Difference between revisions of "Hobson Plan"

Latest revision as of 11:06, 25 April 2016

The Hobson Plan was an organizational structure established by the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948.

Known as the "Wing-Base" plan, it replaced the base plan used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the predecessor organization of the USAF.

Background

Rapid demobilization after September 1945 meant that a new Air Force had to be built with the remnants of the wartime Army Air Forces. Initially, the Army Air Fields retained as permanent bases were assumed by the USAF were renamed as "Air Force Bases", and the Army's organizational structure was carried over into the new service with "Air Force Base Units" replacing the AAFBU.

This resulted in awkward circumstances where the Combat Group commander was reporting to a Base Commander who did not have had flying experience.

No tactical commander should be subordinate to the station commander

Once the United States Air Force became operational as a separate department, Carl Andrew Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force established a policy where, "No tactical commander should be subordinate to the station commander."

Spaatz's policy meant that that a new solution would have to be found.

Major General Charles Born proposed the creation of the Provisional Wing Plan, which basically reversed the USAAF organization and placed the wing commander over the base commander, although this idea was eventually discarded as it was viewed to be too complex.

The Wing-Base plan

Under the "Wing-Base" plan, the operational combat squadrons were assigned to a Combat Group.

See also

• Armed forces

External links

• Hobson Plan @ Wikipedia