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ALF/ath

Appropriations

February 11, 1921.

MEMORANDUM for Director of War Plans Division, General Staff:

SUBJECT: Hearings on the Army Appropriation Bill before the Senate Military Affairs Committee.

1. [[underlined]] CONTROLLING CONSIDERATIONS [[underlined]]:

(1) The Air Force is the first branch of the Army to come in contact with the enemy on land or in seacoast defenses.

(2) An Air Force cannot be improvised.

(3) The Air Service is the most expensive branch of the Army to maintain. The period of usefulness of the materiel[[material]] and personnel is very much limited.  These conditions indicate the desirability of reducing to the lowest practicable minimum the permanent Air Service flying personnel providing the bulk of flying personnel in the National Guard and in the Organized Reserve where the period of service can reasonably be limited to the period of effectiveness as combat flyers.

(4) The physical plant and equipment provided for the Regular Army can be used to build up flying personnel in the National Guard and the Organized Reserve without proportional additional cost in its maintenance.  It is only by such use of physical plant and equipment provided that the Government can secure returns on the large investment involved. 

2.  PLAN FOR THE USE AND TRAINING OF RESERVE OFFICERS:

The organization of the Air Service under the National Defense Act and the plans of the War Department provide a number of

[[right margin note]] politics at big cities [/right margin note]]
[[right margin note]] Reserve + n.g. [/right margin note]]