A Preliminary to War

On March 15 1916 the 1st Aero Squadron arrived at Columbus NM. The squadron was to join an expedition led by BG John J. Black Jack Pershing into Mexico in response to a March 9 attack on the tiny border town by the Mexican desperado Francisco Pancho Villa. For the first time the U.S. Army's entire air force-the 1st Aero Squadron-had deployed for an active campaign. The Squadron played a significant role in the Punitive Expedition but in dramatic contrast to how an air force functions today it served as a means of communication and observation not as a combatant arm. (Originally published by the Air Force History and Museums Program)