only prows/on n- cluded in the Air Force Organization Act for the express purpose of amending the National Security Act of 1947. It provided that the National Security Act should be amended by striking out the words mand over the United State Air Force" m Section 208 (b) thereof, and substituting œor them the words "command over the air defense command, the strategic air mand, the tactical air command, and such other major commands as may be estab- hshed by the Secretary under seetach 308- (a) oi the Air Force Organmatron Act of 1951, and shall have supervision over all other members and organization. of the Air Force."7 The amendment was, of course, for the purpose of removing any conflict between the two ac in defining the command authority oi the Chief of Staff of the USAF. Section 407 oi Tstle provided that no other part of the Air Force Organization Act other than section 402 should be construed as amending, repeal- ing, or m any way changing any provision of [he National Security Act of 1947 as amended.7 As for the remainder of Title III, it consisted of the usual saving provisions. The Air Force Organizahon Act of 1951 can be said to have completed the process œ creating a separate air arm with a sell- sufficient organizational structure estab- lished on a sound statutory basis. This act supplemented the National Security Act in that it provided the ,Mr Force wxth a much more detailed organizational structure than that prescribed by the National Se- curity Ac. The Air Force Organizatmn Act also closed a legal gap which had resulted from the fac that under the terms of the National Security Act the Secretary of De- fense had not had the authority to transer laws from the Army to the ,Mr Force. Ac~ tuaI!y, the Air Force Organization Act in large measure confirmed the Air Force set- up as it had developed under the transfer orders.  Although the ,Mr Force Organation Act 9rovided a more detafied organizational set- up for the USAF, it allowed for sufficient administrative fiexibihty. The number of statutory officers, both rmhtary and civil- ian, was held to a minimum. Only three statutory commands were set up and the Secretary of the Air Force was given au- thority to set up other commands as the situation demanded in time of war. Con- sequently, the Air Force did not have its freedom of action limited by a rigid organi. zatmnal structure enforced by statutory law. The USAF concept is one of a fired or- ganization rather than oi a nõid statutory organization which cannot easily be re- shuffled for greater effimencyY  There were also some other significant features of this act whmh are worthy of mention. It reaffirmed the authonty of the Secretary of the Air Force to administer the Department and the Air Force, subject to the provisions of the National Security Act as amended, and to the constitutional powers of the President. It firmly main- rained the pnnciple of civilian control over the military forces. so That provision of the act establishing the Tactical Air Command answered to those who questioned whether or not the USAF was making sufficient pro- wsion /or the aerial support of ground troops on the front lines. Although a tac- tical command already existed, it was with- out legal status. It was hoped that this legislation which required hc USAF to maintain a tactical air command would sidetrack dispute over aerial support of the ground forces.  Thus, by the fa11 of 1951, the process of unification and reorganization had resulted in the establishment of a separate and co- ordinate USAF with complete .ktatutory au- thorization for its organization and opera- tion. The USAF had been recognized as one of the three essential components of our modern military establishment. THIS PAGE'eclassified lAW EO12958