Evening star., 1946-08-04

may find and to carry on experimental
ton along new lines which may be sug-
gested. The high commands intent is
to provide the American Army with the
lightest, most powerful and most sim
plifled weapons possible. The role OF
the ground forces boards is expected to
gain stature as time goes on
The Army is well supplied with pilots
but is short in administrative personnel.
Many Of the pilots must be retrained to
take over administrative jobs. There
exists, also, a serious problem in servic-
ing planes, due to the lack of mechanics,
and many officers are required to tend
their own planes where ground crews
are not available.
One illustration of the undermanned
condition of the Army can be found in
the famous 82d (Airborne) Division.
This outfit. the only one of it's kind in
the United States, has a normal per-
sonnel totaling $4,000. At present there
are only 1000 in this unit. Picked re-
cruiting teams are out trying to enlist
men for this specific outfit.
The Army has found some tendency
on the part of war veterans to enlist,
due in part to Establishments found
in civilian life. Conditions are not as
lush as the ex-soldiers have anticipated.
Jobs are not so easy to get. Pay en-
velopes, after ordinary expenditures are
amount of money in the pocket" as
Army pay provided. Even more difficult
is the locating of place to live, civilian
centers often being in worse situation
than the Army posts for living quarters
The percentage of re-enlistments is on
the upgrade, and the recently authorized
pay increases are expected to attract in
creasing numbers of men of better edu-
cation than normally join up. The full
effect of the higher pay has not as yet
been felt, however. No illiterates are
being accepted at this time, but the
Army is offering opportunities for edu-
cation and recreation.
Officers Present Problem.
Out at Fort Knox, where an increas-
ing number of II and 18 year old boys
are being enlisted, the Army is seeking
to make a little easier the transition
from civilian to military life. Realizing
that many of these boys are probably
away from home for the first time, the
authorities provide a welcome party
featuring a dance at which young girls
of about the recruits age are hostesses,
the girls coming mostly from nearby
Louisville. The girls, incidentally, are
not quite as eager for the dances as
during wartimes. but despite this the
recruits do find this must social affair
an antidote for homesickness. A COM
quate theater and library facilities also
aid in making the first few weeks less
depressing to the newcomers. A major
problem involves the large number of
officers who we're not selected to re-
main in the Army. Gen. Eisenhowers
request for $4,000 additional officers, if
adopted, will save many highly trained
combat officers for the Army. Lacking
fairly prompt action they will be lost to
the service and getting them back after
they become established in civilian life
will be difficult. The loss in income
due. to loss of rank following the de-,
mobilization program has had an ad-
verse effect on officer personnel even
though most realized that warborn pro-
motions were only temporary.
The serious shortage of officers has
caused considerable doubling-up with
many taking two jobs. This situation,
however, Is considered undesirable for
loss in efficiency is held certain to follow
overwork.
Infantry Instructors Lacking.
Fort Benning, for instance, expects to
be far short of requirements for in
struction at the Infantry School this
fall and the training of ground forces
will suffer as consequence.
Out at Fort Leavenworth the Com
mand and General Staff College is ex-
tending its efforts to turn out men
qualified to be the commanding officers
OF tomorrow. Combat-trained officers
are giving the instruction and the staff
OF instructors is required to be suf-
ficiently versatile to be able to teach in
Spanish and Portuguese, as well as Eng
lish, because of the numerous students
present from Latin American countries
To meet the shortages in personnel
more and more civilians are being en-
ployed at the Army posts, even to the
point of using civilian guards in lieu
OF sentries in some instances.
The revitalizing Of the National
Guard, Organized Reserves and Reserve
Oficers' Training Corps is expected to
prove OF eventual value in keeping the
Army in state of reasonable readiness.
but even these organizations present an
immediate problem in finding q suf-
flcient number of qualified instructors
from already badly thinned ranks.
Summing it up, the tour revealed three
| pressing needs, more and better housing,
more and better skilled enlisted per-
sonnel and more and better-qualified
| officers to provide the training and ad-
ministration for the Army of tomorrow.
Irish Fat in Tux,vrx,