Army Aviation as a Branch, Eighteen Years After the Decision

Army Aviation as a Branch, Eighteen Years After the Decision PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
This monograph gives the historical background to the creation of Army aviation as a separate branch of the U.S. Army. The branch was created in April of 1983 after a series of exhaustive studies and numerous general officer debates. Ultimately, the decision to create the branch was made on the basis of training, doctrine, and organizational shortcomings that were systematically created by the absence of a branch. This decision was not without controversy and detractors. Many senior officers feared that pure aviation officers would lose touch with the demands of the ground fight and move away from the close fight to pursue other missions as the Army Air Corps had done. There was also a fear that an aviation branch would make a nice neat package for takeover by the Air Force. A review of the past eighteen years of Army aviation reveals that both proponents and opponents of the branch were correct. Army aviation has largely fixed or at least improved all of the systematic problems that lead to its creation. Conversely, Army aviation has in fact moved away from the close fight in the past 20 years in pursuit of deep battle glories and status as a maneuver branch on par with Infantry and Armor. Aviation officers have lost some of their understanding of the ground fight and therefore are often reluctant to participate in it directly as a member of the combined arms team. Army aviation as a branch has largely been a success story but after eighteen years it is time for another detailed study of the branch to determine shortcomings and make changes to correct them. Dramatic changes such as assessing officers into aviation only after they have served four years in another combat arms branch (similar to Special Forces) should be considered. Aviation officers must regain their understanding and appreciation of the ground fight. They must be soldiers first.

Army Aviation as a Branch, Eighteen Years After the Decision

Army Aviation as a Branch, Eighteen Years After the Decision PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
This monograph gives the historical background to the creation of Army aviation as a separate branch of the U.S. Army. The branch was created in April of 1983 after a series of exhaustive studies and numerous general officer debates. Ultimately, the decision to create the branch was made on the basis of training, doctrine, and organizational shortcomings that were systematically created by the absence of a branch. This decision was not without controversy and detractors. Many senior officers feared that pure aviation officers would lose touch with the demands of the ground fight and move away from the close fight to pursue other missions as the Army Air Corps had done. There was also a fear that an aviation branch would make a nice neat package for takeover by the Air Force. A review of the past eighteen years of Army aviation reveals that both proponents and opponents of the branch were correct. Army aviation has largely fixed or at least improved all of the systematic problems that lead to its creation. Conversely, Army aviation has in fact moved away from the close fight in the past 20 years in pursuit of deep battle glories and status as a maneuver branch on par with Infantry and Armor. Aviation officers have lost some of their understanding of the ground fight and therefore are often reluctant to participate in it directly as a member of the combined arms team. Army aviation as a branch has largely been a success story but after eighteen years it is time for another detailed study of the branch to determine shortcomings and make changes to correct them. Dramatic changes such as assessing officers into aviation only after they have served four years in another combat arms branch (similar to Special Forces) should be considered. Aviation officers must regain their understanding and appreciation of the ground fight. They must be soldiers first.

Army History

Army History PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Military history
Languages : en
Pages : 454

Get Book Here

Book Description


River City and Valley Life

River City and Valley Life PDF Author: Christopher J. Castaneda
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
ISBN: 0822979187
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 418

Get Book Here

Book Description
Often referred to as “the Big Tomato,” Sacramento is a city whose makeup is significantly more complex than its agriculture-based sobriquet implies. In River City and Valley Life, seventeen contributors reveal the major transformations to the natural and built environment that have shaped Sacramento and its suburbs, residents, politics, and economics throughout its history. The site that would become Sacramento was settled in 1839, when Johann Augustus Sutter attempted to convert his Mexican land grant into New Helvetia (or “New Switzerland”). It was at Sutter’s sawmill fifty miles to the east that gold was first discovered, leading to the California Gold Rush of 1849. Nearly overnight, Sacramento became a boomtown, and cityhood followed in 1850. Ideally situated at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the city was connected by waterway to San Francisco and the surrounding region. Combined with the area’s warm and sunny climate, the rivers provided the necessary water supply for agriculture to flourish. The devastation wrought by floods and cholera, however, took a huge toll on early populations and led to the construction of an extensive levee system that raised the downtown street level to combat flooding. Great fortune came when local entrepreneurs built the Central Pacific Railroad, and in 1869 it connected with the Union Pacific Railroad to form the first transcontinental passage. Sacramento soon became an industrial hub and major food-processing center. By 1879, it was named the state capital and seat of government. In the twentieth century, the Sacramento area benefitted from the federal government’s major investment in the construction and operation of three military bases and other regional public works projects. Rapid suburbanization followed along with the building of highways, bridges, schools, parks, hydroelectric dams, and the Rancho Seco nuclear power plant, which activists would later shut down. Today, several tribal gaming resorts attract patrons to the area, while “Old Sacramento” revitalizes the original downtown as it celebrates Sacramento’s pioneering past. This environmental history of Sacramento provides a compelling case study of urban and suburban development in California and the American West. As the contributors show, Sacramento has seen its landscape both ravaged and reborn. As blighted areas, rail yards, and riverfronts have been reclaimed, and parks and green spaces created and expanded, Sacramento’s identity continues to evolve. As it moves beyond its Gold Rush, Transcontinental Railroad, and government-town heritage, Sacramento remains a city and region deeply rooted in its natural environment.

A History of Army Aviation 1950-1962

A History of Army Aviation 1950-1962 PDF Author: Richard P. Weinert
Publisher: www.Militarybookshop.CompanyUK
ISBN: 9781780391311
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
U.S. Army aviation expanded dramatically in both size and breadth of activities after its inception in 1942, but much of its post-World War II history, particularly after the establishment of the Air Force as an independent service by the national Security Act of 1947, has been relatively neglected. Despite a certain amount of jockeying for position by both services, particularly in the early years after their separation, the Army was able to carve out a clear transport and operational combat role for its own air arm. "A History of Army Aviation - 1950-1962" examines the development of the Army's air wing, especially for air support of ground troops, both in terms of organization and in relation to the ongoing friction with the Air Force. After describing the rapid expansion of purely Army air power after 1950 and the accompanying expansion of aviation training, the book delves into the reorganization of aviation activities within a Directorate of Army Aviation. It also provides a valuable account of the successful development of aircraft armament, perhaps the most significant advance of this period. In particular, intensive experimentation at the Army Aviation School led to several practical weapons systems and helped to prove that weapons could be fired from rotary aircraft. This arming of the helicopter was to have a profound effect on both Army organization and combat doctrine, culminating in official approval of the armed helicopter by the Department of the Army in 1960. "A History of Army Aviation - 1950-1962" also explores the development of new aircraft between 1955 and 1962, including the UH-1 medical evacuation, transport, and gunship helicopter and the HC-1 cargo copter. In addition, the book discusses the Berlin Crisis of 1961 as an impetus for immediate and unexpected expansion of army aviation, quickly followed by the beginnings of intervention in Vietnam by the end of 1962.

Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919-1939

Aviation in the U.S. Army, 1919-1939 PDF Author: Maurer Maurer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 706

Get Book Here

Book Description


United States Army Aviation Digest

United States Army Aviation Digest PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 56

Get Book Here

Book Description


Fire for Effect

Fire for Effect PDF Author: John J. McGrath
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Get Book Here

Book Description
"This study provides a historical survey and comparison between two key elements of the joint combined arms team, indirect fire support, as provided by field artillery and mortars, and direct aerial fire support (close air support (CAS) and interdiction) provided by aerial platforms (fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft). Since the beginning of modern combined arms operations in World War I, there has been a continual improvement and refinement of ground and air fire support means ... This study discusses the interplay and use of air and ground fire support elements in the modern period. The work begins with a brief background on the evolution of modern field artillery but is primarily concerned with the period from 1914 to the present. While it discusses all major technological and tactical innovations, the focus is clearly on the United States Army and the United States Air Force. Since at least 1941, the United States has led the way in technological and organizational developments in both aviation and field artillery"--Page 1.

U.S. Army Recruiting News

U.S. Army Recruiting News PDF Author: United States. Adjutant-General's Office
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 722

Get Book Here

Book Description


Bulletin [of The] Recruiting Publicity Bureau, U.S. Army

Bulletin [of The] Recruiting Publicity Bureau, U.S. Army PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 246

Get Book Here

Book Description


A History of Army Aviation

A History of Army Aviation PDF Author: James W. Williams
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595366082
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 451

Get Book Here

Book Description
.spellbinding history., the how, what, when, where and why.some never told and certainly not always understood. This is a story that has begged to be told, .with sources and substance heretofore missing. Historians, military scholars, and aviators, .will rely on this work for years. Carl H. McNair, Jr., Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) 'This is worth a good read.a welcome and long overdue history of Army Aviation." Joseph L. Galloway, senior military correspondent, Knight Ridder Newspapers and co-author, We Were Soldiers Once.and Young Soldiers, scholars, and aviation enthusiasts alike can learn much from this comprehensive examination.. .successfully blends lively and insightful historical narrative with astute analysis. .unfailingly honest assessment of.contributions to our national defense. Carol Reardon, Pennsylvania State University, author of LAUNCH THE INTRUDERS .tightly written and focused.traces the aviation branch from its inception through two world wars, the loss of a major portion to the new Air Force, .up through its current role.. .required reading for anyone who desires to understand.Army aviation. Darrel Whitcomb, author of The Rescue of Bat 21, and Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm .tells the whole story concisely by addressing seven key themes. .crisp prose and well-chosen illustrations.. This old ground-pounder owes his life to.brave crews of Army birds. Henry Gole, Ph.D./Colonel (ret.), author of Soldiering