 The official television report of the United States Army, produced for the armed forces and the American people. Now, to show you part of the big picture, here is Master Sergeant Stuart Quain. He knows that a modern army, your army, bears little resemblance to the armed militia of a hundred years ago. Today's armies are much like giant industrial concerns, employing the skills of scientists, engineers, artists, even television announcers. But I wonder how many of you are aware that a very important member of your army today is a man who in a sense is a salesman. A salesman of such importance that there would be little exaggeration in calling him Mr. Army himself. This is an army recruiting sergeant, a man who with one name or another is to be found in almost every city and town in the United States. He is for millions of Americans their first contact with military service, a man who has launched some of the most famous military careers in our nation's history. This particular recruiter is Sergeant Walter J. Sullivan. His territory is Times Square, New York City, the heart of an American community in which live and work some 8 million Americans, citizens of a peaceful nation who can go about their daily concerns in peace, because they are a law abiding people. America is a nation with good laws, hamply enforced by dedicated men in uniform, by such men as this New York City policeman. I wonder if you could give me a little information. Certainly. How do you get to Madison Square Gardens from here? Walk in with one block, turn right six. Over one, right enough six. Thank you very much. Beside this police information booth, in what has been called the Crossroads of America, is another information booth where a different kind of information is dispensed by men in a different style of uniform. This is an armed forces information booth, and the knowledge available here is of interest to more than the citizens of New York City. It is information of vital concern to all the 160 million American people. These men are members of uniform forces dedicated to the maintenance of peace in a world which is neither orderly nor always lawful. Good luck and goodbye. Well, I'm anxious to get into the right spot in the Army. I understand, and believe me, the Army is just as anxious to see you in the right spot as you are to get there. Any man is bound to do a better job than something he's interested in. In fact, under this new reserve for you program, you can pick your specialty before signing up, if you're a both high school graduate, that is. Like any good salesman with a reliable product, the Army recruiter deals primarily in facts. He sells by giving freely of his knowledge, and what he sells is a kind of insurance. Much the same kind of insurance we buy every time we pay a policeman's wages, but on an even greater scale, for where the policeman enforces our laws, the soldier defends the nation itself. Our laws and our cherished institutions will endure only so long as we can adequately defend our country against aggression from without. This is the job of the American soldier, and most of these men today, particularly those of the regular Army, enter their military service voluntarily through the counseling of an Army recruiter, who man the tanks or the guided missiles, who, as the recruiting posters say, join the Army and see the world. But the man who brings them here is as vital as the best of them. For the men who fire the guns or unleash the guided missiles, they're in the office of an Army recruiting sergeant. The recruiting sergeant is a man of rather special character and talent. A man, for instance, like Sergeant Walter Helgeson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Army wants you to have your high school diploma. We need educated men and women today more than ever before. We cannot match the enemies of democracy with quality. There are just too many of them. We can beat them with the quality of our men and women, educated citizens and educated soldiers. This is why the Army urges you to go on to college if at all possible. But if you cannot go on to college at the present time, you can continue your education while in the Army. We have a program reserved for you, which guarantees you the school of your choice even before you enlist in the regular Army. This booklet lists over 150 schools from which you may select two. They range from atomic research, electronics, guided missiles, through motor maintenance, photography, and many other fields. There isn't a career field in civilian life which we don't have in the Army. Instead of just marking time while in the Army, why not make time through a choice, not chance, in your United States Army. Your choice of schooling. Your choice of branch assignment. Your choice of an overseas area. Your choice of an enlistment period. For most of these young men, the recruiting sergeant is the first contact with military service. If they meet their needs, he must be at once advisor, expert counselor, friend, and second father. Sergeant Helcasson knows his fellow townsman. His own hometown is nearby Kenosha, Wisconsin. Above all, he is interested in these young men and what they will make of themselves. I want to extend a sincere thank you to you for your fine presentation and for being with us today. But thank you, my sir. I always enjoyed coming down to Pulaski. You know, I'm amazed when I hear the stories of ported to young men and young women in the Army these days. It certainly wasn't that way when I went to high school. No, sir. No matter what line of endeavor I may want to get into today, the Army can give them all the necessary training and the practical experience, too. Several of my students have come back to school and talked to me about the Reserve For You program. I wonder if you could tell me something about that. Yes, sir, if you're Ken. This is Reserve For You, Pam, but lists over 150 schools. It tells all about these schools, how the men get into them. For instance, here it lists an electronic force 42 weeks long at Fort Bliss, Texas. I'd like to look this all over if I could. And thank you again for being with us. Thank you again, sir. You're welcome. What do you think of Nike, fellas? Pretty great. How does it work? Well, I'll explain to you a little bit. This is the acquisition radar. This picks up the target out on the horizon. And it tracks it in until it comes within range of the target tracking radar here. This picks up the target from the acquisition radar and relays the information back into the box. What about Nike, Sarge? How does the fella get into it? You can enlist directly into Nike. You can serve the entire three enlistment right in Nike. Then when you decide to re-enlist, you can re-enlist for the location in which you want to serve. Even in Milwaukee, Sarge? Surely right in Milwaukee. We're ringed by Nike here. If you want to, someday we can make arrangements, take a trip out and see what a sight looks like. Sounds good. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a city of some 800,000 people. The problems of a recruiting sergeant here are different from those of the recruiter in New York. And they are also different from those of a town like Blackfoot, Idaho, which has a population of 8,000. In a town of this size, the army recruiter is a prominent member of his community, as dependent on the goodwill of his constituents as any elected official. His constituents include not only men in uniform or potential recruits, but their parents, brothers and friends as well. The recruiting sergeant here has much in common with the old circuit judge or itinerant preacher. He travels a regular route through the several towns in his territory, making new friends, greeting old ones. Hi. Where's the boy? I don't know. He shouldn't be here now. His weekly visit often is eagerly awaited by young men who have solicited information or help, as well as by relatives of boys already in service to whom the sergeant is frequently a bearer of news. 585J, please. Mr. Goodman, this is Sergeant Coleman from the Army Recruiting. I got a letter from Bob yesterday. Yes, ma'am. He tells me the Fort Belvoir. I thought I might call and explain what that means. Yes, ma'am. Well, actually it's about 30 minutes outside Washington, D.C. Hi, Sergeant Colvin. Yes, ma'am. Well, that's what we call the Army Engineer Center. While he's going to school there, he will learn to build bridges and other types of construction work like that. Yes, ma'am. I know he liked engineering. In this close-knit community, Sergeant Charles Colvin finds that his contacts with young soldiers last long after they enlist, as they write for advice, encouragement, or just to let him know how things are going. He also gets to know them sometime before they're eligible for service. Here, for example, are the twin sons of Mr. Argyle. Yes, sir, here. Yes. Hi, men. Hi, Sergeant. They're waiting for you. Yeah, we saw at the phone and we came in. I was talking to Bob Goodman's mother. You sure did. Well, say it's almost graduation time. What happens to you guys now? Well, I don't know whether I want to go into diesel mechanics or into diesel engineering. Well, if you're going under college, fine. We really encourage that. But if not, I can enlist you right directly into a diesel mechanic's school and you'll get some off at good training and some good on-the-job experience. Also, while you're in the Army, if you decide you want to go under college or in a program whereby if you're stationed near a college, you can go there during your off-duty hours and take schooling and the Army will pay 75% of your tuition, not to a certain point. Or if you aren't stationed near a college, they have correspondence courses. You can take the will, increase your education in very good programs. Now, how about you, Dean? You was going into what field? Oh, either accounting or dentistry. Well, we have schools in both those programs. We enlist you the very same as we can. They are right directly into a school. Sounds all right. Say, Sergeant, the other day when you were talking to our senior class, you mentioned something about going through training together. That's very true. The men that enlist in the Army now under the Buddy Plan are guaranteed they will stay together during their basic training. Does that include the three years also? Well, it would do for you two beings, your twins, if you were going into the same field. The beings you're going into one field, you could only be together during your basic training. Say, Dad, what do you think of our going into the Army? Uh, things fine. Service, information, promises, commitments. By such means does the recruiting sergeant make new soldiers of curious young civilians. A few hundred miles from Blackfoot, Idaho, high in the Colorado mountains, is the city of Denver. Here again, the Army recruiting sergeant meets some problems which are unique and others which are common to all recruiters. To succeed, he must use all the resources available to him. He must display unlimited perseverance and he must be prepared to demonstrate that he delivers on his promises. This is Sergeant Ken Malone, who is in the process of doing just that. Oh, fine, fine. Real busy, working hard. Been on the station since you came back? Oh, first place I went. Real great. Say, fellow, I'd like to have you meet Dale Cromer here. Hello, Dale. How are you? Uh, fine. You a prospect now? Mm-hmm. He's working on me. Oh, good. What kind of luck are you having with him? Oh, I'll tell you, Phil. This guy don't really believe what I'm trying to tell him. What? I think he's going to get away from me. Oh, you're a hard man to get away from. How long did he work on you? Oh, about a year and a half altogether. Dale, Phil here is proof of the pudding. He was working in a Denver television station and now he's doing TV for the Army. He enlisted for regular Army, asked for a specific assignment, and that's exactly what he's got. Are you sorry, Phil? No, sir. If I'd waited for the draft, I doubt very much if I'd be doing what I am now. Did you go directly into television when you enlisted? No, I took eight weeks of basic training. Then right on to the Army Pictorial Center in New York City. That's the headquarters of Army television. Dale, you're interested in this electronics, aren't you? Yeah, that's right. Well, the day you enlisted in the regular Army, the school you'd like to go to will be your assignment after the basic training, of course. Two minutes ago starting alone. Thanks, Walt. As I was saying, when you go RA, you've made a choice in not just taking a chance. You're well qualified for the electronic school. I just don't see how you could miss. Massage for three years? You know, Dale, I said that same thing to Ken just about a year ago. But now that I've been in, I don't see that that extra year is going to be pretty valuable to me and the practical experience I've got and also the technical training I've gotten. Phil's working in his field and doing just exactly what he wants to do. Let's go, Sergeant. Be right with you. And so it goes. In New York, in Milwaukee, in Blackfoot, Idaho, in Denver, Colorado, the recruiting sergeant, Mr. Army, answers questions, examines possibilities, gives advice. This is Army Sergeant Ken Malone who will show your Army show. Presented each week by K-O-A-T-V and the United States Army Recruiting Service. Tonight, we're going to take up the Army Reserve and National Guard. We've got questions coming in. I'll rake about them and I think we can answer them tonight. This is San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo, a city with a military tradition all its own. One of the recruiters in San Antonio is Sergeant Edward G. Low. His mission today, as so often happens, is not to persuade a young man to become a first-time soldier, but to encourage the continuation of an Army career on the part of an experienced veteran. Men in this situation often come to the recruiter for advice and counsel. He is, after all, a man of similar background and experience and is often an old friend. Doug, with your experience in background and helicopter maintenance, I know as well as you do that you're needed both in the Army and civilian life. Well, Ed, I almost stayed in. I really liked the service. You know, I volunteered the first time, but things have changed a little bit now. I have two children and my wife has her heart set on settling down, buying a home. Maybe that could be arranged. Does she know about Operation Gyroscope? No. Frankly, I don't know too much about it myself. Well, this is a story, Doug. Operation Gyroscope provides for the rotation of units in the United States with similar units overseas. Normally, the unit would spend 33 months overseas and return to its home station for approximately 31 months. Also, it provides for the concurrent travel of dependents in top three enlisted grades such as yourself. Now, this should be especially appealing to the wife. Yes, I believe she would like that. You know, I like the idea of the unit staying together, too. So do I. Here are some of the units we are listing for at the present time. Now, the 4th Armored Division, the 2nd Armored Cow Regiment, and also the 11th Bearborn Division. And they all have vacancies in both your grade and M.O.S. Remember this, Doug. If you re-enlist, you have a choice of assignment and your old stripes back. But you must make up your mind within the 90-day option period. I know, Ed, and I've been thinking about it. I have 40 days left, but I just can't make up my mind. Now, while you're thinking about it, think that re-enlistment bonus over. Believe me, I have. Say, how about having dinner with us one night this week and explain all of this to my wife? Won't you not be good? Fine, about six o'clock. Say it safe. More than a thousand miles from San Antonio on the shores of the Pacific Ocean is a city named for still another saint, the Golden City of San Francisco. Here in San Francisco, another Mr. Army, Colonel Shadell plays host and travel guide to a group of ROTC students from San Francisco's high schools. Explaining to them one of the reasons their peaceful Pacific has remained that way. The reason is Nike, Greek goddess of victory, an America's major operational ground-to-air guided missile. American cities and industrial centers today are ringed with batteries of these supersonic deadly answers to the threat of surprise attack. Young men have an opportunity to see close-up, one of the first successful products of the age of guided missiles. This is the missile-fueling area. These missiles are fueled here prior to being placed in the storage area. The missile is fueled with nitric acid and JP-4 for rocket fuel. The JP-4 rocket fuel is a high-grade kerosene or a low-grade gasoline. The men that are fueling these missiles are wearing this protective clothing because of the high-toxic content of this fuel. Is there any questions? Okay, men, let's move out now to the missile-launching area. The effectiveness of the missile system depends in large measure on the intelligence and training of the men who operate it. It is Sergeant Shadell's hope that somewhere in this group of young students are tomorrow's guided missile men. This is one of the missile-launching section of B-Battery 740th AAA missile battalion. At the sound of the siren, the men on this section know that the radars on top of Mount Sutro having their screen or scope and unidentified enemy are friendly aircraft. Trips such as this which acquaint America's future defenders with the tools and weapons they will use on their tour of military duty are an annual event in San Francisco. They represent the coordinated efforts of local army recruiters and the city's top officials. This is San Francisco's mayor, the honorable George Christopher who, like civic officials throughout the country, is well aware that building an adequate defense system is one of our most pressing problems. He may enlist for anti-aircraft command and after a brief basic training he will get it into the Nike program. Thank you. That's very interesting indeed. You know, Sergeant, one of the unpleasant truths which must concern any civic official of our times is the fact that scientific advances during the past decade especially have eliminated and probably forever the so-called non-combatant. Nuclear weapons and guided missiles have indeed left us no place to hide. Fortunately, the same advances are also providing us with increasingly effective means of defense for our cities and for our industries. Among the most important of these defenses are the numerous Nike-guided missile batteries which encircle our major cities. Now as mayor of one of the largest of those cities, I am especially pleased to learn that through the Army's new assignment policy it is often possible for many of our young soldiers to be stationed in one of the Nike battalions of their own native city. This program which enables many young men to participate directly in the defense of their own home seems to me an especially appropriate feature of our American tradition which had its origin with the midmen of the Revolutionary War. I am happy at this time to add my name to the nationwide tribute for another American institution. The generally unsung hero of military life, the recruiting sergeant. There is, I believe, a slogan which says that the voluntary way is the American way. These dedicated young men play a big part in keeping that tradition alive. Sergeant, I want to congratulate you and certainly wish you well in the future. It's a great cause and a great program that's being initiated by our government and I certainly want to wish you well. Thank you, sir. Soldering today is one of the most complex occupations to which a young man can aspire. From time immemorial, the soldier has been a man young in years with a strong body and a clear head. Today he must also be a man of considerable intelligence for the tasks to which he may turn his hand within the army are as varied and as challenging as any to be found in our modern, highly mechanized society. The man who enlists in a modern army begins a program of learning which will make of him something more than a fighting man, though he will be that too. The competent fighting man of today is also engineer, mechanic, electronic specialist, or missile man. Often he must be a little of all these specialties rolled into one. One of the most pressing problems of every modern army is to increase the number of genuinely trained and skilled individuals available for military duties. The soldier today is heir to an old and honored military tradition and also a pioneer on frontiers of science and military art where none has preceded him. The voluntary way it has been said is the American way. It is also the way in which men learn best. It is here that we see what is perhaps the army recruiting sergeant's most valuable contribution. For through his efforts, men are brought voluntarily into that phase of military life where they can be expected to make their greatest contribution. A man situated where he wants to be, learning the skill which he wants to acquire is both a happier man and a better soldier. Many of the weapons and other devices which form a part of a soldier's training today scarcely existed in World War II or even a decade ago. Combat television, for example, is spreading through our armed forces both as a training device and as an important tool of combat commanders who can now realize a military commander's dream of having his crucial combat areas under his eye at all times. Operators of this combat television system are but a few of the men engaged in previously unheard of tasks within the army. Those who come to their military service through the office of a recruiting sergeant may proudly call themselves the regular army. They are the heart, the hard core of the service without whom our national defense could not exist. It is to them we look in times of national stress. And they are there largely because of the army recruiting sergeant. The complexity of warfare today virtually defies description. And the skills required to operate new weapons in speeds faster than sound must be welded to all of the old time-tested abilities of the fighting soldier. Recruiting sergeant, Mr. Army, you will see him tomorrow, next week, on the streets of cities all over America. And when you see him, mark him well for it is through his unstinting service to duty that we sustain the military strength which protects us all. Soldier, salesman, diplomat, teacher, and friend. This, Mr. Army, is a most valuable citizen. Recruiting service to which our recruiting sergeants belong has a tradition as old as armies themselves. A career soldier who knows and loves the service. He is the ideal man for helping the younger generation begin its military career with the right foot forward. Now, this is Sergeant Stuart Queen inviting you to be with us again next week for another look at The Big Picture. The Big Picture is an official television report for the armed forces and the American people. Produced by the Army Pictorial Center. Presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station.