Armys and navies have clashed since ancient times, but the plane that enables dogfighting is barely a century old. Airplanes saw widespread combat during World War I, and despite the doubts and financial concerns of military leaders of the time, the brave men who flew them earned a dedicated military division, the United States Air Force. Billy Mitchell, through his charisma and an image that endeared him to American culture, was a crucial figure in the development of the modern Air Force. Mitchell, son of a wealthy Wisconsin senator, began his military career at the age of eighteen when he enlisted as a private in the First Wisconsin when the United States declared war on Spain in April 1898. Because of the high position of his father, "within three weeks Mitchell had accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in a volunteer signals company." He witnessed Spain's surrender ceremony in Havana, Cuba, an important experience that led him to “appreciate America's new global role.” Mitchell arrived in Europe on April 10, 1917, four days after the United States declared war on Germany. As he observed the French on the battlefield, "(t)he performance of the French pilots, aircraft and support units profoundly impressed upon him the enormous tasks facing the American Air Force." The French military had surpassed the American military in terms of aviation technology and had developed a more progressive model of military aviation in which a group of observation aircraft would be assigned to sections of the ground forces below, while a designated “air cavalry” it would command a “large sector of the front,” allowing them a large area of ​​operations and a high amount of tactical options. Despite the French losses, M......middle of paper......Coolidge accepted his resignation. Despite an unfavorable end to a long military career, Mitchell's influence ultimately paid off when an independent air force was formed. Tate writes, "[t]he fact that Congress had the authority to reorganize the Army the way the airmen wanted had something to do with the decision of Billy Mitchell and his allies to take their arguments to the public." Billy Mitchell had inspired potential pilots across the country, and this was reflected in the congressional constituency. The airmen had gotten their wish. Through gusto and bravado, Mitchell made his mark on American history. The image of a hot-headed racer with a big ego continues in popular culture today. Even in an environment as controlled as the United States military, perhaps no one represented the wild, free, ambitious nature of flight better than William Mitchell.