Evening star., 1943-02-13
Ry NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

increasing IN numDerS, ABOUT 0UOUt
other soldiers of special aptitudeS
will be undergoing some form OF
technical or basic college training
at the Army's expense this year
BY the END of 1914, with the train
ing program operating in high gear
perhaps as many as 100000 men il
uniform will have hit the trail back
to campus to fit themselves fo1
some special Army assignment.
When their schooling is ended
most OF those who make the grade
will return to active military service
10 become technical sergeants
Many others, there are ample rea-
sons to believe, will prove them
selves acceptable as candidates for
officer commissions.
Our particular Pvt. Doe, who has
lust exchanged his campus slacks
for a military uniform in the mid
ole of his freshman or sophomore
wear. perhaps, may think himself
q likely candidate for the Army's
specialized training program. In
camp he will have ample opportu-
nifty to find out.
Basic Training First.
First tip to Pvt. Doe is for him
either to come equipped with or
write to his dean for record of
his college credits. That will help
to expedite things.
First real hurdle to take in filling
his ambition is to demonstrate
leadership and solidarity qualities
during his 13 weeks of basic military
training in camp. For no soldier is
sent back to college, except in rare
exceptional cases, until he completes
this initial period of soldering.
II Pvt. Doe is endowed with GER
tain qualifications to merit special
lied training, a screening" board OF
classification experts will examine
him. stamp him approved" and send
him back to college for prescribed
course of fixed duration. These
screening" boards will function at
every camp in the continental
United States and where there are
none, travelling boards will serve to
meet the situation.
In fact, Pvt. Doe, once he has re-
turned to college, will be screened
at the end of each 12week quarter
or term by none other than the dean
and his civilian college professors.
If he f1unks out, back he goes to
camp to resume the trials and tribu-
lations of an enlisted man in mill
tary training. Otherwise, the re-
ward of good scholarship and aptl-
tude is advancement to another
term.
Why all this fuss and bother to
give thousands Of soldiers technical
and professional training when
there's fighting to be done on an
ever widening scale?
Skilled Technicians Lacking.
Last May, when the Army num-
bered 10000 900 men, Lit. Gen. Brehon
Somervell, commander of the Service
Of Supplies, made the startling dis
closure that it lacked approximately
$4,000 skilled technicians. Some
thing had to be done about it and
done quickly. The Manpower Com
mission has helped but the Army,
itself, limited in its own facilities for
specialized training and hard pressed
for time in turning out fighters, re-
solved to utilize the existing facil-
ties of the Nations colleges and uni
yersities. Now, with the tremendous
expansion program Of the Army, the
need for skilled technicians Is
greater than before-hence the
Army specialized training program.
There is about to open for the
soldier-student wide rage OF
technical and professional courses.
Engineering courses will begin first,
with other types of training expect
ed to be under way by April /.
The bulk of the men to be trained
will be students in some field Of
engineering. such as mechanical,
chemical, electrical and civil, The
second largest group will be in
medicine. There will also be courses
In psychology, with training dl-
rected toward classification work.
A fourth group will take foreign
area" studies for soldiers with
liberal arts background, credits in
international relations and
knowledge Of at least one foreign
language.
To Serve In Freed Territory.
The soldiers assigned to foreign
ares" studies will become liaison
officers to serve between the Army
and foreign populations in captured
territory, or in freed conquered
countries. Theirs will be the task
of aiding in the rehabilitation Of
government and whole populations.
in rendering relief and in feeding
the starving until established ci-
villain control is set up.
Then there will be another group
of soldier -students-men with spe-
cial advanced qualifications in sci
entific training who will never be
expected 10 render active military
duty.
All wars produce some men who
EeSCh ttle iOD OlISlQP Ol mllltafN
activities" explained Col Herman
Feukems, former West Point pro-
fessor, who has been appointed di-
rector Of the specialized training
program.
OF such a type developed in the
first World War, he noted, is DR.
Robert Andrews Milikan. Woric
renowned psyscist and Nobel Prize
winner
Col Beukema explained for the
Pvts John Does Of the Army how
the college program Will work in a
typical and important individual
case
Take for example, he said. a fresh
man In sanitary engineering and
the Army has urgent need for lots
Of them.
Speeds Service to Army.
# he stays IN college and aradu-
steS IN the shortened, accelerated
curriculum institutions have adopt
ed for the duration, he would
then go into the Army After 13
weeks of basic military training, he
would go 10 an Officer Candidate