Kammala jumla mai zuwa: A 1912 wanda ya kammala karatun Jami'ar Sojojin Amurka, Gorrell ya yi aiki na shekaru biyu a cikin sojan sama kafin ya ba da gudummawa don sanyawa ga Sashen Jirgin Sama, Signal Corps, wanda ya zama matukin jirgi na soja a 1915. Ayyukansa na tashi kawai shi ne tare da 1st Aero Squadron, rundunar sojan sama ta farko, wadda ya bi zuwa Mexico a matsayin wani ɓangare na
Tafiya ta azabtarwa. Deficiencies a cikin jirgin saman soja na Amurka da aka fallasa a lokacin yakin ya jagoranci aikin Gorrell zuwa MIT, inda ya sami digiri na digiri a aikin injiniya. Kwarewarsa ta fasaha ta haifar da shigarsa cikin Ofishin Jakadancin Bolling a farkon watannin fara halartar Amurka a Yaƙin Duniya na, wanda ya biyo bayan ayyukan ma'aikata tare da Sojojin Amurka. Ya tashi da sauri a matsayin mai jirgin sama a lokacin yaƙi daga laftanar na farko zuwa Kanal tsakanin Yuli 1916 da Oktoba 1918.