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GENERAL BENJAMIN O DAVIS

units.  Colonel james C Cochran from Alabama commands the Group and acts as Deputy to General Davis.

The Air Task Force is a subordinate of the 13th Air Force whose Hqrs
are in the Phillipines.  The Task Force Commander exercises operational control over the U S Air Force units attached or assigned to Forces.  General Davis keeps his Force at a constant state of readiness, this being his primary duty ready for offensive or defensive tactical tasks.  He is himself a jet pilot and the Squadrons sent over to Formosa periodically are jet Fighters or Fighter/Bombers.  No strategic air squadrons for long range bombing into China form part of this Air Task Force.  General Davis' job is to defend Formosa and the Pescaderes [[??]] in accordance with the Treaty obligations which Foster Dulles signed with Chiang Kei Shek - the Mutual Defense Treaty of March 3rd 1955.

There is a joint planning and training with the Chinese at Central Hqrs for Taiwan (Formosa).  There is a joint operations centre and joint air control centre.  This brings into function also the U S Military Aid Advisory Group and Chinese Army Leaders.

From September 3rd 1955 the U S Far East Air Force 18th Fighter/Bomber Wing commenced deploying from Okinawa to Taiwan where pilots and ground crews experienced 30 days intensive training.  Three Squadrons of P-S6F [[?]] 'Sabrejeis' commenced training from temporary bases in South Taiwan and when I last visited them they proved able to place their Fighter patrols in the air within 4 minutes of a Squadron's arrival.  They move everything in by air including the immense gasoline trucks and operate independently of the fuel pipe line which now provides fuel on tap from a port to all Chiang's airfields.