[1] McBride enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1942 and entered aviation cadet training.

He next attended bombardier school in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and in March 1943 entered combat crew training as a navigator-bombardier in B-26 Marauder aircraft at MacDill Field, Florida.

He helped plan and flew on many of the important missions in support of the Allied ground forces offensive, including D-Day operations.

[1] In 1959, General McBride was assigned as a student to the National War College in Washington D.C., and in early 1960, as a member of a small official group of National War College students, visited Moscow and toured points of interest in the Soviet Union.

[1] In July 1960, he was assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force, Directorate of Plans, to work on problems related to counterinsurgency and special warfare.

[1] McBride was assigned as commander of the 437th Military Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, in August 1966.