Mitchell left Columbian University to join the Army during the Spanish-American War and served in the Philippines under Arthur MacArthur. Family influence helped move him from the infantry into the Signal Corps, but he remained in uniform despite having wealth and political connections that could have supported a civilian career. In Alaska he helped establish the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System, which later passed to the Air Force and was sold to RCA in 1970. General Staff work and congressional hearings exposed him to debates over whether Army aviation should become a separate branch. He briefly headed the Signal Corps aviation section and spent $15,000 on private flying lessons when the Army would not fund them. By 1917, his communications, staff, legislative, and aviation experience positioned him to help organize American air operations in France.
Chapter · 15:38-21:19
Signal Corps service prepared Mitchell for aviation command
Mitchell's path through the Spanish-American War, the Philippines, Alaska communications, and the Signal Corps placed him at the center of early US Army aviation administration.