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a view to ascertaining what value such instruction may offer them as individuals.

In the recent successful experiment with UMT made at Fort Knox, the first thing a trainee did upon his arrival was to have a conference with the chaplain of his faith. The chaplains were given a new mission-they became directly responsible for the moral conduct of their trainees. As a result, many more trainees showed an interest in church participation than similar groups in most communities. During the first 6-month training period, of the 660 young men there, 137 made important religious decisions involving such matters as baptism, confirmation, and acceptance by the church.

CHARACTER GUIDANCE

The Commission will encourage the establishment of high standards of honor and conduct which will produce a healthy climate. Members of the corps will participate in the Armed Forces character guidance program. This program is not voluntary. It is a regular part of the training schedule. Chaplains will be given an hour or more each week for group instruction in matters of a moral and ethical nature.

The program is a lecture program with lectures on the privileges and duties of citizenship, the place of the family in society and the development of a responsible attitude toward sex. Currently, there are six lectures used in regular recruit training. They are: Sex Education; Responsibility; Marriage and Family Life; Religion; Moral Principles; Citizenship.

The lecture on "Citizenship" is to be found in appendix 5 of the First Report of the Commission. It demonstrates the manner of giving the lectures and illustrates the visual aids used, so that the listeners will be more readily impressed.

This program of six lectures will be enlarged. Certain lectures will be expanded and new lectures will be added. The present plan is to have 12 lectures for the period of basic indoctrination, 9 for elementary specialized instruction, and 4 for on-the-job training. Perhaps it will be possible to arrange lectures by respected and well-known citizens. In addition there is available a film series entitled "For Which We Stand." There are at present six films. The films are:

1. Men of the World-about conduct ashore.

2. Let's Get it Straight-deals with alcoholism.

3. Pulling Your Weight-designed to help men in the service to adjust to conditions of service life.

4. A Faith That Works a film on religion in its broader aspects. 5. To Be Held in Honor-presents the case for continence.

6. (Not yet named)-will show pitfalls and dangers of gambling. The above applies specifically to the Navy. Further character guidance materials are available in a series of lectures entitled, "DutyHonor-Country" in six volumes of 10 lectures each. This is a joint publication by the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force.

QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP

The moral and spiritual welfare of all personnel is a central responsibility of command, and successful character guidance is dependent upon individual leadership. Therefore, the key to moral and responsi

ble conduct on the part of the trainees lies in the quality of their leaders. All officers, enlisted trainers, and everyone in a position of leadership in the corps will be selected with the greatest care and then thoroughly indoctrinated. They will be given responsibility on a round-the-clock basis.

TROOP INFORMATION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Armed Forces troop information and education program will be available to members of the NSTC. The services state that to date this program has not been an unqualified success, partly because its execution has been left to the individual local commanders. Substantial improvements can be made, however, to make it a useful instrument in the UMT program.

It is important to develop among service personnel intelligent, cooperative, and loyal effort toward the accomplishment of any mission. The information phase of this program will inform service personnel regarding current events and their significance to them as servicemen and as citizens. They will learn of the separate and combined missions and mutual relationship of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other services, to the end that they may better understand and evaluate their responsibilities.

The purpose of the educational phase of this program is to provide educational opportunities in subjects normally taught in civilian academic and vocational institutions. You may be surprised to know that we expect to find about 8 percent of the young men inducted into the corps in the category of illiterates or those who do not speak English. There is a basic course designed to give these young men the equivalent of a fourth grade education during the first 6 weeks. Thereafter, they will proceed to normal military training.

The educational phase is accomplished primarily through the services of the United States Armed Forces Institute. Opportunity is provided for the young men voluntarily to continue their education through off-duty classes or correspondence courses. Many servicemen have received high school credits and college credits through the courses provided by the USAFI. There is no reason why the members of the National Security Training Corps cannot do the same. a fine opportunity for ambitious young men bent on self-improvement.

UNIFORM CODE

While undergoing training, the young men will be subject to military regulations laid down by the Department of Defense and the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These regulations will conform to the policies and standards established by this Commission.

The trainees will be subject to a code of conduct for the enforcement of discipline within the corps. Because of its appropriateness, the Uniform Code of Military Justice with a few significant modifications has been adopted for the corps. These modifications would permit a trainee, charged with a major crime, to be tried by Federal court instead of by a general court-martial, if he so desires. Commanding officers, court-martial and reviewing authorities in awarding and reviewing punishments will give full consideration to the youth and inexperience of the trainee.

The Commission will give constant attention to the operation of this code in relation to the members of the corps with a view to recommending such adjustments as may appear to be necessary.

MORAL SAFEGUARDS

The Commission confidently expects that the measures cited above will go far toward developing the trainee's basic sense of responsibility and moderation in his personal habits. It is necessary, however, where large groups of young men are gathered together to establish safeguards which will put temptation out of the way.

Intoxicating beverages provide a difficult problem anywhere but in no other country have the Armed Forces established more elaborate safeguards with respect to the use of alcoholic beverages than in the United States. This is true to the extent that the Department of Defense is now able to say that "Drunkenness is no longer a problem in the Armed Forces." Regulations established by the military departments will apply in full force throughout the UMT program. In addition, the sale of 3.2 beer will be prohibited in a UMT area.

Adequate soft drink bars, in a wholesome atmosphere, will be provided by PX's, ship stores and trainee clubs conveniently located. In most of the States where UMT will be conducted, trainees will be legally minors and the local laws governing sale to minors will apply to them. Taverns and bars in the immediate vicinity will be put off limits for all trainees and the keepers of such places will be prosecuted for failure to conform. The aid of local officials and prominent citizens will be invoked to insure effectiveness of these policies and laws. It is the belief of the Commission that a combination of service regulations, the local watchdog committees, and a strong character guidance program, integrated thoroughly into the military training of the members of the corps, will give us adequate insurance that the liquor problem will be met.

As the proposed legislation shows, the Commission believes strongly that there is nothing more important to the success of UMT than the morality and health of the young men involved. The problem of control of venereal disease is not a new one, but a new approach to combating venereal disease has been evolved in the armed services. In the past, the medical and disciplinary aspects were stressed. Today, without neglecting those aspects, the emphasis has shifted to encouragement of clean living and moral responsibility. Venereal disease control is a command responsibility and every opportunity and resource are resorted to in guidng the young military man in the development of responsible moral character. At the present time, where necessary, the three services meet jointly with law enforcement, health, and other regulatory agencies in Armed Forces disciplinary control boards for the joint effort in repression of prostitution and elimination of other undesirable features in the leisure-time environment.

RECREATION AND WELFARE

The Commission and the training agencies will seek the assistance of such national organizations as the Red Cross, the USO and the National Recreation Association in the development of recreational programs for trainees. The activities of these civilian welfare and

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recreational organizations are widely known, but perhaps it is not generally realized what a vital part they play in welfare and morals and in the prospect of success in such a project as UMT. By providing more interesting recreation and diversion within the unit area than can be found in nearby civilian communities, they encourage the men to remain on the post to participate in one or more activities of the program.

These activities and installations consist of athletic training, hobby shops, music, dances, conducted tours, amateur dramatics, sports centers, theaters, service clubs, PX's and libraries. In addition they provide counseling on personal or family matters, financial assistance, communication with families in case of emergency, and many other items. They have done a marvelous job in giving services to the Armed Forces which the military is unable to provide.

BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES

Members of the NSTC will receive numerous benefits and privileges which, in the interest of brevity, I will enumerate with only a few words of comment.

Hospitalization, medical, surgical, and dental care will be furnished to the trainee by the training agency. A trainee may be retained in the corps beyond 6 months, with his consent, for the purpose of receiving these services.

Trainees may be granted leave in accordance with regulations promulgated by the training agency. They will have certain reemployment rights. They will have the same rights as members of the Armed Forces to make claims against the Government arising from damage or loss of personal property incident to their training.

Members of the NSTC will receive the benefits of the Missing Persons Act which will insure the continuance of pay and dependency allowances for certain specified periods of time in the event that they are officially determined to be missing.

They will be entitled to the protection provided by the Soldiers. and Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1940 which assures, for persons in the armed services, protection against suit, eviction, imposition of taxes and related obligations.

There is no prohibition against the payment of compensation to a trainee during the period of his training by any person, firm, or corporation.

Adequate death and disability benefits are provided for members of the corps.

DEATH BENEFITS

In case of death from any cause while a member of the corps, the training agency will pay full burial expenses just as is done at present for servicemen. Since he is not a member of the Regular Armed Forces, he is not entitled to burial in a national cemetery. His dependents will be paid his accrued compensation and dependency allowance due at the time of death. If death occurs during the period of training or within 120 days thereafter, his dependents will benefit by free Government life insurance in the amount of $10,000 under the provisions of the Servicemen's Indemnity Act. If he lives, the Government insurance will not be renewable as in the case of members of the Regular armed services.

Should a member of the NSTC die after reporting to a local selective service board and en route to an induction station or subsequent to 120 days after his release from the corps, death benefits will be paid under the Federal Employees Compensation Act.

DISABILITY BENEFITS

All disability benefits will be paid under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. The determination as to whether or not a disability occurs in the line of duty will be made by the appropriate training agency-Army, Navy, or Air Force. In determining whether or not a certain event which happened in line of duty becomes the proximate cause of a later disability, the Department of Labor, which administers the FECA, will make the decision.

After full consideration, the Commission decided to place members of the NSTC under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act rather than the laws governing disabled veterans, administered by the Veterans' Administration, for the following reasons.

Trainees are not members of the Armed Forces as such. They will be in a training status for 6 months only. Later, if called to active duty they will come under provisions of the laws governing veterans. Although there may be accidents during the 6-month training period, the hazards are not comparable to those experienced by men on Regular duty. Therefore, the Commission feels that members of the corps should not receive the more generous and more costly benefits provided by the Veterans' Administration under the broad interpretation of the laws governing disabled. veterans. We feel that the provisions of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act are more suitable for members of the NSTC.

Also, it should be pointed out that at present veterans' benefits have been extended for the most part to those who have taken part in major wars. There are now large numbers of veterans on the rolls. If the same laws are applied to UMT, the time will come when nearly every male in the Nation will have passed through universal military training at the age of 18 and will be entitled to veterans' benefits. The numbers drawing disabled veteran's compensation and benefits would be vastly increased and the cost might be overwhelming.

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act is a law which provides compensation for disability and death and full medical care for civilian employees, including civilian officers of the United States Government, who suffer injuries in the performance of their duties. The act was passed September 7, 1916, and was modernized October 14, 1949.

The compensation provided by the FECA is based upon the salary of the employee and the degree to which the disability has reduced his earning capacity. The FECA also provides a schedule of payments in cases where the disability consists of the permanent functional loss or dismemberment of anatomical members such as an arm, leg, hand, foot, or eye.

The finite sum thus awarded is paid in monthly installments until the total amount specified for the degree of functional loss has been paid. The payments under the schedule then cease. However, the

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