Show trainees r morals yarded guarded jealously stresses hite integration gration of youthful personalities by teul analyst and commentator in this the third of a series on en universal military training f further differences feren leren ces between betwee ii this system anil and previous ti methods are J discussed washington aside from the loss of his freedom which I 1 discussed in a previous column the young men called upon for military training object to having their schooling interrupted or the securing of a job postponed the national security training act would answer those objections this way a the trainee gets educational and vocational advantages under which in many cases he would not otherwise have and b lie he literally earns while he learns let me quote from the november issue ot of the army information digest each trainee during the first phase and it if he elects to take a second six months would receive eive a 30 cash allow ance monthly aly if 11 he is the chief family support he would qualify for a dependence depend enc y allowance which would be paid wholly by the government this allowance would be 50 a month for one dependent and 65 a month ehtor for two or baukhage more dependents during initial training the trainee would be entitled to benefits of the S soldiers ol diers and sailors civil relief act I 1 f 1940 and to th the e death and disability benefits furnished civilian employees of the government As to the educational factor the report of the subcommittee sub committee on an education a division of the civilian advisory committee which visits the fort knox experimental unit regularly set forth the principle that should be so flexible that a roan man could return to school or to his bis civilian occupation without a loss of considerable time and therefore it is more advantageous to maintain the six month period of initial training with a minimum of education than to prolong this period 1 of training and nd permit inclusion of a comprehensive educational education program to ensure that the trainee does docs not lose sight ot of his life objective a well planned co program is recommended it would be conducted by an educational cat ional staff including a trained psychologist the six month training period where the accent is on the military Is by no means ALL military bayonet practice and dirty fighting have been eliminated and out of the entire six months only hours are devoted to actual training the rest to processing and orientation there is a once a week lecture on citizenship and morality and gen eral information is included in the regular troop information period in apprentice training in pi plastics antics and other vocations are some of the extra duty activities offered by experimental unit at fort knox the experimental unit at fort knox says the army information digest it is not uncommon for the officer of the day while inspecting a rifle at daily guard mount to ask the trainee who is the secretary of war or who heads our diplomatic mission to moscow the relationship between trainer and trainee according to the digest is not that of sergeant and recruit but rather of instructor and pupil nearly 50 per cent of the men at fort knox participate in the off duty educational program and some have completed graduation from high school by this route according to the digest report made in june the barracks smell of profanity and obscenity does not exist without in any way sacrificing rif virility the digest claims that a new way of looking at things has been created sex has its place in instruction the trainee gets a healthy understanding of the normal place of sex in raising a family Is taught that the only sure way to avoid venereal disease is continence plenty of entertainment Is provided at fort knox including a canteen where soft drinks and snacks are available but no alcoholic beverages are sold so much for the first six months after that period there are a number of options which the trainee can exercise he can remain for an additional six months training in the national security training cows corps he can enlist in the armed services the national guard or the enlisted reserve corps with assignment to an organized unit he can enter one of the service academies take specialist or technical work at an approved college or exercise other alternatives for those who cannot accept any of the above named options there is enlistment in the enlisted reserve corps tor for six years with active duty requirements of not more than 30 days a year the first experimental unit at fort knox has just about c completed the second cycle of its training the first cycle having ended in july r at r F t liast program centers on a selective schedule e of instructive military training since last january a civilian advisory committee of 34 men and women has served continuously visiting the unit individually and in in groups they have observed the trainees at work at play on leave in and around louisville this committee by the way represents a fair cross section of the parents educators religious leaders newspapermen and public officials whose interest either personal professional or patriotic makes universal training important to them this committee says that as a re suit su it of this year of training the boys have ve by bl definite spiritual and moral training self expression through individual hobbies training for leadership and respect tor for authority and the rights of others as weal as gaming gaining military skills which are taught under discipline not regimentation As one man from louisville put it to me its an entirely different thing from ordinary GI experiences the boys themselves emse ves are the best witnesses 11 according to the century fund cotton supplies more than three fourths of all fiber consumption in the united states now I 1 know what they put into my breakfast f tood the housing problem seems highly explosive frank creedon who recently resigned as housing expediter to join an atomic energy project probably finds splitting atoms safer they have a national letter writing week I 1 understand letter writing makes me weak any week |