Evening star., 1950-09-10
In Remaining Obstacle Course
Army Keynotes Confidence
~ A-21

tually with less bad tasting medi-
cine now
They won't be walking post in
a military manner this time.
Meaning, of course, that interior
guard duty, the nocturnal bane Of
any soldier. is completely i1struc-
ton. Walking clores have been
cut from 16 to 4 hours Tor the
6-week period, and nobody actu-
ally will pull guard"
| Physical Observation-Disclosures
been cut in half. What the boys
miss in ,,alisthenics, they'll make
up in a higher developed field
program and forced marches. Gen.
Mcconnell wants to get them
moving at rate of five miles in
40 minutes, about twice as fast
as the old army. He will stress
comparatively short marches and
trotting instead of the well-re-
membered 25-mile jaunts.
Marching Cut in Half.
Dismounted drill-marching to
you-has been cut in half. Some
of that fancy right oblique"
march stuff is out the window.
Curtailment of these and other
drills of questionable merit is
opening time for new training.
The trainee will have actual firing
experience with practically every
light weapon, thus emphasizing
the new teamwork of having sup
port artillery, machine gun, auto
matte rifle and rockets as an or
ganic part of the infantry.
He will see the new 3.5 rocket
launcher demonstrated and will
actually fire the old 2.36 bazooka
which works on the same princi-
pie.
The old inflltration course is
back, Stimulating battle condi-
tions better. but this time it is
called battle indoctrination.
Every trainee will crawl for Is
or 20 minutes over a 75-yard
course, with machine guns cross
firing over his head. With dyna-
mite discharges going off around
him. New realism is being added
with artillery fire. For the first
time. the course will be traversed
at night-three hours of daylight
and three hours of night opera
tions during the six weeks.
Brain" Courses Included
For the first time, the brain"
courses include an introduction
to atomic and biological or germ
warfare. Proportionately. chemi-
cal warfare is being dropped to
third place. Gas masks will be
used, but not issued until the
units shove off for battle areas.
The Army now is giving what
it calls the general classification
test battery, series of eight tests
which largely determine a mans
qualifications. The quotients of
these tests are grouped in 10 diff
ferent combinations for final
analysis. Then with the help Of
personal interviews, the men are
Immediately classified for their
obvious Skills.
All take the same basic train
ing, at the end of the six weeks,
about one third will be sent to ar
tillery, engineers, and armored di-
visions, or to cooks, bakers, me-
chanics and leaders schools for
eight weeks advanced training.
Of the remainder, one third will
take eight weeks training in light
weapons and one third the same
period in heavy weapons, both to
be assigned to the infantry.
One of the brighter spots is
that the Army is giving every man
after initial assignment, chance
to transfer to another job if things
aren't going right.
Chaplain Plays Bigger Part.
The chaplain is playing a big.
ger part than ever in the soldiers
life. Now it is mandatory for a
recruit to be interviewed by a
chaplain during his processing.
He is urged to seek him out and
spill his. troubles. The Army is
progress with the char
acter guidance program. For in.
stance, the cleric now is respon-
sible for teaching the value of
sex morality, a job formerly as
signed to medical man.