-SEMI HISTORICAL NOTE-

With the reconquest of Japanese held territories in the Pacific Theatre of Operations during 1943, and the consequent availability of new bases for American aircraft this created, a decision was made to activate a new air force.

The new organization, the Seventeenth Air Force, would be a companion to the Fifth, Thirteenth and Seventh Air Forces already operating against the Japanese in the PTO.

On December 1st, 1943, the Seventeenth was activated and many new freshly trained units were sent to it directly from the States, while other were formed in Australia, manned by experienced veterans in their key positions, transferred from the already war-hardened Groups of the Fifth, Thirteenth and Seventh.

Intensive training and familiarization flights over the part of territory in Allied control begun immediately, and went on until March 1944.
On April 1st, 1944 the Seventeenth Air Force was declared "Combat Ready", and the operations started immediately, with the first combat mission flown on April, 5th.

****************************************************

~S~

The 17th Air Force is a non-historical virtual organization.
There are many virtual Groups/Squadrons around here that are not historically related to any of the historical, Real Life WW2 outfits.
The 17th AF was created to give these Groups/Squadrons a place to call "Home", the opportunity to organize themselves in something bigger, benefitting them with greather possibility of having fun in an even more mature and immersive way.

HOW IT SHALL WORK?

Very simple.

Every Group/Squadron that will join the 17th AF WILL MAINTAIN ITS FULL INDEPENDENCE. No changes will affect their internal organization. This is very important and MUST be respected.

There will be a 17th AF Forum Board where every Group/Squadron CO and XO will represent their outfit, with the right to vote in a totally democratic way about every matter or decision to be made.
The 17th AF Forum Board will be a place to meet, plan, discuss, project eventhual joint operations, training, participation in online campaigns, Wars and so on. All this -to be said once more- in a really democratic and fair way.
Every decision will be voted on, and nothing will be imposed. Nobody will be forced to participate in an event if they don't want to.
All will be based on COMMON SENSE and a SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, with only very few but necessary rules to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.


-A little bit of organization-

Many "NUMBERS" were never used for true WW2 USAAF Squadrons and Groups, so there are plenty of them available for every Squadron and group that will accept the invitation to join the 17th Air Force.
An accurate historical research is already done, so every Group/Squadron joining the 17th AF will be given a number never used before by a real USAAF WW2 outfit. Clearly, every Group/Squadron will have the right to choose their own "numbers" among those availables.
And if a virtual Group/Squadron is already using an original "NICKNAME", that will remain with it.

For Example:

The B.O.P. Group (Birds Of Prey) is a famous independent group flying in HyperLobby. If they will join the 17th AF they will become the (only for example) 275th Fighter Group "Birds of Prey".

The {HD} Composite Group "Hell's Devils" will become the 7th Composite Group "Hell's Devils".

and so on....

This is to allow each Group/Squadron to maintain it's own identity, internal structure as it was before joining the 17th AF, and to be better located inside the 17th AF, in it's internal structure, to resemble a true WW2 USAAF Air Force organization. In fact, the "numbers" will be used to better organize the whole thing inside the 17th AF and to add to immersion and the feeling of being part of something bigger.

The advantages of being part of the 17th Air Force are obvious: All Groups/Squadrons will be able to fly online with confiable people, with everytime someone of a companion outfit to fly with. The chance to share experiences, training procedures, participating in the Group or Squadron events of each other, having fun, adding to the immersion and making a lot of friends.

The 17th Air Force is open to all Groups/Squadrons that are flying with U.S.A.A.F. as their virtual nationality and are NOT historically related to any real, historical WW2 U.S.A.A.F. Group or Squadron. The eventual acceptance of other Allied virtual Nationalities to fly with the 17th AF will be evaluated and voted in the 17th AF Forum Board. We must not forget that there were squadrons of different nationalities flying with the U.S.A.A.F. during real WW2, like Brazilians, Mexicans and so on. Some R.N.Z.A.F. and Aussie Squadrons were flying side by side with the 5th, 13th, and 12th and 15th Air Forces, and some Chinese Squadrons were flying organized in the 10th and 14th Air Forces, so why not in the 17th AF? Again, the rule will be they must NOT be related nominally with a historical outfit.

To add to immersion and make things even funnier, there will be three fictional, virtual officers that will act as Forum Board Spokesmen. They will show up only to make official (with a lookalike military "pompa") an already voted and approved decision, acting as they are issuing an "order".
These three characters will be:

Lieutnant General Julian Vince Truxman as the 17th AF Commanding Officer.
Brigadier General John "Pappy" Dynall as the XVII Fighter Command CO.
Brigadier General Arthur "Pegleg" Morgan as the XVII Bomber Command CO.


Interested NON-Historically related U.S.A.A.F. Groups/Squadrons, please leave a message here or/and contact me by Email at:

col._douglas_king@hotmail.com

I'm flying in HyperLobby as 17{HD}GCO_King, so you can page me there, too.

Thank you all for the attention and

~SALUTE!~

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Col._King,

C'mon, Folk!
Don't be shy!

Well, I think it sounds like a great idea king. Must of took you a while to come up with it! Oh and by the way, the B.O.P. is a very good squad!

The {HD} squad is very good also!

signed,
B.O.P._RC

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rcguru1,

~S~
Thank you for the encouragement, rcguru.
I know about the B.O.P. , we are friends, and they are collaborating with the {HD} for this project.

Hope to see more joining.

Cheers.

BUMP

300+ views, and still no one has voiced their opinions... not even to say if they hate the idea.
Unless they are all contacting King through email or HL pager.

Until now only the B.O.P. is in the process of evaluating the possibility of being part of the 17th AF.

I would like to point out, once again, that every Group/Squadron that will join the 17th AF will retain it's full indpendence.
If this is leaving doubts, please everyone take heart.

And finally, for every doubt or question, please feel free to ask.

~S~

~S~

OK,
due to the scarce (actually nil) interest shown by the Community, I'm terminating the project.

The Seventeenth Air Force is from now DEACTIVATED.