 This is The Big Picture, an official report of the United States Army produced for the armed forces and the American people. It's war era of tension and conflict. American soldiers have had to take up posts all over the world. Today, they stand by their guns in silent readiness. All humanity prays they will never be needed. But until nations learn to live together in peace and in harmony, these guns and these missiles must remain poised. At home, Americans may feel secure. For everywhere, their soldiers are on guard, listening to the wind with electronic ears, scanning the horizons with electronic eyes, alert to discover the first faint traces of sudden enemy movement. The men of the U.S. Army, standing between you and unexpected attack. And it is upon these men that all America must rely. The men behind the new electronic equipment, the men behind the guns. In most of the stories you've seen on The Big Picture, we've tried to show you the overall concept and activities of the United States Army. Today, we're going to do something a little different. It's a rather personal story. The story of one man. We're going to take you 100 miles behind the Iron Curtain, to Berlin, to the 6th Infantry Regiment, to meet 1st Sergeant Richard B. Galand, a career non-commissioned officer, one of the hardcore of NCOs who play an indispensable part in keeping the U.S. Army the greatest fighting team in the world. I am 1st Sergeant Richard B. Galand, U.S. Army. This is my home, Berlin, East Germany. It's a quiet city with broad streets, monuments, a lot of places for a GI to visit. We think it's good duty. My outfit's the 6th Infantry Regiment. It's a pretty sharp outfit, too. We have to be sharp because we're a show unit. Every day, all over Berlin, we're on public display. We're constantly under inspection by the eyes of the German civilian population. Germans have a tradition of fine soldiering. We're showing them that we're the best. Our mission includes sharing with English, French, and Russian troops guard duty at special security posts and providing honor guards at public functions and at American military ceremonies. Before we leave the regimental area, an inspection makes sure that every man and his weapon will pass muster by any on-lugger. We're only a small part of the Cold War, yet every soldier must be faultless. When we're on duty in Berlin, we're split and polished troops. To a German, a soldier's appearance is the key to his character. It's white scarves and white gloves when we march to relieve Russian troops from a guard detail. Changing the guard is one of the few times that Russian soldiers ever meet American soldiers face to face. At the famous Spandau Prison, a private from the US relieves a private from the USSR. An important part of our mission is to show the citizens of Berlin that the soldiers of a free nation can be crack, well-disciplined, sharp-looking, like this young sentry. Keeping the 6th Infantry Regiment up to the high standards demanded requires hard work, patience, and sound planning. I'm going to show you something about how the 6th has run. I know quite a bit about this. See, I've been first sergeant here for three years. Every month, the regimental commander, Colonel Walker, calls a special meeting of the regiment's top NCOs. He goes over military matters from discipline to personal appearance, making sure that there are no slip-ups, making sure that every man understands the importance of being stationed in Berlin. In this conference, all of us are master sergeants and some of us are top kicks, first sergeants. That's me on the left, Richard B. Glenn. I'm regular army, saw my first uniform back in World War II, and I'm proud to say that this outfit is one of the bests I've ever served with. My company is Sea Company, Charlie Company. Our work day begins at 0730. For me, that means being at my desk. First thing every morning, I've got to see that the orders of the company commander, Captain Mack, are being properly carried out and that all administrative procedures are being processed. Sick reports, duty rosters, supply requests, all pass over my desk before I'm being sent to the captain. Captain Mack wants the best company in the regiment, and so do I. To get it, we've got to keep the paperwork moving. Some people call this a paper war, but feeding, clothing, and looking after 200 men takes time and effort. By the time the orderly room is squared away, it's time for me to begin morning inspection. The men of the 6th Infantry Regiment keep their quarters pretty sharp, but when you've been inspecting barracks as long as I have, you know that there are always some imperfections which need correction, like this badly worn boot that could cause some soldier lots of trouble on a long cross-country march. As first sergeant, there are countless other details to check and correct, even little oversights like the waste of water or electricity. About 08.30 every morning after the administrative routine and inspection, I usually take a coffee break with as many of my NCOs as are free. It's a good habit. We get a breather and a chance to talk things over. It's the only time all day that we can all get together. Over a cup of coffee and a smoke, we go through the work schedule. I've got to make sure that every man knows exactly what's expected of him. We don't want snafu's here, and these short conferences help keep a lot of things straight. For the men in the company, those who aren't on duty in the city, we maintain a constant training program. We're infantry troops, and that means we stay in shape. Because we're behind the iron curtain, we've got to be alert should we be called upon in any emergency. So it's important that we keep the men in top condition at all times. Whatever you call it, physical training, PT, the daily dozen, it's hard work, but there just isn't any better way to achieve physical fitness. Keeping the men sharp in their basic military skills requires training, training, and more training. Every soldier must know exactly how to use that six inches of steel. Isn't it a toy? It takes good judgment and practice to handle it properly. Gun's another standard infantry weapon. We want every man in the company to become proficient with both the 30 caliber and the 50 caliber machine guns. Almost every morning ends up like this, cleaning the equipment which has been used in training. A good infantryman can assemble and disassemble every one of his weapons in the dark if necessary. So cleaning these guns actually serves a double purpose. It keeps them in good working order and keeps the men familiar with all of their operating parts. Being first sergeant means staying close to the men. Deficiencies must be explained and then corrected. Cleanup details can become good discussion periods. The more a soldier knows about his weapons, the more useful they are to him. There's a lot more to a machine gun than just pulling the trigger. Sometimes it seems like a heavy load, but it's a real pleasure to work with the kind of men we've gotten this company. They're good soldiers and they're eager to do what's expected of them. Then finish cleaning their weapons. That's usually my time to run a quick check on the mess hall. I take a look in here before every meal. It keeps the kitchen detail on its toes. You just look around this kitchen. It's spotless. More than that, the food is first-rate and it's a real art to prepare appetizing meals when you're cooking to serve 200 helpings. Cold and fresh. We get food from all over Europe. When you work men hard and we do, the food they get means a lot and the food supplies we're issued are prime quality and with plenty of variety. And our kitchen staff can really turn out some fancy cooking. That's what I call a beautiful roast. It's been five hours since breakfast. There's been plenty of rugged training and work details. Roast beef in the middle of the day won't slow anyone down. Instead, it'll provide the nutrition and energy that hard-working bodies require. One of the advantages of being first sergeant is that the kitchen staff takes pretty good care of me. I'd say that a good mess hall is 50% of a company's morale. And this one's good, I'll tell you. We run what's called a family-style mess. It's as attractive and comfortable as we're able to make it. Child time is a good opportunity to check with the men on impersonal matters. There's more to army life than just grueling or training. Good morale is a constant objective. At the same time, I can almost always spot a man recently returned from leave. You can tell just by the back of his head, my child time and I relax. When you've spent all morning answering questions in the orderly room, checking the training program and being constantly on the move, it's good just to eat quietly and read. Moments like this are too few in my day. But it never works out. There's always something to disrupt the peace and quiet. I'm always hoping it's something that'll wait till after lunch, but somehow it never is. This time, I had to get ready for a special conference with the captain on orders that had just come down from regimental headquarters. We were to go on maneuvers the beginning of the next week, and there were a lot of instructions that had to be carried out. The whole company would be issued field equipment, rations, and ammunition. We would be fighting against an invading aggressor force, and although only blank ammunition would be used, the combat situation was to be as realistic as possible. The preparations for the maneuvers, of course, were in addition to our normal duties in Berlin, so the work schedule was practically doubled. At the same time as first sergeant, I had other duties of my own to attend to. When one of my men needs an emergency leave, I try to help him get it. A soldier who's worried or unhappy because of sudden illness or tragedy at home can't carry out his job properly. Through the International Red Cross, the Army tries to get trouble soldiers back home as quickly as it can be done. During the next few days, we put the company through an intensive series of field exercises to prepare them for the coming maneuvers. Our regiment is being reorganized for atomic warfare under the new pentomic table of organization. With an emphasis on more firepower and less manpower, smaller groups of men are learning to do bigger jobs, so more is demanded of today's soldier. He must adapt himself to the demands of atomic warfare, and he must be proficient with every infantry weapon. This kind of realistic training makes our men able to react quickly and effectively to every combat situation. If ever an emergency arises, these troops know exactly what to do. Know how to use these weapons in a hurry. Training simulates combat conditions as much as possible. The regiment's training program serves a definite purpose. A soldier can get out of shape in a few weeks. He can forget little details about how his equipment works, little details that might be vital in an emergency. But with the help of regimental instructors, errors are noted and corrected. Field training is an indispensable part of military instruction. After those three days in the field, it was a real relief to get home for a weekend before the maneuvers began. These are three of my four little girls, Jenny, Linda, and Helen. It's quite a welcoming committee. There's usually some welcome mail from the folks, too. Some of the other NCOs kid me about my house full of women. But when I've spent all week overseeing the activities of a company, a weekend with a family is about the greatest thing I know. Just listening to Linda play the piano relaxes me like nothing else can. Although Jenny's the youngest, she already has quite a mind of her own. She found some picture books that my wife bought, and she just has to have them all explained. When she's a little older, maybe we'll take her to one of the art museums here in Berlin. Right now, she's still a little too young. Trying to explain these pictures to her can be quite a task. I'm not always successful. Through the Army, we found a nice little house. There's plenty of room for the six of us, and it's very comfortable. I consider myself pretty lucky Being an American, the career I pursued in the Army, we've got a lot to be grateful for. Thanking God for all of our blessings seems natural to us. Our families traveled all over the world, and sometimes it's been hard. But wherever we've gone, we've had this with us, and it's always pulled us through. And in some off-duty time, I take it easy. One thing about the Army isn't the single sport in the U.S. that we don't have right here. Before the kids came, I used to bowl four or five times a week. Now, it's maybe once a month. I still haven't completely lost my touch. There's golf, too, but the way my buddies play may be better off in a miniature golf course than out here. About the same as in New England, and it's great for football. We've got a regimental football league in which every company is represented. And the kids like these games because there's really plenty of spirit. Play isn't exactly professional, but the boys get out and give it a real college drive. The big games are on Saturday afternoons. Sometimes the whole regiment is out to watch. There's one place I'm sorry to say that Charlie Company doesn't always shine. Sunday, we all attend chapel. The Army makes sure whenever without this. Your chapel is a good time to look over Berlin. Although much of the city was destroyed during the war, there are still plenty of places to visit. After all, this city goes back more than 1,200 years. That's the amphitheater where the Olympics were held in 1936, and our Jesse Owen ran off with the show. Naturally, we always wind up at the zoo. It's the one place the kids never get tired of. We've been here so often that these fellas are like old friends. The only trouble is that now the kids aren't satisfied with their dog, but they really want us a baby seal which we could keep in the bathtub. Except Jenny, she wants a baby elephant. Darkness, the regiment rumble toward the assembly area. In combat, of course, bright headlights will not be used. But these were maneuvers, and normal precautions had to be taken against accidents. The next day, preliminary emplacement began. We dug in and installed communications. Each soldier had his job and knew exactly what was expected of him. Signal core linesmen went into action, and small but powerful switchboards soon linked the regiment together. At the same time, Captain Mack went over detailed plans for the maneuvers. He assigned each platoon its mission during the company attack on the aggressor-held positions. Our defensive perimeter was secured without incident. The countryside led itself well to cover and concealment. During our preparation, forces of the Mark aggressor army were moving into their positions. Using tanks and armored personnel carriers, they concentrated their troops in key consolidation points. The next morning, the regiment moved out. Our company was widely dispersed, and it opened into small groups which were joined by a radio telephone net. This is the best training in the world. There's no better way to really teach men to overcome obstacles of terrain and weather. As first sergeant, I moved out with a squad. The stream was cold and the bottom was slippery. On both sides of us, other small teams were affording the stream. Our mission was to move across country and help seize an enemy-held hilltop. As we approached the objective, mock explosions made the situation more realistic. Following standard infantry tactics of fire and maneuver, we closed on the objective. Coordinating widely scattered units in combat is no easy matter. Using a flexible communications net, the whole company was brought into position for the final assault. The signal to advance was given. Intensive training was now being tested to see how much the men had gained and how they would use it. All groups of aggressors were quickly routed. The objective was seized. Our estimated losses. Maneuvers were a success. A tired but proud company of men headed back for the assembly area. Take a look at Charlie Company. They stand straight, march tall. Turning out soldiers like these makes the hard work well worth it. At the regimental area the following day, there was a full dress regimental inspection. When the inspecting officer reached Charlie Company, I wasn't worried. I knew my boys. I knew they'd pass inspection by anyone. Here, who sets the pace to the last man in the last rank, it's a fine company, the best. We've got soldiers in this outfit from every section of the USA. North, south, east, west. Some are regular army and some are draftees serving their tour of active duty. But they're all doing a job. Some may be young, but they're all men. Men from Omaha, Nebraska and from New York City. And they're good soldiers. They stand ready to serve their nation wherever and whenever they're needed. The following day a full scale parade was held. Colonel Walker was the reviewing officer. It's funny the things you think about when you're marching in a review. It seems like a long time since I first joined up. They've been good years. I've been able to serve in many foreign countries. I've worked hard. I've had my rewards too. But it has been challenging. But I've always enjoyed the ingenuity and humor found within the army. And too there's the satisfaction that comes with being part of a great organization. I see all these and I know they're part of my outfit. The cadence of the march. The rumble of the tanks. The sound of the band. And the beauty of our country's colors. Gets me every time. But the biggest satisfaction for me has been knowing that what I'm doing is important. It's a job that really has to be done. It makes me proud. Proud to be a member of my company and my regiment. Proud to be a member of the United States Army. American people may justly be proud of 1st Sergeant Richard B. Gilland and the many others like him who are serving the ideals and traditions of the United States wherever they may be stationed. Now this is Sergeant Stuart Queen inviting you to be with us again for another look at your Army in action on The Big Picture. The Big Picture is an official report for the armed forces and the American people produced by the Army Victoria Center presented by the Department of Army in cooperation with this station.