Why was Colonel Billy Mitchell court-martialed and thrown out of the US Army?

Answer 1

Mitchell was a prophet, and a prophet is without honor in his own time. It is only when subsequent events fulfill the prophecies that the average person can tell who was a prophet and who was just crazy. Mitchell was certain that in the next war strategic aerial bombing would play a large, if not decisive role. Of course, he was correct. The powers that be then made amends, to the extent that their pride and "the good of the service" would allow, by naming the B-25 medium bomber the "Mitchell". But at the time, the brass, being the brass, were old, stuffy, stodgy, set in their ways, and conservative in their beliefs. And what they believed was that the airplane was a noisy novelty, mostly useless except for aerial scouting. Mitchell, being sure of what he understood of the future of air power, and believing the safety of the nation was at stake, and that the US military desperately needed an appreciation of air power, wouldn't shut up about it, even when warned several times that he was making a nuisance of himself. And its the nail that sticks out that gets hammered.

Answer 2

Colonel Billy Mitchell was court-martialed and dismissed from the US Army for insubordination and public criticism of the military's high-ranking officials. He had publicly criticized the army's leadership for its failure to invest in air power and for its outdated tactics. His court-martial was a significant moment in the history of the US Military, as it highlighted the growing importance of air power in modern warfare.