Selective Service Act of 1940, however, required all races to be accepted into the draft--the genesis of the Tuskegee Airmen. Pilot training was only part of the equation; ground crews and other support personnel were also required. Interestingly, the overall education level of enlisted African-American ground crews was significantly higher than in comparable Caucasian units. The educational requirement for Caucasian members was a high school diploma, while African American candidates were selected almost exclusively from African-American colleges and universities.
The first 250 enlisted African-American trainees were inducted at Maxwell Field, Alabama, in mid-1941. Following training at Chanute Field, Illinois, they returned to Maxwell and eventually joined the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the first organized squadron of the 332d Fighter Group.
Just 5 years after the war, the United States Air Force was fully integrated, sooner than the country it served and more smoothly than other branches of the Armed Forces. Much of the success can be attributed to the Tuskegee Airmen" (Unknown, 2003). Not only were these brave pilots the first colored fighter wing but also they have the distinction of never losing a bomber that they escorted.
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