 The Big Picture, an 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. Twice each year, a group of representative American citizens is invited to inspect the Department of Defense. These guests are selected to represent all areas of the country. A meeting at the Pentagon in Washington is followed by a nine-day tour of our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps bases. This joint civilian orientation conference is the subject of today's Big Picture. Its purpose is to acquaint the American public through representative citizens with the problems, workings, and accomplishments of the Defense Department. It shows how and why our defense dollars are well spent. One of the 80 representative Americans invited by the Defense Department to attend the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference is Ben Allen, a businessman who lives and works in Virginia. An Army veteran of World War II, Ben Allen has a special interest in the defense establishment of today. Like the others invited to the conference, he travels at his own expense except between military installations during the eight-day tour. That he has been invited to study the workings and accomplishments of our defense services firsthand is cause for pride for both Ben and his family. And as a family man, he naturally has a strong interest in the state of our military preparedness. As a taxpayer too, his interest is equally strong in seeing that our military dollars are being well spent. Now, here in his own words, is Ben Allen's report on his experiences during the JCOC tour. The first thing that struck me when we got out into the field was the variety of businesses and professions represented among the other members of the conference. Lawyers and teachers, union leaders and corporation executives, clergymen and shopkeepers, a real cross section of America. We'd been invited as typical shareholders in a big concern, the Department of Defense. Many of us had had some personal experience with one or another of the services in the past. Now we were to get acquainted with all the services. Send us out cold naturally. We got our first briefings in Washington in the world's largest office building, the Pentagon. From the moment we arrived, everything was on a well-organized basis. Experience has shown the Defense Department that these conferences have a direct bearing on how much understanding the general public has of our defense setup. Briefing by the Air Force filled us in on their latest plans and strategies, showed us what was on the drawing boards for service in the future. The Navy outlined their program of fleet operations, showed us how maximum preparedness was being maintained at minimum cost. The Army told us how the government plans its budget, how budget appropriations are made for each of the services. All down the line, everyone leveled with us. And the Joint Chiefs of Staff made us feel we were sitting in as real staff members. For the first time, I got a good idea of the magnitude of their decisions. When I got to the Marine Base at Quantico, I felt pretty well informed. The Marines gave us a demonstration of their new tactical concept of vertical envelopment. These demonstrations don't cost the services anything extra because they're part of the regular training program anyway. The years since I got out of service, things have changed a lot, speed, mobility, maneuverability. These are the words you hear all the time now and new and better equipment. More and more emphasis is being put on science on research and development. Take the new one man helicopter, now undergoing testing for possible tactical use in observation, liaison work, rescue work or small unit maneuvers. These little whirly birds would really give you a chance to make a vertical envelopment. Elsewhere, our seagoing soldiers, the Marines put on a demonstration of their latest model rubber assault boat. This eight man rubber boat provides a means of landing small reconnaissance parties on a beach and of getting them back to the mothership safely once their job's done. Despite its size, it takes only 30 seconds to inflate the boat. While he inflated it weighs less than 150 pounds, but it can carry a ton of men and supplies, most noiseless. Skillful paddlers can make the boat move at a fast flip. Especially designed motor can be used when silence isn't necessary. The motor drives the boat along at a fast cruising speed of 20 knots. The Marines, as always, are ready to move on land, air or sea. And in this age of A-bombs, the fighting man must move fast, inspectors long enough. They decided to show us first hand how some of their equipment works. I wish now they'd moved us infantrymen by helicopter back in the 40s. Getting set for the takeoff, I couldn't help thinking that Ben Jr. would have gotten just as big a kick out of a helicopter ride as his old man in the travel hogs. It was time to say farewell to the Marines and Quantico. Our next stop, the Naval base at Pensacola, Florida. The Navy gave us a briefing on their missions and responsibilities, kind of an expanded and more detailed version of what we've been told in the Pentagon. Then we split up into two groups. Half of us went aboard an aircraft carrier. The other half aboard a submarine. We'd change places later. Those of us aboard the carrier discovered that a flattop is a mighty complicated piece of machinery, and that the men who run it have to be highly trained specialists. If you've ever been near a flight deck during operations, you'll know exactly what I mean. Of course, the Navy has a variety of ships it depends on, submarines and tankers, destroyers and cruisers. But in today's Navy, the aircraft carrier is the spearhead of the Navy task force. Just as with the other services, the changes in naval strategy and equipment have been enormous since World War II. Places. And those of us who'd been aboard the carrier went to see how the submariners live and work. As an infantryman, the only Navy I'd seen in the past was a troop ship. Seeing a carrier and a submarine close up for the first time gave me a much better idea of how the Navy operates. The sub was a lot different from the wide open spaces of the carrier's flight deck. You began to think seriously about that diet you always mean to go on. We asked the crew thousands of questions and got clear, intelligent answers every time. For old times sake, Dick Stelson tried his hand at KP. In such close quarters, you can understand why the submariner has to be a special type of guy. The submarine we visited was a conventional type, but we heard an awful lot about the Navy's new atomic submarines like the Nautilus. The future of the submarine with nuclear power, guided missiles, fantastic speed and maneuverability is something to really think about. When you consider that the Navy first began to experiment with submarines in 1900, you can see how far they've come in recent years. Under Captain Wilkinson, the Nautilus went to sea in January 1955. She sailed until February 1957 without refueling. During that time, she sailed a distance of 20,000 leeks, a distance equal to more than two trips around the world, or 60,000 miles. Such fantastic range makes the submarine a more valuable weapon than her inventors could have dreamed. The completion of the 60,000 mile trip deserved a celebration by the crew. Another new Navy development is Telos, a supersonic surface to air guided missile. Next year, the Telos will be used on board the USS Little Rock and USS Galveston when these ships have been converted to guided missile cruisers. But the Navy has more up its sleeve than the Telos and the atomic submarine. Navy helicopter pilots have added a new twist to conventional landing techniques by putting their aircraft down on the pitching fan tail of Navy frigates. This is possibly the smallest and most precarious landing place for everyday flying. Current tests prove such landings and takeoffs feasible, the helicopter used along with the Navy's smaller ships will help revolutionize anti-submarine warfare. After our close look at naval sea power, we were ready to return to land in a demonstration of naval air power. By this time, we were all getting well acquainted with the versatile helicopters. With its integrated submarine, surface and air power on display, we were becoming convinced that the Navy is ready to fulfill its mission well. A truly amazing demonstration was put on for us by the Blue Angels, the Navy's precision flyers trained for group flying in combat. In precision flying was shown us next at Eglin Air Force Base where the Air Force's Thunderbirds exhibited their skill. We sat in with the regular class. This was no special show, but on just for our benefit. We found that hundreds of officers and enlisted men from the other services were observers just like us, receiving an orientation. Operation usually conducted along with an infantry attack. Difference between success and failure when the Air Force comes to the assistance of the foot soldier. B-36 bombers, they put on a show of precision bombing that made your hair stand on end. J-C-O-C guests are a bunch of free-livers, except for one official meal at each base, we paid our own way. After chow, a special treat, a ride in a jet plane, a tight squeeze getting in here too. I'm going on that diet, I swear. By now, we were all getting pretty air-minded, what with transports and helicopters and now the jets. For most of us before, a jet was just a vapor trail in the sky or a noise you heard with nothing to see, it was moving so fast. Then here it was, a real thing. It is as easy as driving a car, this jet flying, but not as complicated as I'd thought either. And admiration is the word to use to describe what I feel for the men who fly them. Admiration with a little awe mixed in. From the jet, we headed for the climatic hangar. Here, all sorts of Air Force equipment is tested under different conditions. The temperatures range from 40 below zero to 120 above. With bases from the Arctic to the tropics, our Air Force equipment has to stand up in many different climates. The and the Air Force treated us well. Now, we were ready to push off to visit my one time alma mater, the United States Army. Our destination, famous Fort Benning, Georgia. Give us a good look at the modern soldier, his weapons today and how he fights in this era of pentamic reorganization. Once more, we changed hats to be in the uniform of the day. I'd been expecting a few changes that had been made in the Army I used to know so well, but the changes went far beyond anything I'd imagined. Since the end of World War Two, we learned the Army has been planning and working to adapt itself for any wars of the future. Superior mobility will be one of the primary factors for success on any battlefields of the future. Because of this, the Army is putting increasing emphasis on the paratrooper, which to see one of the first jumps ever made by paratroopers from helicopters. Fighting infantrymen are getting so they can jump from anything. Small planes are large from way up or from only a few hundred feet from the ground. We learned about the Army's new pentamic idea and reorganization plans. Our national security demands that we rely on a strong combination of ready combat forces. We were told that speed, mobility and versatility are the key ideas behind the Army's new look. And fast moving, highly skilled paratroopers are part of the Army's answer to the pressing military demands of today. When those hundreds and thousands of fighting men come floating out of every corner of the sky, you can't help but feel thrilled, swell up a little with pride as the paratroopers training pay off. Every man and every piece of equipment landed safely. Because the whole idea of the JCOC program is to put us as close to the real thing as possible, our next stop was at the paratroop training jump tower. First, this wasn't the same as jumping out of a plane, not by a long shot, but it was close enough to the real thing for me at my age, making me some kind of one quarter qualified paratrooper. I even got a certificate, something I can use to show the kids what a brave dad they have. When shot time rolled around, we were escorted by men attending the infantry officer's candidate school. And as we sat and had a bite to eat and talk to informally, we found out what splendid men these potential officers are. We were genuinely proud to have met them. Lunch, we once more took our places in the grandstand for a look at some of the Army's latest equipment. Just for comparison sake, they showed us the traditional but time-worn Army mule, a hero in many a campaign. And then we were introduced to the new mule, a machine whose capabilities are putting the old mule out to pasture. Then one by one, much of the new Army's modern equipment was displayed in action. Often shown explained why the modernized infantry division has become such a tremendously hard-hitting force. Notice the special flag being raised, an ominous silence descended, broken only by the sound of heavy tanks moving into position. The seconds ticked by as we waited for something unusual to break. Then suddenly, as it had started, the mass firepower of the mad minute was over. We went for a closer look at the weapons. Some of the weapons were familiar, other strange, needing an explanation, even to other former infantrymen like myself. For time's sake, under strict supervision, they even let us take a few practice bursts. When the time came to break up and go our separate ways to all 48 states, we felt close to each other, of course, but more important, closer to our country. It had been only eight days since I left my family to go on the tour, but they'd been eventful days. And in looking back, days of tremendous importance to me. In rejoining my family, in thinking of them in terms of their future and our countries, the purpose of the JCOC program was driven home to me forcefully. And as might be expected, what I had seen and heard and learned was too good to keep entirely to myself. When my fellow club members heard of my experiences, I was invited to give a short report. I spoke of our defense establishment in terms of an investment, an investment in the future of not only us, but of our children and of generations to follow. I spoke of my belief that the matter of defense is one of great personal interest to me, to my neighbor, to all of us. It is something demanding more than taxes. It calls for a personal responsibility in keeping informed of how the Defense Department operates, how it serves our best interests. Unless behind our Defense Department stands a well-informed nation, a nation prepared to perform its obligations intelligently, it will not be enough that servicemen and their weapons be ready to fight. It performs its task of safeguarding the peace and rights of free nations, how well, in the words of the Constitution, the Department of Defense provides for the common defense of this country and of the free world depends upon the public support it receives from you and from me, from the citizens of all America. 1500 representative American citizens have been given an inside look at our Defense Department through the JCOC program. Such conferences are further evidence of the fact that under the Constitution in our democracy, the civilians actually do govern our military establishment. Now this is Sergeant Stuart Queen inviting you to join us again next week for another look at your Army in action on 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.