 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 you 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 with the coming of atomic weapons to the battlefield armies as we have here to foreknowing them have been rendered obsolete and inadequate they must be considered a thing of the past old ideas are giving way to the onslaught of new capabilities and out of the experimentation is being forged the new army an atomic army bringing with it new concepts and fantastic weapons with which to fulfill its peacetime objective maximum capability to deter war this week the big picture presents a report to the nation on this new army taking shape and the accomplishments that are making it possible you are here to participate in an atomic maneuver atomic weapons are truly powerful but they don't mean the end of all life as so many people think you can live through an atomic attack and by taking common sense precautions live to fight another day it would be transmitting to you by telephone turn off all engines face all turrets to the rear shut all off all engines shut off all radio face all turrets to the rear all on the forward wall and stay down just one minute continuing responsibility for readiness the army today can emerge on the atomic battlefield as a superbly trained fighting force equipped and ready to meet any form of aggression plunging boldly ahead in the race for better weapons with which to deter future wars today's army is an army in transition from gunpowder to atomic from cannon to push button missiles and from shoe leather to flying platforms gravely aware of the remarkable advances of our potential enemies the army has in the past year been gearing itself for maximum capability with scientists and men of industry our army has been developing weapons hitherto only dreamed of but new weapons have meant new concepts and tactics no longer can war be waged in the ways of the past alone will combat troops be confined only to the ground today military planners are putting into effect their revolutionary pentana concept a new five-sided battle plan designed to exploit the three key factors on the atomic battlefield firepower mobility and communication to fully develop the pentana battle plan the army has reorganized one of its most heroic fighting units the famed 101st airborne to become its first truly atomic age division kneeling in prayer these elite of the nation's paratroopers remember the glorious traditions they must now carry on some of them are veterans of the famed screaming eagles of world war two black-faced devils on d-day minus one ready for a history-making rendezvous with destiny the new screaming eagles marching again now become the pentomic 101st first soldiers of the future supporting atomic divisions like the 101st will be our arsenal of rockets and guided missiles weapons no longer dreamed of but now in tactical use the honest John the corporal and the incredible Nike Hercules latest missile in the army's anti-aircraft arsenal Nike whose warning fingers pointed to the sky stand ready day and night to defend our cities from any air attack an unidentified plane is picked up by radar and plotted by a Nike battalion outside one of our major cities it could be an enemy plane trying a sneak attack calmly and with the cold detachment of this electronic age the command goes out intercept less spectacular but equally important has been the development this year of missile master the most modern electronic computing and control system thus far designed for coordinating large numbers of missiles like the Nike for field use against armor and fortifications the dot a surface-to-surface missile has been developed and in the honest John a free-flight rocket which is fired like an artillery piece commanders have an all weather atomic weapon with greater mobility than conventional artillery biggest of our army's gun tactical use is the corporal a weapon of intermediate range capable of carrying conventional or atomic warheads to targets deep behind enemy lines this year more and more of these new weapons have been rolling off the assembly lines of industry and into the skilled and technical hands of our soldiers the never-ending research and development goes on forging even more fantastic missiles for the armies of tomorrow and the day at the army ballistic missile agency proving grounds in Huntsville Alabama Major General John Madaris and famed German rocket scientist dr. Werner von Braun lead our army's rocket and missile development team in a continuing exploration of space out of the vision of these men and the experiments carried on here come the weapons of tomorrow here being fired for the first time is the latest the redstone well as maximum firepower the atomic army must have mobility to survive and to achieve it commanders are turning more and more to the air combat action in a nuclear war will be fluid an army can no longer be road bound and tied to a ponderous logistic tail units must be completely air transport reducing vulnerability through dispersion ready to attack by surprise and hit hard out of the blue out of the skies must come their weapons and equipment jeeps and tanks and guns new and improved techniques for dropping heavy supplies by air have been developed in the past year bringing our new mobile fighting units the maximum support on land the airborne shock troops quickly reform and man their weapons to become rapid moving strike force joining up with other combat teams until they are an army striking out fast and hard fly lines to support them are now in the air with helicopters replacing trucks hurtling the barriers of bomb-scarred roads and blown up bridges to deliver the lifeblood of all fighting men guns and food and ammunition to meet the need for even greater mobility the army is experimenting with the aerocyclist one man flying platform capable of carrying a fully equipped soldier at 40 miles an hour the jet Jeep another one man helicopter is also under study testing the possibilities of the future and demonstrating the maneuverability that is coming to army aircraft leaving no avenue of experimentation unexplored in its drive for more versatile aircraft the army this year tested the converter plan a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft the radical design and continue to develop even bigger and better heavy lift cargo helicopters to handle the movement of men and machines the role of the light army plane in combat and reconnaissance grows larger too as battle fields widen and deepen and the need for communications over rapidly changing terrain increases communication never more important than now under the new pentana concept have kept face with technological achievement at the signal core laboratories at Fort Monmouth New Jersey smaller and better equipment is constantly being developed and tested to take its place in the network of nerves which make up our signal system the wrist radio long the dream of comic book detectives is now a reality with an army role other new items are this helmet radio with its built-in microphone specially designed for rifle squad a tiny transistor to replace the old vacuum tube smaller capacitors a better teletype and a handy talk he said which has a one-mile range most revolutionary development in communications perhaps is the tactical use of television the television cameraman a new technician to the battlefield records the fortunes and fluctuations of the fighting as it happens and carries back to the commander and on the spot view of the battlefield for reconnaissance behind enemy lines TV takes to the air enabling a commander to get a bird's eye view of any enemy builder if reconnaissance by air isn't possible a remotely controlled television tank can be called into action an officer sitting in a control van at the front line can direct the unoccupied tank at a switch of a button and a television camera in its turret slowly turns to give a complete panoramic view of the enemy's lines building up its support weapons the army introduced recently the new m-56 the high-powered self-propelled weapon with both anti-tank and assault gun capabilities mounted on a track chassis it is made of lightweight metals and can accompany airborne forces anywhere taking its place with the rest of our armored support weapons it adds still more power to the frightening wall of fire which supports our fighting men for new weapons on a smaller scale but each with its vital role to play include the Vulcan version of the old multi-barreled gaffling gun named for the God of fire by day or night the Vulcan is a rapid fire weapon of terrible power outperforming all its heavier predecessors is the new lightweight machine gun which can be fired from the shoulder from the hip or from a newly developed bipod a new anti-tank weapon is the 106 millimeter recoilless rifle it has improved accuracy and armor piercing capability and now joins the army's growing arsenal of small but deadly weapons the mechanical mule a mechanized replacement for the soldier's old four-footed friend was introduced this year bringing the sure-footed means of transportation to the front lines equipped with four wheel reversible drive it can go anywhere under the most adverse conditions and is built to survive the toughest front line view fulfilling a vital role in battlefield transportation the mechanical mule now retires in glory it's stubborn but much loved friend Francis nickel and scientific achievements of our army it is still the foot soldier who in the final analysis must bear the full brunt of war man has yet to invent a machine with courage and while the electronic brain has come to the battlefield still it must rest with the foot soldier to suffer the hardships to survive and take the land behind the American soldier today is the greatest research and development program in military history out of the tests and experiments being carried on at our quartermaster general labs come the clothing and equipment which makes our army the best equipped in the world new types of boots must constantly be developed to take care of our men wherever they serve here an army volunteer is wired before entering an arctic chamber during the testing of new types of clothing the sensitive measuring devices will record the answers scientists must know before putting their stamp of approval on any new gear what is the soldier's heart being sweat loss oxygen consumption as scientists tabulate the findings the human guinea pigs put the clothing to the test a step away down the corridor other volunteers sweat out 120 degree heat while their every action every second by second changes automatically recorded from the laboratory to the field test the research work goes on among new types of cold weather clothing developed by the army is this waterproof suit which can even keep out the ice cold waters of the army under the critical eye of experts like Sir Hubert Wilkins the arctic explorer and scientist another new army product passes its most critical test out of such tests as these come revolutionary materials like this fireproof uniform another dramatic step forward in protective clothing keeping our fighting men equipped and clothed to carry out their army role is the responsibility of our never-ending research and development program but even the best equipped army is worthless unless it is fed properly here again science is providing new and better methods experiments in radiating food with atomic energy have pointed to new ways of prolonging the life of the food and opened up new methods of handling and storing the atom is playing another peaceful role in the army today at Fort Belvoir where the army's first atomic reactor is being completed built under the supervision of the atomic energy commission and the army engineers it is designed to provide our army with heat and power in remote places to keep up with the scientific advancements in weapons and equipment a new breed of soldier now peoples our army never before has the army offered such career opportunities whether regular or reservists the atomic soldier of today is trained to be a specialist the demand for quality in its personnel men of brain power and technical proficiency is the first requirement of the army in fulfilling its manpower needs believing that a soldier's will to serve is only as good as his morale the army is making every effort to make military service attractive as well as better housing and quarters other recent improvements have included a better dependence medical plan in which all the members of a soldier's family can take advantage of the army's health program there are greater opportunities for travel in today's army and better promotion policies together with new uniforms and better pay incentives are high morale built a new rotation plan for overseas service called gyroscope provides for the rotation of units in the United States with units overseas by being able to return to the same base in the United States regular army personnel can now plan their whole military life a big factor in keeping morale high backing up our army and playing an even greater role in its future are the reservists in the National Guard now numbering more than a million and a half men they have made great training progress in the past year and are truly already reserved recognizing that a visibly strong reserve is a key factor in America's deterrent strength the army has stepped up its basic reserve training to a minimum of six months plus weekly armory drills and lessons at summer camp the annual toughening up transition from civilian to soldier takes place conditioning bodies as well as minds to be ready for any call in the matter of spending money the army this year has undergone radical change an ever present problem has been the fact that new weapons often cost four or five times as much as the ones they replace in the course of waging this other constant battle to keep costs down and get the most for its money the army has developed management practices that compare favorably with the most efficient civilian businesses where possible operations are being streamlined new routes of supplier being worked out and unnecessary items eliminated along with this cutback depots and warehouse requirements are being reduced the army's purchasing system has been reorganized and it now conducts its business much like any private concern on a working capital basis in every way from management to the soldier the utmost is being extracted for every defense dollar spent this then is the army of today an army standing guard on the ramparts of freedom across the world in Alaska learning the ways of war in the snow at the top of the world helping to build our listening posts along the due line supporting NATO and the three nations of Europe and in Southeast Asia helping people unfamiliar with the weapons of a modern world it is an army in transition streamlining old constantly boldly developing the new to meet the present fantastic demands of atomic war today the American nation stands ready to defend itself with an army never more superbly trained or equipped in its history daily the barriers of space and speed are being broken weapons and the ways of war are in revolution of his own destruction by striving for ever greater superiority the United States Army dedicates itself to deter that as you have just seen this has been a truly significant year for the army now there's a sergeant steward queen inviting you to be with us again 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 army pictorial center presented by the United States Army in cooperation with this station