wwii army air corps training bases

The Lockheed C-69 transport (a military version of the Model 49 Constellation) makes its first flight at Burbank, Calif. June 26, 1945. This article incorporates public domain material from the .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Air Force Historical Research Agency. [1], In 1930, two more Departments were established at Chanute, the Department of Clerical Instruction and the Department of Armament. These installations did the same for subsequent replacement training centers. The school at Homestead Army Airfield, Florida was a four-engine transport school. It is announced that Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker will succeed Maj. Gen. Carl A. Spaatz as commander of USAAF's Eighth Air Force. There was no need for elaborate technical training because the majority of women, in contrast to the seventeen- and eighteen- year-old boys being inducted, had a usable skill before they enlisted, often in the highly prized clerical field. Oklahoma World War II Army Airfields - Major Airfields Major Airfields Army Air Forces Training Command Altus Army Airfield, Altus AAF Central Flying Training Command 2508th Army Air Forces Base Unit Now: Altus Air Force Base Chickasha Field, Chickasha AAF Central Flying Training Command 2549th Army Air Forces Base Unit "Knot" and "nautical mile" are adopted by the Army Air Forces and the Navy as standard aeronautical units of speed and distance. Feb. 15, 1928. [1], During World War II civilian flying schools, under government contract, provided a considerable part of the flying training effort undertaken by the United States Army Air Forces. The Nazi-occupied Abbey of Monte Cassino, Italy, is destroyed by 254 American B-17 crews, B-25 crews and B-26 crews attacking in two waves. The Base, called an Air Corps Cadet Replacement Training Center, later renamed the Santa Ana Army Air Base, was planned to accommodate 2,500 to 3,000 cadets, 83 officers and 806 enlisted men, and to cost about $3,200,000 to construct. The first shuttle bombing mission using Russia as the eastern terminus is flown. Fourteenth Air Force is formed under the command of Maj. Gen. Claire Chennault. RTUs were also under the jurisdiction of one of the four numbered air forces. [1], In 1977 the United States Congress finally granted benefits to the 850 remaining WASPs. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in California for training pilots and aircrews of USAAF fighters and bombers. Then on 15 December the enlarged western command absorbed Eastern Flying Training Command. In March 1942 Camp Sutton was established as an expanded temporary military facility for about 18,000 overflow troops from Fort Bragg. The Army Air Forces in World War II Volume VI: Men and Planes - ibiblio The prototype Consolidated XB-24 Liberator makes a 17-minute first flight from Lindbergh Field in San Diego, Calif., with company pilot Bill Wheatley at the controls. The majority were slated for administrative or instructional duties in the Army Air Forces, but there were others such as airline pilots who became Air Transport Command ferry pilots, under the wartime-era Service Pilot rating. This ultimately leads to the Bell X-1. Used by permission of the publisher. By Dec. 1941, the AAF had grown to 354,000 men (of whom 9,000 were pilots) as compared to 26,000 men (of whom 2,000 were pilots) in Sep. 1939. Army Air Forces Flying Training Command's mission was conducting the flying program for new Army pilot candidates and air cadets. Keep reading >> Part 4: Prisoners of War Held in North Carolina. As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. [1], After the first class of five pilots graduated, it took until July 1942 for enough black airmen to complete flight training for the squadron to reach full strength. The "Wilmington Army Airport" then swallowed up neighboring farms and houses, increasing its size to over 1,200 acres. Camp Mackall, dedicated on 1 May 1943 in memory of 22-year-old Pvt. - Water bottles (clear, sealed bottle, up to 20 oz.) Part 3: World War II Military Installations in the State, Tar Heels in WWII (from Tar Heel Junior Historian), American Indians in WWII (from Tar Heel Junior Historian), Part 2: North Carolina Contributions in Battle and on the Home Front, Part 4: Prisoners of War Held in North Carolina, https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/marker_photo.aspx?sf=c&id=I-17, https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=J-73%20-%20GREENSBORO%20O.R.D, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku2Bs1UzlRk&feature=plcp. Allied pilots fly approximately 15,000 sorties on D-Day. Keesler went to the western command. The Army Air Forces in World War II - Wikipedia Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Dec. 1, 1941. Link Trainer. This form was kept current throughout their career by the addition of pertinent information; it followed him wherever he went until he died in the service or was discharged, at which time the form was forwarded to the Adjutant General for permanent filing. The return trip to Langley Field, Va., is the longest nonstop flight in Air Corps history. It was typical of the AAF, with its long-cherished ideas of independence, to desire a separate women's corps completely independent of the women serving with other branches of the Army. Coming from all walks of life, they were molded into the most formidable Air Force the world had ever seen. This ultimately leads to the Bell X-1. It was always assumed they would become part of the Army when a proper place within the military organization could be found for them. Flight Training on the Eve of WWII Permitted Items: Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, Maverick County Memorial International Airport, Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport, "WWII Army Air Fields - Database Summary", "Army and Air Force Flying Fields in the USA", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Texas_World_War_II_Army_Airfields&oldid=1149679964, Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in Texas, Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in the United States by state, United States World War II army airfields, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 April 2023, at 19:14. These squadrons, and the 99th were formed into the 332d Fighter Group. Volunteers came from a variety of sources. [1], WAACs went through indoctrination training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa under Army Service Forces (ASF) auspices. They completed their training in French, British, and Italian schools in aircraft not available in the United States. "Hap" Arnold is named Chief of the Army Air Corps, succeeding Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover, who was killed in a plane crash September 21. In a functional arrangement which placed basic military and aviation mechanic training under one command and remaining specialties under another, the first district included Scott Field, Lowry Field, and Fort Logan; the second district was composed of Chanute Field, Keesler Field, Sheppard Field, and Jefferson Barracks. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues an Executive Order canceling existing air-mail contracts because of fraud and collusion. Many United States Air Force personnel have spent some of their military service being trained in Texas at fields originally built during World War II. [1], In April 1944 the Army Air Forces developed a new, temporary organization known as the Army Air Forces Base Unit (AAFBU), usually referred to as "AAF Base Units" to standardize unit designations assigned to bases, one for each base in the United States, with separate additional base units to provide personnel overhead for wings, regions, and higher echelons. [1], At one time or another during World War II, 64 contract schools conducted primary training, with a maximum of 56 schools operating at any one time. Its goal was to create an entirely voluntary force, preferably one consisting of experienced, three-year reenlistees. Flying from Benghazi, Libya, 158 B-17 crews and 112 B 24 crews carry out a morning raid. P-38 pilots from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, intercept and shoot down two Mitsubishi "Betty" bombers over Bougainville. Available from https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?ct=ddl&sp=search&k=Markers&sv=J-73%20-%20GREENSBORO%20O.R.D (accessed August 29, 2012). He had 40 confirmed victories. Brig. The former prepared students That problem was usually solved through the use of extra cushions and occasionally by switching them to another type of airplane. In addition to ferrying, the WASPs performed many other tasks such as glider and target towing, radar calibration flights, aircraft testing, and other noncombat duties to release male pilots for overseas action. Known as the British Flying Training School Program, it was unique among the programs the Air Corps offered to Allied nations inasmuch as the British dealt directly with the contractors and completely controlled all aspects of the flying training process. The Army Air Forces Tactical Center was a major command and military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.It trained cadres from newly formed units in combat operations under simulated field conditions around which new combat groups would be formed. However, it was discovered that facilities in the San Antonio area were insufficient to accommodate the number of cadets entering primary training. [1], While the preponderance of students trained in the United States during World War II were British, French, or Chinese, over 20 other nations also sent students. Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, head of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, flies in one of the B-17s. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding items permitted inside the museum. About 2.4 million men and women served in the AAF. 1945. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. The "Little Boy" (uranium) atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima from the B-29 Enola Gay, commanded by Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr. Also on this date, Maj. Richard I. Bong, America's all-time leading ace, is killed in a P-80 accident. On 1 July 1993, it was consolidated with Air University and became today's AETC, celebrating its 75th year of continuous service 23 January 2017. Around 600,000 of these were members of other branches, such as Engineers, Ordnance and Quartermaster. April 18, 1943. Anderson. Some belonged to training programs at their high schools or colleges, like the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and entered the military . South Carolina - Military Airfields in World War II [2], Training for non-rated offers was needed to relieve flying officers of their nonflying duties during the wartime expansion of the Air Corps and the Army Air Forces. Pictorial Histories Pub . Scott Field became the initial staff for Jefferson Barracks, and it, in turn, provided cadres to staff the replacement training centers at Keesler and Sheppard. [1], All men were tested during the recruit training and indoctrination period to determine their eligibility for assignment to meet the enlarged technical training goals. Cherry Point Marine Air Station provided training grounds for simulated landings and fighter pilots. Forty-seven B-29 crews based in India and staging through Chengdu, China, attack steel mills at Yawata in the first B-29 strike against Japan. "The Marianas Turkey Shoot", in two days of fighting, the Japanese lose 476 aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo), One of the greatest accomplishments of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II was the training of hundreds of thousands of flying and ground personnel for its air armada. The army and navy expanded runways, built hangars, and made other improvements. Six Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, under the command of Lt. Col. Robert Olds., leave Miami, Fla., on a goodwill flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eight Air Force bombers attack the Messerschmitt works at Regensburg, Germany, and ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt in a massive daylight raid. Re-designated on or about 15 March 1942, after the Army Air Forces became an autonomous arm of the United States Army. March 10, 1943. [1], By the end of 1945, only Perrin Field, Texas, and Tuskegee Field continued to provide basic pilot training. Rome is bombed for the first time. (U.S. Air Force photo), DAYTON, Ohio -- Link Trainer on display in the World War II Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) Weapons, Winning Their Wings: Advanced Flying School, Forging Combat Pilots: Transition Training, USAF Historical Study No. After completion of individual training, pilots were given eight to twelve weeks of training as a team in new combat groups using the same aircraft they would use in combat. - Firearms* "Tooey" Spaatz and including Capt. - Food and Soda Drinks Gen. Haywood "Possum" Hansell as commander of XXI Bomber Command in the Mariana Islands. This page is not available in other languages. For many this event marked 25 years of determined effort to include blacks in military aviation. The education and training stages were 9 weeks each. [1], Requirements in the combat theaters for graduates of technical training schools and even pilots proved to be smaller than initially expected, so the Army Air Forces reduced the size of these training programs in January 1944. the Central Technical Training Command in St. Louis was discontinued 1 March 1944. The Charlotte Quartermaster Depot, part of the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army, opened on 15 May 1941 to supply bases in the Carolinas with items ranging from toothbrushes and bar soap to M1 Garand rifles and gun oil. Frank Whittle bench-tests the first practical jet engine in laboratories at Cambridge University, England. Mediterranean Allied Air Forces fly 1,200 sorties in support of Operation Shingle, the amphibious landings at Anzio, Italy. France had fallen in 1940, the British had retreated from Dunkirk at the same time, and the Germans had not yet reneged on the HitlerStalin non-aggression pact of 1939. Developed in only 143 days, the prototype Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star, Lulu Belle, makes its first flight at Muroc Dry Lake (later Edwards AFB), Calif., with Milo Burcham at the controls. Dec. 17, 1944. March 1-9, 1928. Contract schools opened soon after. Under the command of Capt Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the 99th remained at Tuskegee and received additional training to prepare for combat. [2], In 1935 efforts to change this arrangement began, but the real change occurred in 1939 when the Army proposed that each component arm and service set up their own enlisted replacement centers. It took all the interpreters the Air Corps could muster to support the training programs for the Chinese. Copyright 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. It is an effort unprecedented in concentration and size. Several of these bases remained active after the war ended. At Keesler, basic training lasted four weeks, during which classifiers determined the type of follow on schooling that each recruit would receive. That fall the Technical Training Command activated two more basic training centers at Keesler Field, Mississippi, and Sheppard Field, Texas, where the command already had mechanic schools. Lt. Julian S. Dexter of the Air Corps Reserve completes a 3,000-square-mile aerial mapping assignment over the Florida Everglades. June 19-20, 1944. Winning Their Wings: Advanced Flying School The field had served as a civilian airport until the day after Pearl Harbor, when the Army Air Corps moved in-two squadrons of army P-40 pursuit planes had already been stationed at the airfield to defend the area from enemy bombers-and banned civilian flying. Pendleton Field - The Oregon Encyclopedia Aug. 1, 1943. Feb. 3, 1945. As a result, the Army Air Forces was created on June 20, 1941 to provide a unity of command over the Air Corps and AF Combat Command. Oct. 15, 1937. These Commands were organized along functional missions. Recruits who were classified as possible flying personnel were sent to one of the three preflight and classification centers of the Flying Training Commands (Eastern, Central or Western) for further classification as a flying air cadet for, bombardier, navigator or flexible gunner training. A group of officers and enlisted men from [1], AAF policy did not prevent specialist training for women who would benefit by it or were highly qualified for it; in fact, the AAF early opened to women virtually its entire roster of job specialties and schools. From December 1941 to July 1944 the air station recovered or assisted 186 persons. In late 1944 the station adjusted its mission to air-to-sea rescue. Before that time, however, the trend in training had gone increasingly toward specialized training on particular types of aircraft. By early November 1941, students were entering technical training at the rate of 110,000 per year, and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the student flow rose sharply: 13,000 men entered technical training schools in January 1942 and 55,000 in December 1942. Dec. 4, 1942. The chronology was compiled by Jeffrey P. Rhodes, a former Aeronautics Editor of Air Force Magazine. Click here to return to the World War IIGallery. Almost 14,000 P-40s will be built before production ends in 1944. [1], The WASPs flew all types of military aircraft, including AT-6 Texan, AT-10 Wichita, AT-11 Kansan, and BT-13 Valiant trainers; C-47 Skytrain, C-54 Skymaster, and C-60 Lodestar transports; A-25 Shrike (SB2C Helldiver) and A-26 Invader attack aircraft; B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, TB-26 Marauder, and B-29 Superfortress bombers; P-38 Lightning, P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang fighters. The Army Air Forces in World War II is a seven-volume work describing the actions of the U.S. Army Air Corps (from June 1941, the U.S. Army Air Forces) between January 1939 and August 1945.It was published between 1948 and 1958 by the University of Chicago Press under the auspices of the Office of Air Force History. V-E Day. Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, head of Mediterranean Allied Air Forces, flies in one of the B-17s. David A. Stallman, A History of Camp Davis (1990). Army Air Forces World War II Combat Operations Reports, 1941-1946, also known as "Mission Reports," are located at the National Archives at College Park, MD in the Records of the Army Air Forces (Record Group 18). Even then, the Army was not ready to send black pilots overseas. The WASP was formed in August 1943 from two earlier, relatively independent programs for women pilots: Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD). The Asheville Naval Convalescent Hospital, where 6,663 sailors and patients from Holland, Great Britain, France, and China were treated, opened on 23 May 1943 in the 225-room Appalachian Hall in Kenilworth Park. Lt. Gen. H.H. Dec. 5, 1943. The return trip to Langley Field, Va., is the longest nonstop flight in Air Corps history. July 4, 1942. All World War II Army aviation training and combat units were in the AAF. The federal government deactivated the base shortly after the war and eventually deeded the property to the towns of Laurinburg and Maxton; by the mid-1950s the former military base had become an industrial park. Entrance requirements remained essentially the same as those for the WAFS, except the age requirement was dropped from 21 to 18, and the flight experience was set at only 200 hours. Arizona World War II Army Airfields | Military Wiki | Fandom Trainers used were primarily Fairchild PT-19s, PT-17 Stearmans and Ryan PT-22s, although a wide variety of other types could be found at the airfields. The unit was called the WFTD, or among the women it was known as the "Woofteddies". Throughout 1942, the need for combat crew personnel far exceeded the current and contemplated production of the command's flying training schools. An official website of the United States government, National Museum of the United States Air Force. Camp Mackall, NC Historical Marker I-34, NC Office of Archives & History, Camp Davis, NC Historical Marker C-64, NC Office of Archives & History, Camp Butner, NC Historical Marker G-105, NC Office of Archives & History, Fort Bragg, NC Historical Marker I-17, NC Office of Archives & History, Camp Sutton, NC Historical Marker L-67, NC Office of Archives & History, Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, NC Historical Marker K-63, NC Office of Archives & History, Overseas Replacement Depot in Greensboro, NC Historical Marker J-73, NC Office of Archives & History. Finally, on 21 March 1941, the Air Corps activated the 99th Pursuit Squadron, which became the first squadron of what became the renowned Tuskegee Airmen. The Northrop MX-324, the first U.S. rocket-powered airplane, is flown for the first time by company pilot Harry Crosby at Harper Dry Lake, Calif. - Box cutters Camp Lejeune, a marine base in Jacksonville, housed training facilities for the "devil dogs" canine corps. President Coolidge signs a bill authorizing acceptance of a new site near San Antonio, Texas, to become the Army Air Corps training center. This was a relatively simple operation, considering that the primary glider consisted of little more than a shell, equipped with radio, wheels, and brakes. WWII Military Unit Records at the National Archives - Army and Air Eighth Air Force's 78th Fighter Group claims the destruction of an Me-262, the first jet to be shot down in combat. As they completed the required phases of training, individuals and crews were drawn from the RTU and given deployment orders overseas to their assigned group in the combat areas.[2]. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. In fact, bills were introduced in Congress to give them military rank, but even with General Arnold's support, all efforts failed to absorb the WASPs into the military. April 23, 1945. Eighth Air Force conducts the second raid on the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt, Germany. In preparation for that event, also in June, the Officer Candidate School transferred from the aviation cadet center to Maxwell Field, Alabama. One of the greatest accomplishments of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II was the training of hundreds of thousands of flying and ground personnel for its air armada. It also includes old Lowry missile silos, and old navigational beacon. Eventually the 72-acre site featured 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space and 400,000 square feet of open ground. An official website of the United States government. On 24 March 1945, while escorting B-17 Flying Fortresses during a raid on a tank factory in Berlin, the 332d's pilots downed three German jet fighters. Basic military general orders, military conduct, close order and open order drill. By the fall of 1931, construction was essentially completed, so the Air Corps Training Center at Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas adjacent to Kelly Field and the primary schools at Brooks and March moved to the new installation. Feb. 15, 1944. U.S. Army Air Corps is organized. May 9, 1945. Historic California Posts: Santa Ana Army Air Base The planes land at Russian bases. As a result, the Germans will disperse their ball-bearing manufacturing, but the cost of the raid is high; 60 of the 291 B-17s launched do not return, 138 more are damaged. [1], When the Air Corps began to lay its plans for expansion in the fall of 1938, one of its major tasks was the provision of facilities for the additional thousands of men to be trained in (1) basic military courtesies, customs and traditions, to include classification of personnel for advanced training. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Florida World War II Army Airfields | Military Wiki | Fandom Radio operators were centrally trained at Scott Field, Illinois. [1], Public Law 554 on 15 May 1942 created a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps for service with the Army of the United States. American losses are 130 planes. Fifteenth Air Force crews close the Brenner Pass between Italy and Austria. Feb. 20, 1944. Training came in five stages. The Northrop MX-324, the first U.S. rocket-powered airplane, is flown for the first time by company pilot Harry Crosby at Harper Dry Lake, Calif. Napalm incendiary bombs are dropped for the first time by American P-38 pilots on a fuel depot at Coutances, near St Lo, France. Staging from Benghazi, 177 Ninth Air Force B-24s drop 311 tons of bombs from low level on the ail refineries at Ploesti, Romania, during Operation Tidal Wave. [1], Graduates of advanced training schools were commissioned as Second Lieutenants and awarded their "Wings" (Pilot, Bombardier, Navigator, Gunner). - Strollers Developed in only 143 days, the prototype Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star, Lulu Belle, makes its first flight at Muroc Dry Lake (later Edwards AFB), Calif., with Milo Burcham at the controls. Goodfellow's last primary class transferred to Randolph Field to finish training. In April 1943 the unit deployed to French Morocco in North Africa. On 27 September 1947, Air Training Command became a major command of the United States Air Force. Forty-nine aircraft are lost, and seven others land in Turkey. [1], By mid-1943, the basic training mission declined in size because requirements for technical training centers were being met. Army Air Forces Training Command - Wikipedia Simultaneously, the headquarters of Eastern Technical Training Command moved from Greensboro, North Carolina, to St Louis. William A. Angwin was its commanding officer until the convalescent home closed on 10 Apr. It is also the longest major bombing mission to date in terms of distance from base to target. This is the first known use of automatic homing missiles during World War II. The program was divided in to stages including primary, advanced and specific classification such as pursuit, twin engine and multi-engine. The Officer Candidate School began as a 12-week course, but it expanded to 16 weeks in 1943. The rate of expansion of housing and training facilities, instructors, as well as the procurement of aircraft and other equipment, though at a breakneck pace, constrained the rate of increase of production. AAFTC was created as a result of the merger of the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command and the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command on 31 July 1943. The first mission of "Big Week"--six days of strikes by Eighth Air Force (based in England) and Fifteenth Air Force (based in Italy) against German aircraft plants--is flown. Late in the war it was also the home of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the only combat unit of paratroopers composed of black soldiers. German fighters down 60 of the 376 American aircraft. The amount of available land and the temperate climate made Texas a prime location for year-round military training. Aug. 6,1945. On 20 December 1944, the Army Air Forces, citing the changing combat situation, disbanded the WASP program.

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