73. Naval aviators should be designated only from those student naval aviators who have completed successfully a course of training prescribed by competent authority. 74. Commissioned officers, upon designation as naval aviators, should be required to perform duty with an active aviation unit of the aircraft squadrons of the fleet, or of the Fleet Marine Force, for a period of at least 2 years, before being considered eligible for other duty. 75. The intensive aviation activity required in carrier-based aircraft squadrons tends to the early development of individual responsibility and piloting ability. Therefore, the first assignment of officers of the Navy, newly designated as naval aviators, should be to carrier-based squadrons, except when emergency conditions render such assignment impracticable. 76. Patrol type aircraft are of such complexity, and their employment is of such character, that extensive and varied flight experience in other types of service aircraft is considered essential for pilots in command of aircraft in patrol squadrons. Therefore, naval aviators of the regular Navy should have approximately 650 hours flight time in other types of service aircraft, before being ordered to this duty. Every effort should be made to comply with this requirement, even under emergency conditions. 77. Marine Corps aviators should be trained in carrier-based operations and fleet air doctrine, in order to make Marine Corps squadrons available as replacements of carrier squadrons, and to facilitate joint operations with the fleet and the Fleet Marine Force. 78. Rotation of duty of officers of the Navy, naval aviators, should be such that maximum experience in all phases of naval aviation may be obtained, in order to acquire a well-rounded knowledge of the relation of aviation to naval operations. 79. Rotation of duty of officers of the Marine Corps, naval aviators, should be such that maximum experience in all phases of Marine Corps aviation may be obtained, in order to acquire a well-rounded knowledge of the relation of aviation to Marine Corps operations. 80. Assignment of line officers of the Navy and Marine Corps to aviation duty permits such diversification of duty from junior to senior billets that the designation "naval aviator" should be considered an added qualification and not a specialty tending in any way to divorce these officers from the line of the Navy or Marine Corps. 81. Aviation is an integral part of the Navy and Marine Corps and continuous assignment to aviation duty should not be prejudicial to an officer's career. 82. Naval aviators should be required to maintain qualification for general duty in the line. 83. Naval aviators on duty in aviation from junior to command rank, should be considered eligible for assignment to command on the basis of relative professional fitness with other line officers of the Navy or Marine Corps. 84. A naval aviator should be available for assignment to any line. duty commensurate with his rank, without prejudice to his reassignment to aviation duty and without prejudice to his future advance ment. 85. Naval aviators should be eligible for selection for post-graduate instruction in aviation specialties, during the 3 years immediately following completion of their first duty of at least 2 years as naval aviators. 86. As now required by law, the commanding officer of an aircraft carrier or aircraft tender should be a naval aviator or naval aviation observer. 87. As now required by law, the commanding officer of any naval aviation school, naval air station, or naval aviation unit for flight tactical purposes, should be a naval aviator. 88. As now required by law, the commanding officer of any unit of the Marine Corps, the primary employment of which is aviation, should be a naval aviator. 89. Only regular officers of the line of the Navy or Marine Corps, naval aviators, should be assigned duty in command of a group or wing of aircraft. PART VI. RESERVE NAVAL AVIATORS 90. The board recommends the following policies be adopted for procurement, training, and employment of officers of the United States Naval Reserve and United States Marine Corps Reserve as naval aviators, in peacetime. In emergencies, or under unusual conditions, they may require modification, but wherever practicable they should govern. Many of these policies are administrative in scope, while others will require legislative action by the Congress. Definite recommendations for such action have been included in part XVIII of this report. 91. Hereafter the primary source of naval aviators for the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve should be graduates of a prescribed flight-training course in naval aviation. 92. Officers of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, designated naval aviators, commissioned prior to July 1, 1939, should be available for selection and assignment to active duty in connection with the instruction, training, and drilling of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, in accordance with the Naval Reserve Act of 1938. 93. Candidates for training as student naval aviators for the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve should be selected from civilians and from enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps, between the ages of 20 and 27 years, who are unmarried, and who fulfill at least one of the following qualifications: (a) Graduates of Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, certified by the Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department, as eligible for commission in the Naval Reserve; (b) Graduates of platoon-leaders class, certified to headquarters, United States Marine Corps, as eligible for commission in the Marine Corps Reserve; (c) Graduates of aeronautical-engineering courses at recognized universities; (d) Other graduates of recognized universities; (e) Applicants who present a certificate signed by the registrar of a recognized university showing satisfactory completion of one-half or more of the necessary credits leading to a degree; (f) Applicants who do not qualify under any of the foregoing, but who have acquired substantially an equivalent knowledge by other means. 94. Selected applicants who qualify physically should be given a prescribed period of elimination flight training at a Naval Reserve aviation base, and should be selected for further training if they are considered satisfactory candidates. 95. Selected candidates should be appointed aviation cadets, United States Naval Reserve or United States Marine Corps Reserve, and should be required to contract for a period of not more than 4 years' active duty in the Naval Reserve, or Marine Corps Reserve, unless sooner released at the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy. 96. Upon appointment, aviation cadets should be entitled to the following pay and allowances: (a) $75 per month pay; (e) Government insurance, $10,000. 97. Aviation cadets, designated student naval aviators, should be given a prescribed course of flight training together with such instruction in fundamental naval aviation subjects as may be necessary to qualify them as naval aviators. 98. Upon successful completion of the prescribed course of training, aviation cadets should be designated naval aviators. 99. Aviation cadets who are designated naval aviators, who have passed satisfactorily the required tests, and who are recommended by proper authority, should be commissioned ensigns, United States Naval Reserve, or second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps. Reserve. 100. Naval aviators, upon being commissioned ensign, United States Naval Reserve, or second lieutenant, United States Marine Corps Reserve, should be entitled to an allowance of $150 for uniforms. 101. In view of the necessity for building up the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, in qualified naval aviators, a considerable number of ensigns, United States Naval Reserve, and second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve, designated naval aviators, must be released to inactive duty upon the completion of 2 years' active duty as such, and a comparatively small number will be retained on active duty for a longer period than 2 years. However, in order that all these naval aviators may be trained and indoctrinated satisfactorily in naval aviation, before being released to inactive duty, they should be retained on active duty for a period of at least 2 years as ensigns, United States Naval Reserve, or second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve. 102. The number of aviation cadets under flight training should be sufficient to meet the following conditions: (a) Provide reserve naval aviators annually to fill necessary billets in Naval and Marine Corps aviation; (b) Insure a minimum of 2 years' training in aviation units of the fleet for all ensigns, United States Naval Reserve, naval aviators, and in aviation units of the Marine Corps for all second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve, naval aviators; (c) Provide a sufficient number of ensigns, United States Naval Reserve, and second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve, naval aviators, for release to inactive duty each year, to build up the inactive Reserve in a rapid and orderly manner, and to maintain it at the prescribed strength. 103. The number of naval aviators of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve retained on active duty in peacetime, in each grade, to meet the needs of naval and Marine Corps aviation, should be determined annually by the Secretary of the Navy. 104. Naval aviators of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserves, while on active duty, should receive the same pay, allowances, gratuities, etc., including flight pay, as provided by law for officers of corresponding rank and length of service in the Regular Navy. 105. Naval aviators of the Naval Reserve who are employed for 3 years' continuous active duty from date of rank as ensign, United States Naval Reserve, are recommended for promotion by proper authority, and pass a prescribed examination, should be commissioned lieutenants (junior grade), United States Naval Reserve. 106. Naval aviators of the Marine Corps Reserve who are employed for 3 years' continuous active duty from date of rank as second lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve, are recommended for promotion by proper authority, and pass a prescribed examination, should be commissioned first lieutenants, United States Marine Corps Reserve. 107. Naval aviators of the rank of lieutenant (junior grade), United States Naval Reserve, or first lieutenant, United States Marine Corps Reserve, should be available for employment on active duty with their own consent, in peacetime, for a further period of not more than 4 years, at the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy. 108. Naval aviators of the rank of lieutenant (junior grade), United States Naval Reserve, or first lieutenant, United States Marine Corps Reserve, who complete 4 years' continuous active duty from date of such rank, are recommended for promotion by proper authority, and pass a prescribed examination, should be commissioned lieutenants, United States Naval Reserve, or captains, United States Marine Corps Reserve. 109. In order to permit preparation for reentry into civil life, as much advance notice as may be practicable should be given naval aviators of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, prior to the date of their release to an inactive duty status. 110. Naval aviators of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve should be permitted to request release from active duty upon completion of 2 or more years of continuous active commissioned duty. 111. Officers of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve, naval aviators, upon being placed upon an inactive-duty status, should be given a bonus of $500 for each full year of active commissioned service, beginning fiscal year 1936, not to exceed a total of 8 years. The bonus should be paid upon a pro rata basis for any fraction of a full year. 112. Naval aviators of the Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve on an active-duty status, who may become incapacitated in the line of duty for further performance of active duty, and cannot pursue a gainful occupation in civil life as a result of such incapacity, should be given compensation by the Government in accordance with section 304 of the Reserve Act of 1938. Such compensation should continue during the lifetime of the officer concerned, or until he may be sufficiently recovered to be capable of gainful occupation. This compensation should be in addition to any bonus payment to which he might be entitled due to length of active duty. 113. Commissions in the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve should become effective as of the date the officer commissioned is due for promotion, and the pay of the new rank should be retroactive to that date. These officers should not be deprived of the additional pay of their new rank on account of delays in acceptance or in examination for promotion. 114. During peacetime, a naval aviator of the Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve on active duty, other than training duty, should take precedence next after that officer of the Regular Navy, or Marine Corps, of the same rank or grade, whose length of service in such rank or grade on the date the active duty began, is one-half or the nearest one-half of that of the Reserve officer on that date. 115. When mobilized with the Regular Navy for war, or for a national emergency, a naval aviator of the Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve should take precedence next after that officer of the Regular Navy, or Marine Corps, of the same rank or grade, whose length of service in such rank or grade on the date of such mobilization, is one-half or the nearest one-half of that of the Reserve officer. The date of mobilization for each Reserve officer should be the date he last reported for active duty from an inactive-duty status. In the event the date a Reserve officer last reported for active duty be prior to July 1, 1938, such Reserve officer should be considered as having reported on that date. 116. Naval aviators of the Naval Reserve and Marine Corps. Reserve, who are advanced to higrer grades while performing active duty other than training duty, should, during the continuance of such active duty, take precedence among themselves and with officers of the Regular Navy, in accordance with the date of such advancement or promotion. 117. Upon completion of 2 years' continuous commissioned active duty, naval aviators of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserves, should be considered qualified for a Civil Aeronautics Authority certificate, and should be recommended therefor upon their own application. PART VII. PERMANENT STATUS FOR RESERVE NAVAL AVIATORS 118. The inauguration of the aviation cadet training program was originally intended: (a) To provide an adequate reserve of fleet-trained naval aviators to meet the requirements of the Navy for a rapid expansion of existing aircraft squadrons and to man newly organized squadrons in a national emergency; and (b) To fill those naval aviator billets in the foundation group of the aeronautic organization for which vacancies existed, or were in prospect, due to lack of availability of junior regular line officer naval aviators. 119. Had the aeronautic organization remained static from the inception of the aviation cadet program in 1935, the basic purpose of the program-to build up an adequate reserve of properly qualified naval aviators--would have been achieved in the course of time by transferring annually to the Reserve those completing 4 years of active duty. 120. However, three developments took place in 1938-39, before the first group of aviation cadets became eligible for transfer to |