• 

19 October 1951 

SUBJECTS Certain Objections against the proposed move to Fort In.me. 

l. The following points represent a summary of objections from 

certain AFSA.-03 personnel to the pro~osed move ot the Armed Forces 

Security .Agenq to Fort xnmc. They are mostll' on the scores ot personal 

and fami~ considerations as received clirectq from the 03 personnel 

concerned and do not represent an official AFSA-03 statement. 

2. The objections on the score ot empl.a,yee housing may be categorized as follawss 

a. Government-anied housing cm the post 

b. Housing in some nearbJ small tawn 

c. Housing in Louisville 

Ji. The objections to a. are: 

(a) .A. civilian living on an 11'19 post is bound to 

be a sort of step-child who is tolerated rather 

than welcomed. 

(b) lb.a social lite will be limited to contacts w.ith 

the same people with whom be works all da.7• He 

will be far from theaters, libraries, museums, 

good schools, good restaurants, and big-time 

athletic events. Television reception will be 

poor and llmi ted to a sizlale station (perhaps t.,). 

(c) He will be far from good civilian doctors, dentists, 

and hospitals. A civil:laD certa1nl,y cannot expect 

Biil' medical attention for himself or dependents 

until all mili taey personnel are cared tor. Under 

ordiDar7 circumstances, 1111lit&l'J" doctors will not 

make house calla. Ordinarily good civilian doctors 

and dentists of experience will not settle in a 

countey comrmmi 't1' near an .lrlllJ' post. Certainl1' one 

would have to depend on J.ouisville - 30 miles awq. 

(d) Many of the employees of .A.FSA are civ people who 

live where they do aim.ply because they prefer cit7 

life. Such people would be unhaPP7 even wi thoui 

consulting a long list or disadvantages ot lite in 

the countl'J" or on an Army post. 

(e) Living in government housing makes it necessa1'7 to 

accept the type of quarters someone else chooses to 

assign rather than whatever type the tenant feels 

he can atrord, or praters. There will be some 

eclassified and approved for release by NSA on 01-30-2014 

ursuantto E.O. 13526 ~®~ $~©ffi[lf 
------------- -

REF ID:A7239~ 

SUBJECTS Certain Objections again.st the proposed 

~~ move to Fort lnm:. 

general policy or set of regulations upon which 

the tenant was never consulted. 

(f) Since the move is presumed to be permanent, the 

employee must look forward to living here during 

the rest of his working career and then (since 

he must leave the post upon retirement) moving to 

some new and strange place where it will be 

necessary to re-establish a home and living conditions and communit7 relationships. 

(s) The question of the availabilit7 of good schools, 

both grammar and high schools, is a veey important 

one to many" !FSA civilians as well as to AFSA 

mill. tar,y personnel. It is as important to IDBD1' 

people as the availabilit7 of' adequate medical and 

hospital facilities and is particularll' pressing 

for a civilian who might expect to be with the 

.A.genc7 tor ID8Jl7 years in one location.. The quali t7 

of Itentucky''s rural schools is dubious. That ct 

the facilities at the Fort is even more so. Louisville is too far aw97 tor commuting even supposing 

the e:x:istence of a sbhool bus to Louisville. The 

proposed site appears to be utterly deficient in 

this important aspect. 

i• The objections to b. are: 

(a) Same as l (b). 

(b) Same as ! (c). 

(c) Same as ls (d). 

(d) There will not be 8ZJY rental property available 

at a reasonable price off the post in near'b7 

town.a. 

(e) It one tries to b1J7 or build a house 01'1 his own 

propert7, he takes the risk of losing mone7 in 

case he should decide to leave. If for 8fJ7' 

reason, a considerable number of people decide 

to leave at once, the market would be ruined. 

(£) Toma near ArlV posts are usually full ot beerjoints, honka7-tonka, and worse. They are not 

attrafrtive to professional people or to BIJ1'0D& 

with children in the ram:q. 

- (g) If a number ot new people move into nearby towns, 

all - stores~ restal@~ ·mr 
.. 

facilities are sure to be overcrowded. Sewerage 

s7stems, water and gas supplies are sure to be inadequate. 

l • The obj actions to c. are as follows t 

(a) The better residential areas of Louisvil1e are 

not on the side nearest Fort ID.ox. The distance 

from the new site to the better parts of Louisville will be at least th1rt7 miles, mqbe even 

thirt7-five. It is difficult to drive this far 

to work each dq, particularl.1' in bad weather. 

(b) Housing or any type will be difficult to obtain. 

3. Objections on the score or obtaining personnel are: Bo professional man who can get a job 81J1Where else even at a somewhat lower 

salar7 is like~ to make such a move. The site of the fort is so tar removed from Louisville that the Agenq will have great ditticul't7 competing 

for medium and lower rating personnel. In addition, the new General 

Electric plant will further reduce the available labor market in this field. 

Most of this grade personnel would be adverse to making the long trek out 

to the Fort and back each dq when the7 could get an equal.17 attractive job 

in or much nearer town. 

4. Various people have estimated that from 50% to as high as ~ of 

AFSA-03 personnel will refuse to move voluntaril.7 to Fort Knox. In that 

event, the Agen07 will be forced with the problem ot filling their places 

with people of little or no experience. This egress has alreadJ' bep (the 

loss or 2 GS-13 personnel in recent months to cite onl1' high brackets) and 

is even now becoming mch worse. On the other hand, it is also estimated 

that from ~ to perhaps more than~ of these same personnel would at 

least tentativel.1' go to a new site not too far removed from D.c., sq, 

Warrenton, for example, to see how things work out before changing jobs. 

S. In addition to the obj actions based on personnel Slid housing, 

some consideration should be given to sources of technical information which 

are available in. the n.o. area. The proposed site 1a too tar removed to 

obtain quick reference information which is now obtained from the Libr817 

of Col'Jll"eas, Naval Research laboratoey, the PentagDD, etc. The Dniversiq 

of Xentuclq facilities could hardq be extended (even if the7 were adequate} 

to permit free and unrestricted usage 'b7 Agency personnel. 

IDUIS W. TCIU>EIU