HomeMy WebLinkAboutBraley/Berry correspondence 1948 31 August, 1918
SUBJECT: Application for State Air National Guard Squadron at Bryan,Texas.
TO: State Adjutant General
1. The City of Bryan and qualified citizens to be members of an
Air National Guard Squadron submit this application for an Air National
Guard Squadron appointment to be based at Bryan Army Air Base.(at present
on stand -by status).
2. The qualifications for this application are hereby submitted:
a. The active support of the'City of Bryan, Chamber of Commerce, •
all service organizations, and majority support of all citizens.
b. Bryan Army Air Base is at present on stand -by status,"and is
available upon request through Air Force Headquarters.
Enclosed find specific details of Bryan Army Air Base, in
stallations and facilities.
c. The necessary squadron personnel are available in Bryan, and -
surrounding communities within a radius of twenty -five miles=
1. There are 300 to 400 rated personnel, about 250 rated
pilots, the balance navigators, bombardiers and radarmen.
Approximately 200 pilots have completed actual combat
tours, and have flown an average of 1000 hours in combat
aircraft. About 100 pilots with average totals from
1500 to 3500 hours in Army aircraft.
2. A survey shows approximately 800 to 900 qualified reserve
enlisted and interested men. Available in this group are
master aircraft mechanics, and skilled technicians in all
trades necessary to maintain a squadron at full strength.
(The above figures in 1 and 2 do not include available
and transient personnel at the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas).
3. This letter of application has been initiated upon request
of 1000 interested and qualified personnel, and encouraged
by the aforementioned organizations, and citizens of Bryan.
Kindly give this application your consideration, and early
attention.
INTERESTED CITIZENS
By RALPH S. BRALEY, CAPTAIN
RSBerj AIR CORPS RESERVE, 0- 1699521
KLB /stg
8 October 1948
AG TEX 360
SUBJECT: Allocation of an Additional Air Squadron to the Texas
National Guard
TO: Chief, National Guard Bureau
Washington, D. C.
1. An investigation has convinced me that within a period of
from 30 to 60 days and with a minimum of effort, either of the
following could be organized at Bryan, Texas:
1st choice - Light Bomb Squadron
2d choice - Air Transport Squadron
3d choice - Fighter Squadron
2. Facilities at Bryan Air Field are entirely adequate. This
field is now on a stand -by basis with a small regular caretaker party
garrisoned there.
3. There are about 3C0 rated officers in the Bryan area and of
these about 150 have 1,000 or more hours in the air in service air-
craft and many are combat veterans.
4. There are several hundred enlisted reservists and other
young men in this area who are interested.
5. The city of Bryan and other towns within easy distance are
wholeheartedly back of this project and I am convinced that a
squadron could be easily organized and maintained in this area.
6. If an additional Air Squadron is not available at present
for allocating to the Texts National Guard, request that this ap-
plication be placed on file and given due consideration when and
if a squadron becomes available.
K. L. BERRY
Major General
The Adjutant General of Texas
cc: Capt. Ralph S. Braley