original 53 aircraft to Morocco to reinforce US air forces supporting Operation TORCH. From there he was assigned back to the United States as chief of the Aircraft Division, and later as chief of the Fighter Division, Army Air Force Board, Orlando, Florida where he had the opportunity to test fly a number of the experimental aircraft to include the XP-59A, Airacomet, the first US jet fighter, then undergoing testing at Muroc Army Air Field. In July 1944, he was reassigned to the Operations Division, Headquarters US Strategic Air Force in Europe. He spent the first month touring European fighter units briefing them on what he learned from flying the XP-59A, Airacomet, and on suggested tactics to use against the new German jet aircraft. He then served as an action officer in General Carl Spaatz's headquarters in London and Paris through December 1944 where he coordinated what new equipment and weapons coming from the CONUS based Army Force Board with what the European combat units said they needed and experienced. In January 1945, he transferred to the Operations Division of Headquarters, IX Tactical Air Command, Ninth Air Force. In April 1945, he assumed command of the 365th Fighter Group, "The Hell Hawks," at Fritzlar, Germany. He led the unit in their support of the General Patton's final push into Germany then transitioned the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group from wartime to peacetime operations. Upon the redeployment of the 365th Fighter Group back to the United States in September 1945, he remained in the Occupation Forces as chief of the Aircraft Allocation Division, Headquarters, US Air Forces in Europe. In February 1946, he became assistant chief of staff for operations, European Air Transport Service where it was his task to round up, account for, and dispose of all the US aircraft in the European Theater as the US Army Air Forces rapidly demobilized and sent units back to the United States. Evolving into a strategic long-range planner In June 1946, then-Lieutenant Colonel Richardson was assigned to the War Plans Division of the Air Staff in Washington, D.C. In July 1947, he was transferred to the Joint War Plans Committee, which in December 1947, upon implementation of the 1947 Unification Act, became Joint Strategic Plans Group, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Upon creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1949, newly promoted Colonel Richardson became the first Air Force planner on the NATO