He was their youngest member, and in 1915 was assigned Deputy Chief to the aviation section of the Signal Corps, with the rank of Major. During this time Billy Mitchells interest in aviation grew, he saw the potential an air force could have. He learned how to fly in four days at the Curtiss Flying School. Billy Mitchell had taught himself to fly by the famous Wright brothers. Many people thought that Mitchell was not cut out to be a regular army flyer because he had no military training. However, others stated that not only could he fly anything with wings, but fly it well, Lt. Lester J. Maitland.In 1917, Billy Mitchell traveled to France as a military observer. The month after he arrived in France, the U.S. declared war on Germany. This prompted Mitchell to establish himself as U.S. aviation officer in France. He was then promoted to Lt. Colonel in May and the Colonel in August. Billy Mitchell was fluent in French, unlike most of the other officers. This advantage gave him the chance to see that air force power was needed to win the war (World War I). He had begun corresponding with commander Trenchard of the Royal Flying Corps, and was convinced that airpower could be used to a greater advantage. When Billy Mitchell was Chief of the Air Service, he openly proclaimed his opinion on the need for a more direct approach to the advancement of air power. Billy Mitchell wanted the air force to become more than just a defensive weapon; he wanted them to be an offensive department. Mitchell wanted the air force to become a separate force like the Navy. At this point, the air force was primarily used as another conventional weapon. Mitchell saw that if other countries had utilized the air force, then the U.S. would become a vague military power compared to other countries. In 1918, Mitchell commanded 1,476 aircrafts, 20 balloons (which were mainly used as observers a...
