Did you know that at the end of fiscal year 1946 (June 30, 1946) there was only one federally recognized flying squadron in the organization that officially became the Air National Guard (ANG) in September 1947? Were you aware that National Guardsmen served as aviators in every major conflict since World War I and that Air Guardsmen have flown almost every major aircraft in the Air Force's inventory since it became a separate military. These and other objective aspects of the Air Guard's rich history are highlighted in the reference portion of the "History" section of the ANG's public web site.
CHARLES J. GROSS, PhD
Chief, Air National Guard History
1915 New York Adjutant General Report This excerpt shows the establishment of the Signal Corps Aero Company of New York, the first aviation unit in the National Guard. It was organized by Raynal C. Bolling.
National Security Act of 1947 Thisdocument established the modern Department of Defense. It also established the USAF and the Air National Guard (see page 43).
Total Force comments by Theodore Marrs Theodore Marrs served as an Assistant Secretary of Defense and worked to build support for the Total Force policy within the Pentagon in the early 1970s. He was also a former Alabama Air Guardsman.
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