aviation activities including aircraft carriers and tenders only be officers permanently assigned to naval aviation; that seniority of officers in naval aviation be fairly integrated into the fleet; that a school of strategy and tactics be established for naval aviation; and that a separate naval aviation experiment and test station be established. Most of them were included in the board's final report. In May and June 1926, Congress acted quickly to make them part of bills that authorized the restructuring of the military air forces. Not only was the Naval Air Corps permanently established, but a five-year, 1,000-plane program was approved. Also, the experimental test and repair facilities at Naval Air Station Norfolk that Bellinger had taken command of in 1918 were firmly established. Bellinger was appointed Aide and Fleet Aviation Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Battle Fleet under Admiral Charles F. Hughes. When Hughes was transferred to command of the United States Fleet, he took Bellinger with him as his aide. Admiral Hughes became Chief of Naval Operations in November 1927 and Bellinger followed him again, being attached to the Ship Movement Section of Hughes's office. The assignments under Hughes enabled Bellinger to influence future naval aviation policy, facilities, and ship development. He remained in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations until July 1928, when he was ordered to Italy for duty as Assistant Naval Attache under Captain Forde A. Todd at the American Embassy in Rome. While there, Bellinger was decorated with Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus by the Government of Italy. In June 1931, Bellinger returned to the United States and assumed command of aircraft tender USS Wright, where he served several years before. He commanded that vessel until July 1932, when he was transferred to command USS Langley, the first aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. While commanded Langley, Bellinger earned admiration from his crew and future Admiral John T. Hayward described as follows: “He never got excited when they [the pilots] made rather difficult landings on the flight deck [they were required to make seven safe landings to be qualified]. You must remember, in those days, when we came to the fleet, we had never seen a carrier, let alone landed on one.” Bellinger was transferred to the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. in June 1933 and assumed duty as Head, Plans Division and later of the Administration