 The latest weapons, coupled with the fighting skill of the American soldier, stands ready on the alert all over the world to defend this country. View the American people against aggression. This is The Big Picture, an official television report to the nation from the United States Army. Now to show you part of The Big Picture, here is Sergeant Stuart Queen. In both our military and civilian life, our nation needs capable, well-trained leaders. One of the primary sources of leaders for our army is the ROTC, the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Our story today will show you some of the training which qualifies these young men for commissions in the Army Reserve and the Regular Army. Pass and review! Heard of a century, cadets of the Reserve Officers Training Corps from all parts of the United States and their possessions have been attending summer camp for a course of practical military training. Each year more than 15,000 ROTC cadets have reported to camp situated throughout the nation. For a period of six weeks as cadets, college and university students are given intensive training in a wide variety of military subjects. Designed to supplement the instruction that they've received in college, putting theory into practice. Top aim during this period of instruction is to develop the quality of leadership so necessary in the young officer of today. Leadership of a type that will prove beneficial to this nation in the event of an emergency. The training of an ROTC cadet begins in his first year at college. Between the sophomore and junior years, cadets are selected on a competitive basis for advanced military training. Among the advanced course students who will attend camp this summer is Richard Johnson. His pal Ronnie King isn't sure of making good at camp. While his grades are high in military science, he lacks the self-confidence and aggressiveness of his friend Johnson. By mid-June, the cadets are on their way. Traveling on military orders, they come from all directions, heading for summer camps all over the land. For those who drive their own cars, special processing is required. Without meeting these requirements, no automobile may be used within the limits of the camp. It's easy to see how cadets meet and make new friends from just about everywhere in the whole United States. First day in camp, you waste no time drawing your equipment and bedding. And then you find out how to keep house, army style. You learn that everything has its proper place and to keep it there. On the second day, you're taken to the post hospital where you're given a physical examination. And I mean thorough. Believe it or not, some of the cadets don't make it. This is nothing like examinations you've taken before. That's because in order to meet army standards for future officer material, you must be in absolute perfect physical condition. By lights out time, we were settled down in our new home, mighty tired, and thinking about the real training, which would begin with revelry tomorrow morning. It sure was a short night. Johnson, he couldn't wait to get going. While I tried to get my eyes open, we stood our first formation. There's something about camp life that makes you hungrier than you've ever been before, especially at morning mess call. We got a man's breakfast, hot food, never the same two days in a row. You could take all you wanted, so long as you ate all you took. We weren't hungry when we left the mess hall. A flag ceremony followed at which we, the cadets, were presented with the ROTC colors by a color guard of regular soldiers. This flag is kept by the cadets for the duration of their six week training period, after which, at another flag ceremony, it is returned to the custody of the regular army. Back in the company area, we fell in for close-order drill, no more sitting around listening to speeches. Now we were on our feet, and the real field training had begun in earnest. I listened to the noncoms bark out those commands with snap and precision, and I worried, thinking of how it would be when my turn came to do the same. You have to learn to be letter perfect in the manual of arms, in everything. For every move you make is watched by the regular army instructors who grade your performance. During the entire training period, cadets are rotated from one leadership position to another. On this particular day, Johnson was acting platoon sergeant, the squad leader. It was the first time at camp that I was called on to lead a group of men. Let's face it, I wasn't doing well at all. You'd have been able to get it straightened out in time. I don't know. I don't think I'll ever get to be an officer. No, it's not. All you need is self-confidence. For the three days spent on the rifle range, we lived and ate in the field. Boy, did we build up appetites, and they gave us the chow to go with it. Every soldier must master the technique of firing the M1 rifle. Before going out on the range, we were given a refresher course. With a rifle, a man is on his own. Getting the correct sight picture is up to you, yourself. You can do it if you want to. I wanted to. I followed instructions carefully all through the sighting and aiming exercises. I began to get that feeling of confidence that I would do all right when the time came to fire that weapon. Believe me, when the day came to fire for record, I was ready. Few of us couldn't even manage to hit the target. By coincidence, they were the ones who hadn't concentrated much during rifle instruction. They were greeted by the sight of Maggie's drawers. But in the tradition of Daniel Boone and Navy Crockett, most of our company made good as marksmen. After it was over, Johnson came down to see how I had done. He was pleased to make sharpshooter himself. Then he saw that I had made expert. He was as proud of me as I was of myself. I feel to make expert. All right, I guess. On, boy. That chest. Get proud. I'd swap it all in a minute. You'd swap an expert badge? What for? If I could just learn how to handle a squad. Is that all that's worrying you? Simplest thing in the world. For you, yes. After all, you're a DMS. All it takes is practice and self-confidence. Yeah, I know. In theory, it's simple. Ronnie, would you be willing to practice? Yeah, but... Okay, boy. It's a deal. We'll start this weekend. You're going to learn not to be afraid of the sound of your own voice. I liked Sunday mornings at the camp. They were pleasant and peaceful. But this Sunday, Johnson gave me no peace. And the first thing to remember, you've got to have self-confidence. Yes. Now, hold on. Let me talk for a minute. Ronnie, you've got to learn to think on your feet. All right, but... Anticipate a situation before you come to it. Now, suppose your squad is marching toward a fence. They can't march over it. You've got to do something. Now, you have a choice. You can halt them. You can move them to either the right or the left flank. Or you can march them to the rear. Which do I do? Whichever you think is best. The important thing is you make your decision before you come to the fence. Not after. Once you've made your decision, give your command clearly and firmly. What if the squad doesn't hear me? That's another problem. You've got to practice giving commands. Go ahead. Now? Sure. Here? No one's around. Sound off. Loud and clear. Squad, attention. No, no. Your preparatory command must be loud and clear. Like this. Squad. Then you command of execution. Make it explode. Attent. Like that. Good, Ronnie, try it. Squad, attention. Try it again. Squad, attention. Once more. I commanded more trees to right shoulder arms. More bushes to march to the rear than any other cadet in history. As our training progressed, I learned that every army officer must know how to read a map. And accurately. There's quite a difference between reading a military map and the standard roadmap. We trained to be able to tell where we were at all times for the safety of the men in our unit as well as for ourselves. The map reading instructor gave us lots of instruction and then a compass course to run. You first figure your direction of travel or azimuth between checkpoints. Then off you go. A few of us got lost right away. Came out of the woods looking pale and hungry. Then we laughed, thinking of how it would have been for them if it had been a night compass problem. Next on the program came the machine gun. A gun that has been basically unchanged since it was first perfected by its inventor. We took a refresher course in disassembly and assembly. Nomenclature is equally important because it is necessary to know the names of the various parts as they need to be replaced. After that, we fired for practice, getting down letter perfect the six round bursts that are so necessary for sustained fire. Then we fired the record course with the light machine gun. I'd say we had a real work out today. Yeah, we didn't exactly loathe, that's for sure. You better get your boots cleaned up. Hey look, you just said we had a rough day, right? I'm taking it easy for a while. Okay, it's your career. You don't want to lose your DMS out of kind of a dirty pair of boots. Oh, come on, let me worry about that, huh? Hey Ronnie, can I borrow your brass polish? Yeah, another eco-viver. What's even him? Oh, nothing, he's had a hard day. Here's the polish. Thanks. Hey Wallace, what's that red band on the back of your helmet mean? It means I'm through college, I've been graduated. Oh, then you get your lieutenant's commission when camp's over. And since I'm a DMS, I get a commission on the regular army. That's okay. Johnson's a DMS, does he get a regular army commission? Could be, if he doesn't goof off. What do you mean by that? Nothing. Only your buddy's got the right idea, keeping his leather clean and polished. Thanks for the polish. Yeah. Hey Ronnie, let me have some of that polish. Every weekend we spend time at our own private resort, the camp swimming pool. Snack bar, background music, girls in bathing suits. On those days it began to look like a paid vacation we were on. One of the most powerful weapons we fired was the anti-tank rocket launcher. While training with this weapon, the two-man launcher team wears protective face covering. The piece may seem awkward to handle at first. However, with a little experience, a good team can deliver accurate and rapid fire on the target. It's easier feeling of strength to fire all that power right from your shoulder and without any recoil. There is a good deal of emphasis in the summer training program on testing leadership ability. One of these tests is simulating a motorized patrol reconnoitering to our front. The patrol meets many free-arranged obstacles including a roadblock covered by aggressive fire. The patrol meets another situation calling for aggressive leadership when it encounters a ditch which must be spanned by a bridge. The problem is to erect the bridge with material at hand which doesn't look very promising and with only nine minutes to do it under the eye of an evaluation officer. In most cases, one man in the patrol will take over and organize the group as a team. With leadership and teamwork, there's sure enough a way to bridge that ditch. By the end of the fourth week, we'd fired or attended demonstrations of all weapons of the infantry. I was appointed patrol leader and issued orders to the squad. Our mission was to search out strong points on the aggressor lines. By this time, I was starting to feel more of that self-confidence they stress so much in leadership training. As long as you know what you're doing, you get a feeling of pride in leading men. Like Johnson, I found myself really enjoying the training, learning rapidly, feeling very much a part of everything that was going on. Before you knew it, we were in the final week of summer camp. The last three days were spent on a field problem that was a kind of a grand finale, putting to use all the knowledge we had gained during the entire training period. We set out from the company area on a tactical march. Each company was organized with the weapons and equipment it would normally carry into combat. We were headed for an assembly area eight long miles away. Here again, you could see how we benefited physically by our training. It was a hot day. The weapons we carried grew heavier by the mile. Yet, not a single man dropped out. Proud, you bet. We were proud of ourselves and of each other. During the march, we were attacked by aggressor air. Immediately without any command, we dispersed to concealment, firing on the aggressor. Somebody had even called for rain the night before, so there was mud on the road. And after a while, we stopped going around it and slogged through like real infantrymen. Throughout the march, in spite of the heat, we practiced water discipline during our breaks. Toward evening, we arrived in the assembly area. We were briefed by the company tactical officer on our march out, as well as the plan for the evening's preparation for a perimeter defense of the area. We were expecting an aggressor attack at daylight the next morning. The defense position was organized and each gun assigned a mission and a sector of fire. We then proceeded to dig in, both ourselves and our guns. In other words, we dug, and we dug, and we dug. Those who finished their foxholes early got a head start on cleaning up after a long, hard day. We got an idea of what it's like trying to shave close to the front lines. As the tactical officer predicted, sure enough, first thing in the morning, we were hit by the aggressor. They came at us from every direction, but we were ready for it. We brought all of our weapons into action. It was quite a lesson in leadership, planning, and preparedness to see the way the positions that had been selected the night before stood us in good stead. We repulsed the attack. Then we counterattacked, driving the aggressor into a complete rout. After the flanking movement, we surrounded and captured many of the aggressor force. Yes, sir, this sure was the way to bring into focus all at once everything that we'd been taught. The tactical officers were pleased by the outcome of the entire maneuver and called it a success. This made our last day of training and the march back to camp a happy occasion for all. That afternoon, back in the company area, we got the plan for our last day at camp when final pay and graduation would take place. This was the second and last time we paid. The first was soon after our arrival when we were paid our travel expenses to camp. This time, the pay covered both our period of training and return home. Pass and review! They said we looked great on the parade ground. We sure felt it. I kept seeing little things in my mind that happened during those six weeks as I took part in the parade that day. I saw how I had feared the responsibility of leadership, the effort I had to make to overcome my lack of self-confidence. And I was glad and proud to have won over it. I wonder how many of the other fellows were thinking the same thing. We could feel it from one to another in the way we marched. And we were all plenty proud that day because we were better men than we had been six weeks before. We knew it. Everybody could see it. The deputy camp commander introduced the guest speaker for the graduating exercise. Major General Joseph H. Harper, commandant of the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The general told us how pleased he was with our record of military accomplishment at the camp. Somehow we'd all managed to keep out of trouble. The ROTC cadets who had just graduated from college were now commissioned as second lieutenants in the reserve of the United States Army. Some of the graduates who were designated distinguished military students now became distinguished military graduates. This means that in the near future, they will be regular Army officers. The coming summer will see more college students attending summer camp training. From the ranks of these ROTC cadets will come military and civilian leaders of... The term today, lead tomorrow, is the slogan of the ROTC, which is training leaders for our army today and building a reserve strength for the nation in the future. Now this is Sergeant Stuart Queen, inviting you to be with us again next week for another look at your Army in action on The Big Picture. The Big Picture is a weekly television report to the nation on the activities of the Army at home and overseas, produced by the Signal Corps Pictorial Center, presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station. You too can be an important part of The Big Picture. You can proudly serve with the best equipped, the best trained, the best fighting team in the world today, the United States Army.