 This is the Big Picture, an official television report of the United States Army, produced for the armed forces and the American people. An indispensable to victory in war, throughout the history of man and his struggles. Control of the land, the land he lives on, and from which he derives his sustenance. The Army is the land force, charged with the mission of seizing and retaining this control. The techniques, the tools, sometimes the tactics of warfare change. But this fact remains as true today as it ever was. Even today, in the age of the atom, that fact remains. The land may be scarred and seared by weapons which stun the power of reason. But so long as it remains vital to victory, it is the task of the soldier to secure it and hold it. The well-being atomic battle field has forced upon the Army the absolute necessity of testing both men and tactical concepts under atomic conditions. In nuclear explosions over the last few years, the Army has learned much about the response of the individual soldier. Out of the special needs imposed by atomic conditions, the need for the wide dispersion of forces, for instance, the structure of a combat force in the field, has been developed to provide a mobility and a fluidity that troops in warfare have never had before. This new unit is called a pentomic unit, shaped and trained to meet the demands of warfare on an atomic battlefield. Today, the big picture camera swings to the barren flats near Desert Rock, Nevada, where in the latest atomic blast, the concept and the problem were met. For the first time, one of the new pentomic organizations was actually employed in the field in conjunction with an atomic detonation. This is infantry troop test, Smokey. The topographical backdrop against which this exercise takes place is the vast great basin of Nevada. A land of sunshine and flat arid desert cut by many broken mountain ranges. Like startling OACs in this desert are its few but famed cities, notably Las Vegas. Its reputation for gaiety the world over is built on its wholehearted dedication to the pursuit of entertainment. Today's world has added its own unique landmark to the stretch of earth, the Nevada Test Site with its support headquarters at Camp Desert Rock. The events at this test site over the last several years provide a backdrop also for troop test Smokey. For the nuclear explosions conducted here have provided essential information to aid in the development of weapons, methods and programs to strengthen the defense of the nation and the free world. Since its establishment in 1951, Camp Desert Rock has witnessed many explosions of nuclear devices, each of which has contributed substantially to our body of scientific knowledge. Not the least significant of Desert Rock's missions has been the continuing war waged here against fear, fear of the unknown in the minds of soldiers who might be called upon to fight on an atomic battlefield if an aggressor so determined. Ground troops have participated in most of the tests that have been conducted. Before every test the participating soldiers have been fully and carefully briefed on the nature of the A-bomb. They have learned from authoritative sources the bombs' power and capabilities, the effects at various distances of heat, blast and radiation in an atomic explosion. The greatest part of the energy, about 50%, is released in the form of blast, more than 30% as heat and about 15% as nuclear radiation. They have learned what exposure can do to an unprotected individual. But along with this they learn also how various kinds of shelter including the soldier's foxhole can give protection. This kind of information based on fact rather than uninformed hearsay goes a long way toward dispelling and reasoning fear. An exercise conducted several years ago illustrates the character of the tests that have taken place and of the performance of men well trained to know exactly what to expect and what is expected of them, how to conduct themselves for the greatest measure of safety. Not only foot soldiers but armored and other units as well have participated in the Desert Rock exercises, giving the exercises the character of realistic training from which the troops benefit and at the same time enabling the Army to add to the knowledge that is essential in shaping forces capable of fighting under atomic conditions. How thorough and careful the briefing however, in every test yet conducted in these Desert Flats, an unmistakable tension begins to grow as the final details of the plan are put into operation and the loudspeaker begins its periodic announcements of the time remaining. Minutes before each hour everyone gets ready, troops and equipment both take cover. Heavy silence hangs over ground zero, the target area and the trenches in which the soldiers wait. The only visible marks on the landscape are the items of equipment on which the effect of the blast will be tested. The countdown announces the detonation, have experienced their first atomic explosion, moving out of their trenches toward the blast area with the mushroom clouds still hanging in the air, have acquired an invaluable first-hand knowledge of the effect of nuclear devices and have participated in an historical development of prime importance. The adjustment of the United States Army to the atomic age. The most recent tests at Desert Rock involve the use of one of the Army's new pentomic units. Advanced elements of the first battlegroup, 12th Infantry, arrive by truck from Fort Lewis, Washington to take part in troop test smoking. There are five battlegroups in today's streamlined pentomic division instead of the old three-regiment structure. Each battlegroup is a highly mobile semi-independent group designed to operate with maximum effectiveness over the widely scattered distances that atomic weapons would make necessary. The exercise is a significant mark in the training of the troops of the first battlegroup. They have trained extensively in their pentomic role before they arrived here, gaining experience in the three elements which characterize a pentomic unit. The mobility which permits rapid concentration and dispersion of forces. The use of effective communications which holds such a rapidly moving force together and preserves the chain of command both inside the unit and beyond it. And the heavy firepower which makes the unit however dispersed it might be an effective force capable of securing victory. None of the training of these troops has been conducted under actual atomic conditions however. As they set up in the tent city beneath Desert Rock's blazing sun, they are ready to test their unit under the conditions that created it. Actually only one of the unit's pentomic characteristics, its mobile capability will be employed in this exercise. After the advanced party has set up headquarters, the rest of the first battlegroup come in by train. Now once again Camp Desert Rock is an active pulse. In the lulls between atomic tests, the camp is almost a ghost camp with only a skeleton crew stationed here to keep it in operation. With the scheduling of an atomic exercise however, its tent compounds fill up quickly with participating and support troops. In the days before the blast is scheduled, trained radiological safety called rad-safe troops draw their equipment. These men whose duty it is to detect and measure radiation and warn of excessive amounts will be the first to enter the detonation area. Out in the flats in the test area, a mechanical ditch digger goes to work scooping out the trenches which will serve as shelter for some of the participating troops. Another activity in the many days of preparation which stand behind every exercise. In previous tests, all participating infantry troops have made use of these trenches. In Smokey however, which will test a facility with which a fully mobile unit can move into an atom blasted area, the assault troops will be a much greater distance away and these trenches will be used by engineer and other support troops and observers. Even if the trench were much closer than it is to ground zero it would provide a good deal of safety for earth offers protection against the effects of atomic explosion. Microwave equipment for television transmission is set up. Television is one of the facilities with which the modern army is able to maintain a communication system in the field far surpassing the communications of World War II. Functioning as an active and accurate scout, television can relay information visually and immediately to the commander. Television receiving equipment is installed and put in working order at posts in the rear. With the aid of the television screen, the commander in the field can gain a knowledge of the terrain, the fighting effectiveness of his forces and other factors essential to the success of the operation in a way no commander in history has ever had before. During this exercise, television coverage will be available not only to the commander but also to observers here to witness the event including members of the press. The communications network which unifies the test area over which will flow the signals and commands which link all elements and give the exercise its cohesiveness are set up and tried. A final check of all points is made. Now the test site is ready for test smoky. With everything in readiness, there is time for relaxation and enjoyment before the exercise begins. For those who wish to indulge in active sports, the heat is no deterrent. Show business comes to Desert Rock too. A variety show brings a welcome hour of entertainment. Songs and dances, humor and gaiety to an appreciative audience of waiting men. The blazing heat of the Nevada desert does not diminish the enthusiasm of the audience or the spirit with which the performers go at their task. Fours can even take on the more intimate characteristics of a cozy nightclub. Customers in Las Vegas are no doubt disappointed this afternoon with some of their favorite entertainers gone. But there is little disappointment at Desert Rock. At dusk before the big day, an atmosphere of quiet waiting pervades the tent city. In front of headquarters building, a flashing blue light signals that the test will go off as scheduled. The troops of the first battle group move out to the test area. Now that the exercise has in effect begun, these troops are part of Task Force Warrior moving into battle positions to await the signal to strike against a mythical aggressive enemy who has landed on the coast of California and driven deeply inland. At the assembly area, the troops debark to settle in for the wait, the wait that will terminate finally with their advancing into the atom blasted area. The detonation is scheduled for shortly before dawn. Word of the impending explosion has been disseminated far outside the boundaries of the test site. Citizens have been warned not to enter the area's boundaries and to avoid looking directly into the fireball of the blast. Airplanes flying in the vicinity of the test site are carefully controlled. Chow in the growing dusk settling over the flats brings an end to the day. Dusk on the desert is always a reflective time. This one perhaps a bit more than most. A kind of loneliness invades this stretch of desert earth, particularly in the sudden chill of the long night. Everything is ready, but in the minds of men who are about to become part of an awesome experience, fundamental questions remain. What seems to be the trouble, soldier? You look a little bit worried. Well, I am, Chaplain. Just a little bit. Actually, there's no need to be worried, as the Army has taken all of the necessary precautions to see that we're perfectly safe here. Sir, have you ever been out of one of these shots before? Yes, I've had the opportunity to see a number of the atomic tests. I feel that as a Chaplain, it is my responsibility to be with my men. What's it like, Chaplain? First of all, one sees a very, very bright light, followed by a shockwave, and then you hear the sound of the blast, and then it seems as though there's a minor earthquake. And then you look up and you see the fireball as it ascends up into the heavens. It contains all of the rich colors of the rainbow, and then as it rises up into the atmosphere, it turns a beautiful pale yellow, and then assembles into the mushroom. It's a wonderful sight to behold. Finally, in the pre-dawn hours before the blast, the observers load on buses back at the camp for the trip to the test area. Observers include members of the press and also representatives of civilian defense organizations. For this test, in addition to contributing to the development of weapons for military defense, is designed also to provide important data contributing to a sound and effective system of civilian defense. The observation area is some 18 miles behind ground zero, still near enough for a close-up view of the explosion. And finally, just before dawn, age hour. Light comes quickly to the desert, and less than an hour after the explosion, the rad-safe men with their radiation detection equipment move into the contaminated area. Highly trained in the use of devices that have come with the atomic age, these experts measure the rentkins in the area to be taken by the assault troops. Rentkin is the unit of measurement used to determine an amount of gamma radiation. We use signs and markers to indicate areas that are safe, as well as those locations that are too highly contaminated. On this atomic testing ground, the rad-safe man provides the soldier with an invaluable reassurance. To provide the army with a nucleus of rad-safe experts, all units coming to Desert Rock are trained to be their own radiation monitors. Rad-safe's detection work is completed. Task Force warrior can begin to move. The engineer troops who have been huddled in the forward trenches during the detonation now move out quickly and press forward into the objective area, the area through which Task Force warrior will soon be moving. The mission of these engineer troops is to search the ground for mines, which are then marked and cleared. The mines here were planted by the mythical enemy to block the approach of our forces. The atomic age brings many changes to the battlefield, but not everything changes. There are still indispensable functions that have nothing to do with atomic warfare, such as the patient pains taking laborious task of clearing minefields in the path of troops on the attack. The troops of Task Force warrior move out from the assembly area immediately after the blast, while the rad-safe teams and the engineer troops are doing their work. Their intermediate destination is the loading zone, and they will wait for the helicopters which will transport them to the assault area. The tactical situation behind troop test Smoky is this. The mythical enemy, which is landed on the coast of California, has made a deep penetration close to supply special weapons storage and missile launching installations in the vicinity of Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. United States forces have seized the initiative in the Quartzite Mountain area and made plans to launch an attack to destroy the aggressor force east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The tactical commander decided at this point to use an atomic weapon in his assault on the enemy. It was this weapon which was detonated at dawn. The mission of these men, the soldiers of the Pentomic Task Force warrior, is to move as quickly as possible into the blasted area and exploit the breach in the enemy lines. They are five miles from ground zero. Their airlift into the assault area will begin as soon as the fallout path is determined and the rad-safe monitors have given clearance. They establish a defense perimeter around the loading zone while they wait, for one of the first rules in the field is to dig in whenever there is time to do so. Weapons are set up and ready to fire. The atomic device exploded had a power yield about twice the power the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 and it is presumed the enemy is badly hurt and disorganized. Still, our forces must prepare themselves for any attack for there is always the possibility that even an enemy blasted by an atomic weapon will be able to get help. There can be no let-up in vigilance now. On a real battlefield, atomic or not, such an error might be fatal. Now the defense perimeter is secure. The command to move out to the objective comes. The final stage of the exercise is signaled by the smoke pots of the pathfinders, another new group of technicians brought into being by the phantom army. These are the men who guide to their designated landing zones, the helicopters which will carry the assault troops to their objective. This is the part of the exercise that is being tested for the first time on these desert flats and there are so many other factors relating to the performance of men and equipment under atomic conditions have been established. The ability of a pentomic unit to move quickly and exploit an atomic assault before the enemy has an opportunity to rally his defenses. There gives this mobile ability to the pentomic unit. These men are five miles from their objective. Perhaps the distance they would be on an actual battlefield is the war in which atomic devices were used. A day's march over rough terrain would bring them to their destination, but by that time the initiative gained by the powerful weapon might well be lost. Flight of helicopters take off, eyeing independently of the terrain, not in the least intimidated by impassable land or washed out bridges. The helicopter in a matter of minutes permits the troops to cover distances which under other circumstances would take hours to travel. Prior to this flight other helicopters have conducted reconnaissance over the objective area. The traditional role of the cavalry performed in a manner specifically tailored to the demands of modern war. In the pentomic army every division has its organic aviation. The mobility provided by these aircraft add a dimension of power to the army which would make it as formidable on the battlefield of tomorrow as it has been on all the battlefields of the past on which it has won its victory. The objective is reached. The helicopters touch down. Fresh and ready for battle rush out and press forward. It might be that atomic weapons will never be employed on any battlefield on which our men will fight. But if they are, our army must be no less prepared to make the necessary adjustments to the situation and to win the battle than it was with the introduction of the machine gun, the repeating rifle, the heavy cannon and the tank. What have these men of task force warrior proved? They have shown that it is possible for soldiers to use the atom as they have used every weapon before it to achieve victory. They are veterans now of the atomic age. They are pioneers. But more than that they are the proud demonstrators of the truth that the land so vital to victory now as ever can still be won by determined men whatever the circumstance. Control of the land was indispensable to victory in the time of America's Revolutionary War. It will be indispensable on the atomic battlefield that tomorrow may force upon us. It is the obligation of the army to be prepared to seize and keep that control despite changes in warfare, weapons and techniques. However spectacular. 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 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.