4 , 0 0 0 ▁personnel . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁years , ▁it ▁trained ▁ 5 , 5 0 0 ▁cad ets ▁and ▁thousands ▁of ▁ground ▁personnel . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁mission ▁of ▁the ▁Field ▁was ▁changed ▁from ▁basic ▁flying ▁training ▁of ▁cad ets ▁to ▁training ▁of ▁f ighter ▁pil ots . ▁An ▁April ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁the ▁Field ▁was ▁transferred ▁from ▁the ▁Western ▁F lying ▁Training ▁Command ▁to ▁the ▁IV ▁F ighter ▁Command . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁command ▁brought ▁in ▁pil ots ▁who ▁had ▁completed ▁their ▁basic ▁and ▁advanced ▁training ▁and ▁received ▁comm issions ▁prior ▁to ▁coming ▁to ▁Ch ico . ▁Here ▁they ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁taught ▁tact ics ▁of ▁combat ▁flying ▁using ▁Bell ▁King ▁Cob ra ▁( P - 6 3 ) ▁plan es , ▁later ▁switching ▁to ▁the ▁tw in - engine ▁Lock he ed ▁P - 3 8 ▁Light ings . ▁These ▁were ▁all ▁prop eller ▁plan es . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁jet ▁training ▁was ▁introduced ▁on ▁the ▁P - 5 9 ▁jet ▁train ers , ▁and ▁in ▁July ▁the ▁P - 5 1 ▁` M ust angs . ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁IV ▁F ighter ▁Command ▁ ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Wing . ▁Its ▁function ▁was ▁to ▁process ▁both ▁personnel ▁and ▁aircraft ▁for ▁over se as ▁assignment . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁the