Evening star., 1940-12-08
Digging Into Your Hobbies

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and to photographers. And when you get
around to giving information for your yellow
registration card at the Reception Depot,
you'll notice that after asking you which is
your best occupation, second best and third
best, they will begin to dig into your hobbies.
Under this last category space is provided
for checking two specific pastimes: radio and
photography. For the Army is scared that it is
going to be shorthanded in those two skilled
fields among Others Hence it is painstakingly
classifying all skills. talents and interests, so
that those with specific experience or prefer
ences can be trained further along their
particular lines
And make no mistake about it, the Army is
going into this employment" problem intel
ligently and thoroughly. In addition to an
aptitude test" and trade or skill tests, each
draftee will be interviewed by skilled per
sOnnel man whose job it is to size up the
individuals temperament and abilities. is
extremely important to tell the interriemer abotd
any trade training or hobby interest which yon
may hare. Be prepared TO gre him convincing
reasons Why you shOnld be assigned TO that type
OF Work.
This is evident when you realize that as
soon as the questiOnnaires of Class Al
draftees are. filed, officers will start combing
them for skilled or semiskiled specialists in
no less than 265 different trades. Besides clerks.
the largest demand will be for cooks. auto
mobile mechanics, medical teChnicians, gen.
eral mechanics, coppersmiths telephone and
telegraph linemen, lithographers, carpenters,
radio operators and aviation mechanics. And
if the last war is any criterion, the Army will
find itself sorely in need of such nonmilitary-
sounding specialists as cable splicers, camera
repairmen, pharmacists, railroad dispatchers,
printers, locomotive engineers and dozen
Others.
The Men Behind the Pilot
I oU can understand the Army's needs more
clearly when you examine a particular unit.
The Air Corps, for example, is the most dra
matte and romantic, but everybody can't
aspire to be pilot. 1t takes from ten to
hundred specialists on the ground to keep each
plane in the air (the number depending on
the size and use of the machine). These
workers include radio and teletype operators
and repairmen; carburetor. propeller and in
strument mechanics; electricians; armorers
and bombardiers; welders, metalworkers and
machinists; photographers; weather forecast
ers and observers; parachute riggers; bomb
sight-maintenance men.
Young Joe Brown, when he is drafted, prob
ably will never have even heard of such an
occupation as 'bombsight maintenance. Yet
he finds himself detailed to that job in the
Army, and enjoying it - simply because the
interviewer notes on Joe's card that he used
to be watchmaker's apprentice and loved to
fiddle around with delicate, fine mechanics
He's just the type they're looking for in that
sort of precision work. And Private Joe Brown
will come out of the Army with lots of add-
tional training and plenty of actual practice
in vocation that genuinely interests him.
On the other hand, Joe's brother Fred lands
in the Coast Artillery of all places, because
ever since he got out of the cradle he has been
tinkering with electrical gadgets The Coast
Artillery, as we'll as the Engineers and the
Signal Corps, are crying for electricians, and
if they can't get them readymade in the draft,
they'll train men whose interests, experience
or adaptability fit them for that work
OF course, no matter how a draftee is
classified he will get a certain amount of basic
military training: drill, discipline, courtesy.
(Conf;nued m nooe 10Y.