 On the other side of the world, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000 miles away, it might begin like this. Tension at a trouble spot, a call for help from a friendly nation, a brush fire incident about to begin, a small war that could become full scale to answer this ever-present danger. What's up, Colonel? General Adam is coming right back. There should be a decision soon. We don't know if you're on this one. The Army presents The Big Picture, an official report produced for the armed forces. Tamper, Florida, McDill Air Force Base, headquarters, strike command. In a night meeting of its battle, staff has been keeping abreast of the situation since midnight. Strike comm was designed for just such an emergency as appears to be developing now. We have a low extending through the area, sir, but it shouldn't affect the deployment. This message is for Major Gray. Yes, sir. Standing by under this unified command are forces of the Army and Air Force. Combat ready units tailored to strike hard and fast anywhere in the world. We have Hal Jamison at Strike Comm, keeping us posted on late developments. We're going to call him in. Come in, Hal. We're here in the war room. The Strike Comm staff is keeping abreast of late developments and waiting, waiting for a decision from the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington. All right, sir. General Adams, the Joint War Room has just indicated that the military buildup is proceeding rapidly north of the border. Since the last summary, a note was delivered to our ambassador. That's General Adams at the end of the table, Chief of Strike Comm. His major concern is fast action in carrying out one of several strike plans if the JCS says go. And has suggested that a US strike command air ground force deployment would be most effective. On his staff are Army and Air Force, with two Navy and one Marine officer. It's more than cooperation in this recently formed organization. The Army and Air Force units are well integrated into a single, self-sufficient force that can travel swiftly anywhere and be fully prepared to fight when they arrive. An alert barracks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, or Fort Campbell, Kentucky. With one of the ready units is Stu Fries. This alert is 72 hours long, three days, during which the men can't leave the barracks except for brief training exercises. They're ready to go at a moment's notice. It's the well-known waiting situation, and most of these troops seem to be taking it pretty well. Trooper, what do you think? Expect your outfit is going to be moving out? I don't know. But if we do go, I'll tell you one thing. The situation over there quiet down pretty quick. Are you the first sergeant of this company? That's right. How many hours have these men been on alert status? We've been standing by for 65 hours. If we don't get the word in about seven hours, we don't go. Yes, the troopers will be pretty glad when the alert is over. No, sir, when we go off alert, another outfit takes over, and that means we go second, and we don't like that. Right about this time, I get kind of busy, sir. I have a lot of paperwork to do. A, if we stay, and B, if we get called on this mission. Well, where do you think you'll be wearing this weekend? Those are your boots. I don't know. But I'm set for either one. Overseas, or my sister's wedding. The thing that bothers me, I can't let the folks know if I can't make the wedding. Well, it's too late for that now. Security says no telephone calls, telegrams, or letters. You're born looking, but I'll get you this time. Not hardly. All right, give me your attention. I've just received word that this alert's been extended five hours. Never mind you, you'll remain in a barracks and keep your gear in a ready status. Now, this didn't want to travel. We've just had word that things are happening over at Strike Calm headquarters. Sir, the JCS War Room on the phone? Adams, sank strike. That long-awaited call has just come through from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Give me the weather over the departure field, please. Yes? Yes, OK. The weather at Shaw's better than on the last report, I saw. I know what you mean. Fighters can be airborne in one hour. First troop carriers can be airborne within two hours. After that, a steady stream. Thank you. All run out. The weather searcher unload basis for the troop carrier The departure airfields. Many aircraft and several points of departure are involved in a strike operation. All details have been carefully tied down in several alternative plans. We have a favoring win of 100 knots through this area. Right through here, running about 40 knots in through here. Is there any questions there? Thank you. Gentlemen, we're going to execute head-hard effective immediately. The weather is good at the departure field. The weather over the sea will be moved out before the aircraft arrive at the refueling areas. Will you get me a conference call with Sink Air Strike and Sink Air Strike, please? Priority one, Operator. This is Sink Strike Duty Officer with a red express call. Give me your commander. Aft Strike is the name given to the Air Force Combat Units, Aft Strike to the Army Combat Units. Stand by, please. Yes, sir, we have Aft Strike and Aft Strike on the line. Aft Strike, Aft Strike, Sink Strike speaking. We're executing head-hard effective immediately. I'm taking the force. I'll be airborne shortly. Holloway will be here. Join up later. Anything at your end. OK, see you later. Over, out. Well, gentlemen, let's get this show on a roll. Colonel, earlier you indicated that there might be a possibility of having a word with General Adams. Is he too busy to talk to me at this time? I think so for now. It might be possible later on when we're airborne. Is it because the forces involved in the strike are fairly large? Is that the reason why General Adams is personally taking them? This could be the reason. Just how large a force is going out on this strike? This I am not at liberty to say, but it's big enough to do the job. If you'll excuse me, I've got to get going. For all the past 72 hours, Air Force units too have been in an advanced state of readiness. Strike Calm is able to call upon its assigned unit stationed all over the country and forming up and dispatching the striking force. There go the tankers. They're first off the ground to get a good head start on the fast fighters they're going to refuel. They've all been preselected to fit into various package plans to meet specific situations. Each package, a balanced integrated air and ground strike force tailored to meet a particular crisis. The fighter pilots are being briefed up to the last moment before takeoff. Their government at the moment appears to be in no immediate danger internally. However, if border fighting should break out, our friends tell us that the communist infiltrators may do irreparable harm. Gentlemen, this wraps up the intelligence briefing. Are there any questions? If not, Major Johnson. Takeoff time for the lead flight is $0,600. After join up, we will climb to 40,000 feet. The route will take us to the continent by way of these island bases. Refueling points are here, here, here, and here. Radio silence will be maintained throughout the flight, except as necessary during refueling. The rescued duck butts will be here, here. From now on, according to prearranged flight plans, aircraft will be flowing out of several bases in a steady stream. Getting them all airborne quickly, having planes of varying speeds mesh properly, bringing them in without having to stack them up when they're low in fuel. These are a few of the problems of a fast strike-arm operation, and strike-arm relies on the tactical air command to conduct this phase of the operation. Throughout this strike, they're watching the weather. Every change is vital information. Here's where some of the weather information is being picked up and relayed to the ground station. Captain, how's the weather shaping up? The weather will be good most of the way. The lake from the coast of the first refueling area will have high-scattered clouds, favorable winds, and good visibility at flight level. And over the continent, there will be a few scattered areas of thick clouds. Supersonic jet fighters, destination Arandivu at Alpha, somewhere over the ocean for those in flight refueling. Hal Jamison is staying with strike-arm headquarters. Let's go over and catch them. They're just about to take off. TD, RE, 48408. Well, it looks like we're all set. Get the manifest ready as soon as you can. All set to go, Colonel? Yes, we are. What about equipment? What goes with the headquarters like this? Any guns or tanks? No. Our problem is communications. We've got to have equipment for worldwide communications and enough to control an operation this size. The equipment is in trucks, which will be airlifted and air-dropped. There's a unit right over there, the talking bird. That goes with us. What's a talking bird? This is a very special girl. One complete communications installation, which can bring an aircraft to the airfields overseas and can provide worldwide communication. What about personal equipment? You carry only a toothbrush? No, a little more than that. Each one of us in the headquarters staff has three bags always packed, one for the tropics, one for the cold climates, and a third with articles and clothing, basic for wherever we may go. My equipment is already aboard the aircraft, but if you're interested, I can give you an idea of what these bags contain. For the arty, everything from face masks to snowshoes, for the tropics, mosquito bar, insect repellent, first aid for snake bites, all the latest and personal gear for every climate's possibility. General Adams is now entering the command aircraft. While en route to the trouble area, he will have full communications facilities available and will be in direct contact with Washington, as well as all elements of strike-on, whether in the air or on the ground. Immediate communication is, of course, vital in an operation of this type, where the situation could change without warning, necessitating a change of plans to meet the new situation. He's starting out from his sister's wedding. This weekend traveling. This way, I need the driving to them. Doing as in the old days, but a long string of them, screaming their way overseas. For an overall view of the situation at this time, let's get the word from Harold Jamison. Colonel, you on schedule? Very much so. General Adams has just notified the Joint War Room in Washington that the strike force of Hithard is off the ground and on its way, which means we are meeting our schedule. Have you received reports of what's ahead? Well, we expect the weather to be pretty good for the rest of the flight. No, sir, I didn't mean that. What's the situation on the ground? Has actual fighting broken out? No, and we hope to get there fast enough so that it won't. That's the whole idea behind strike command, to be on the scene, in force, so that an aggressor will change his mind. What about the possibility of talking with General Adams sometime during this flight? Well, he's going to be pretty busy until after the force actually arrives. Jack Turner went out early on one of the tankers. Some of the fighters have already reached the rendezvous for refueling. Tell us about it, Jack. This is one of the most delicate moments in the entire operation. Each fighter that comes along must slow down and jockey into position to receive a fuel line from its assigned tanker. Roger, going to come first flight tanker passball two, ready for receivers. Behind you, what's coming up on your left row? Roger, speed run five, ready and waiting. It takes plenty of practice to make this connection at 29,000 feet, traveling at about 300 miles an hour. That's about as slow as one of these fighters can fly at this altitude. That's the probe in the fighter looking for its target from the tanker, a funnel-like affair called a drogue. Looks like that fighter has come in for a perfect hookup. You can imagine what trouble you can run into if weather isn't on your side at a refueling station. Everything's got to be working for you out there. Weather, timing at the rendezvous, and coordination of the pilots. Jack tankers, as they become available, will make this operation much simpler. The reform below and to the left of the tankers. Left scanner to pilot. On schedule, the navigator picks up the overseas coast line. There's land down there. We should be there pretty soon. Right about now, be driving down Main Street. Hey, the time it takes me to drive home, our whole battle group load up with its equipment, made it overseas. Instead of seeing Main Street, they get a look at the other side of the world. The thing that bothers me, I don't know where I am. Look, when they read about your sister's wedding on page 10, they read about where you are on page 1. We're approaching our staging base. We'll be landing in about 30 minutes. OK, men, put on your steel helmets and fasten your safety belts. The land will get off the aircraft and adjust the parachutes and equipment and load on the jump aircraft. Well, at least this isn't going to be a hurry up and wait operation. We're not going to be sitting on the ground. Here's the first touchdown of the C-130 transports. This is a critical time, bringing in this large force and proper sequence. All kinds of aircraft will come in, in that steady stream that began back in the States. In spite of differences in aircraft speeds, range, and refueling techniques, they're meshing smoothly, avoiding stack-ups and bottlenecks that could be really dangerous at a time like this. Sergeant, what about the experience of these troops? Are they ready for the type of terrain and warfare they may be up against? Look, these men have trained all the way from Alaska to Panama. They're all volunteers. Many of the officers and non-cons are combat veterans. Some Korea, some World War II. The CO got his degree in Normandy in 1944. We've been on Willow Frees, Banyan Tree, and Swiss Strike, some pretty rugged exercises. When they're talking about a combat-ready outfit, that's an outfit like this. This is the best trained battle group in the United States Army. You're pretty emphatic about their training, Sergeant. You know, they have paper requirements for what it takes to qualify to be combat-ready. Well, this outfit has that and a lot more. Thanks, Sergeant, and good luck. OK, we'll start loading this aircraft. We'll left-door load up first. Move all the way to your front and lead the first two seats vacant for the jump masters. OK, start moving in. Now, keep it closed up as you go in there. Once you get in the aircraft, take your seat and also pack your safety belt. Keep your chain strap down until we're at our airport. Pack your safety belt. This particular operation called for an overseas movement by many types of air transports. And in this operation, an overseas staging area is available for parachute and weapons issue on the ground. These troopers are reloading into assault aircraft from which they can jump. Can you tell us whether at this time just reported to Washington that Hithard has arrived and is ready to do its job? Well, Colonel, do you think I could talk to General Adams now? Why don't you go ahead? General, this deployment looks like a success. What are some of the things that might have happened that might have gone wrong? When you have hundreds of aircraft in the air flying great distances, there's always the risk of mechanical failure somewhere on the way that could result in a bad accident. Fortunately, we've had none. Also, weather is variable over a distance as great as this operation spans. And sometimes it could frustrate arriving in the destination area on time. Our weather has been reasonably good and has not delayed our aircraft to any extent. Then, of course, as you approach the objective area, there's always the risk of hostile action. Our CASAF has been on the ground and in business for several hours. And we've had no hostile action so far. But we believe that they can take care of it if there should be any. The CASAF, the general mentioned, means Composite Air Strike Force. These are the fighters, primarily, which arrived well ahead of the troop transports. General Adams, hasn't the Army and the Air Force worked together at good many times in the past? Why is Strike Command different from what existed before? Yes, the Army and the Air Force have worked together, done many great things together for many years. However, except for a few specialized tasks, such as the SAC operation, modern warfare transcends the capabilities of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, none of whom can win a war alone, but combined, they can. In the case of the Strike Command, we have organized tactical air power and Army forces together into a hard-hitting, fast-moving team which can go any place in the world and carry out animation joint chiefs might give us. Thank you, sir. To meet the threat, the emergency, the aggressive act, Strike Command is ready now. A balanced, flexible air-ground striking force, practiced in getting away swiftly and reaching far corners of the Earth in hours. Through the means of a unified command and a joint headquarters, the United States is better prepared than ever before to summon up its military strength for the critical moments that may come. The big picture is an official report for the armed forces and the American people, produced by the Army Pictorial Center, presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with the state.