Corpus Christi Caller-Times from Corpus Christi, Texas • 22

6B CORPUS CHRISTI CALLER Wed Oct 5 1977 recruits: Who are they? (You're in the Army now But it's not the same as it used to be an all-volunteer force for one thing 1 Here in the fourth of a five-part series is a look at the US soldier and the quality of today's military man The Editor) By FRED HOFFMAN AwdrtM Pmi WrHw FT JACKSON SC-When a recruit arrives here for basic training the Army cuts his hair almost to the scalp Seven or eight years ago that might have sparked protests and even confrontations with commanders Not now Today's recruits may grumble "I wanted to get out of a rut I was just hanging around" He sees the Army as a chance to learn a skill that may earn him a good civilian job later PFC Janice Bailey 26 went to Oregon State University for three years but couldn't finish for lack of money She joined the Army for educational benefits and may work for a commission "I used to be antimilitary but I've changed my opinion" she said "There are so many benefits" These attitudes were reflected in many random interviews at bases in the United States and abroad The Army which had trouble attracting qual- Recruit shines combat boot the trainees we are sending out today are better than the ones we produced in the 1970-1972 draft Prillaman said "They are as good as we have ever turned Sgt Maj Joseph Canada of Augusta Ga a veteran of 25 years' service said at Ft Stewart Ga that "acceptance of discipline is much better now" than in the late days of the Vietnam War But there were scattered dissents Lt Col Bruce Smalley of Stowe Vt an up-from-the-ranks training battalion commander here said "I just don't have the feeling I could call on the vast majority of these guys in the clutch and have confidence be there" And Sgt First Class Curl Poer of El Paso said: "I liked the draft system better It gave us a good cross section kept us balanced racially and educationally On the whole I think we get the under-educated the unemployed and the unwant- Commanders in all branches of the armed forces claimed that hard drug abuse no longer is serious that AWOLS and desertions arc nowhere near the problems they used to be and that the racial atmosphere is much im- isp ed provei The services also worry about holding onto men and women they have trained at considerable cost to handle expensive and complex electronics engines and other sophisticated equipment The Army is short of trained people in about 15 to 20 important skills such as tank and electronics maintenance technicians motor mechanics medical specialists and linguists for intelligence work The Navy lacks enough trained people in some 30 skills "Industry grabs them up" said Gen Frederick Kroesen chief of the Forces Command which oversees readiness The Air Force seems to retain its skilled technicians despite lures from industry just as it has an easier time than the other services in recruiting quality volunteers to begin with "We don't go to sea for six months at a time" said an Air Force general when asked why his service manages to re-enlist the same kind of specialists the Navy frequently loses at the end of a hitch The Army and Marine Corps meanwhile say they are working to eliminate irrelevant training "There are no more in the sun or digging holes to keep men busy" said Lt Col Joseph Stringham a battalion commander in the new 24th Infantry Division at Ft Stewart The Marine Corps claims officers now closely supervise drill instructors who used to be virtually autonomous to prevent any more incidents like the one in which a young Texas recruit was fatally injured during a pugil stick fencing exer- ity recruits in the years just after the draft ended in 1973 is doing better But it is still having trouble getting enough of them One index of this is the pressure put on Army recruiters to fulfill quotas Some of them apparently make extravagant even untrue promises to prospects The result can be a disillusioned soldier recruiter glorified what I was going into" said Pvt Dawn Anderson of Sacramento Calif "Recruiters told some girls easy to get out of the Army if they find they like it a lot harder to adjust because of this sort of thing" Drill Sgt Kenneth Ramsey of Las Vegas Nev said "the recruiters tell them that basic training is easy The recruiters are up against the wall to meet quotas" Maj Gen Richard Prillaman whose job Is to produce trained soldiers from the recruits sent to him acknowledged that the Army is having "real problems meeting our quality goals" "The Army is the least glamorous of the said Prillaman commander of this training base "We are seeking the highest numbers of any of the services so we have to take some we don't But Prillaman said that "a screening process we haven't had before" is eliminating most of the poor performers in the first six months of basic and advanced individual training "I'm confident that "dining facilities" The chow is unbelievable to veterans of the "old choices of egg styles at breakfast homemade pastries fresh vegetables three different kinds of meats on the dinner menu milk shake machines In Europe it's a different matter so far as living conditions are concerned The bachelor troops occupy often-dingy pre-World War II barracks inherited from the German Army For married servicemen there is a 64-week wait for on-base quarters in some places fn tomorrow's Caller: Twilight peace cise at the San Diego base Life in the barracks is getting noticeably better with new air-conditioned brick buildings springing up at many Army bases in the United States Gone or soon to go are most of the old wooden World War II barracks where soldiers lived in one big common room with no privacy Now there are cubicles where men live in small clusters together with their everpresent stereos Gone too are the old fashioned mess halls with crowded prisonlike tables replaced by airy color-coordinated TO WE TH ATE LOSGORILAS FRIDAY THRU Wf DM (I DAY MPT FS-DCT EL CABALLO DEL DIABLO Exordomo on: Jopfs MvGMb Naralaa BuaRuaaa Juan RHtm But they submit This as much as anything else symbolizes the changed atmos- Ehere from the draft-ased Army of the Vietnam War era to the All-Volunteer Force of the late '70s The motivation for most enlistments is economic not patriotic Pvt Charles Allen 21 of New York City is back in the Army because he couldn't find work after a two-year hitch as a teen-ager and he says he may try to stay in for 20 years "When 1 got out two years ago I didn't have a Allen said "There was nothing but trouble" Pvt James Sullivan 23 of Rome Ga said CUNT EASTWOOD OUTLAW JOSEY WALES an army of one AMI UA CINE 4 VUUNG EAST SmMtMS StaRlNIUS RIALTO (BtwiMt) RIALTO (Annul Pm) CMC (KmssviH) RIALTO (AM (Pm IM RrpM CM TMn hr UmUmO ELREYDE Cot: Soldiers get ready for barracks inspection APWIrafAMat imr- ii Miftww im-hh Put a little dole into your Wednesday Fish Filet Dinner! Three tender pieces of Ocean Cod Filet Breaded and deep-fried to a golden brown Served with your choice of potato and a thick slice of Stockade Toast A $248 value for onty II INCLUDES Ffcc Salad and tiuom TOCKAB2 THE FAMI1Y STEAKHOUtf 1500 So Brahma (KinunWH) mm AUDITORIUM Cornelius Fbnrhardt MuaIc Director HAYDN CELLO CONCERTO FOB GINASTERA "ESTANCIA" NATION AMERICA'S CLEANEST AL AMIN SHRINE CIRCUS MEMORIAL COLISEUM 4BIQDAYS THURS FRI SAT SUN OCTOBER B-7-8-9 -PERFORMANCE TIME- TNUM OCT MM FM PHI OCT PM THRU SHOWS SAT OCT 1-1 PI4M M-IrM FM BUM OCT -1 PM FM MNIRAL ADMIDDIOiV NATIMIf IW CHILDHHCM ADULT 1M CNILDHIM IM ADULT DearAbby dally In The Times TtBuLfPilMS FOR SALE REEL 268-9092 AFTER 4 PM PIS22HT 10" ir 16 FIMST IN TOWN CHILI-CHEESE-ONIONS UMJAN BURGERS ANGELO'S PIZZERIA THE ISLAND OF MOBEAU EuniMiBnMuri 'BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO 1 KEDT CH 16 THURSDAY OCT 6 AT 9 PM POHNMMVATIOMlMMM 100 HIlIRVtD OPIN 7:10 RATIOS SLASHES" (R) PLUS "SNUFF" (R) RATIO FOR ADULT "ALICE IN WONDERLAND' ALSO JUST LAV THERE" IQ N2-2717 TICKETS $2 $350 $4 $460 $6 $6 $8 IN WONDERLAND -PLUR- TONIOHTI FEATURE IM a SM PJR (YouLigllt LipIyTife 6a 6 song you I abay pgmtwbei Jft 6 mortf you! nawr M4 osar SUN Ault THEATRE the FINEST in X-Rated Fun IN THE 0 IM I IO AIK MOVIES AVAILABLE ir-rrrl 1016 Leopard 100 off Witt Escorted Ladias 882-0218 this id Got In Frwdlll hi MM ML NLM You'r footing low nowhara to ga You think you'i it the END Rut Noton-Hr'i oomo good odvico It's now that you BEGIN! (How old would you bo if you (Mn't know how old you woial Don't daloy otart TODAY) NAFFINE8S IS LIVING ARTlSTSUHEATnESl ALICE -CLIP AND Something Special counter husbands SINGLE MINGLE SOCIAL CLUB I HM STAPLES COSPUS CHRISTI -SSS-73SZ I ifgajsinbadandThe Eye UMLJb of the Tiger NAME ADDRESS CITY HP PHONE JMN WMN PNTOINM HNfmAM Chicken MAIL COUPON maMOMiMtl EBMMIWNV III WANSIN HATTY 1 JUUI CHRISTIE SOLDI! HAWN Four tender boneless strips of whitemeat wrapped in our famous crispy golden crust-served with a heapin' helpin' of fryes It's a scrumptious new taste in fried chicken SID M3EART1IUII $N0WS60A 6 21PM VIII UIII 111 1 i i aCB5Sa SS755T MlJSnll COES TO WUMfiTON mm Iumumau JOCYkMTMHnOtl KZFM PRESENTS MIDNIGHT MOVIE ON FRIDAY A SATURDAY AT 12:00 SHOW! 140 110 PM Harm nni wowitoomopm Aan FIRE SALE Arkln Rob Reiner cLong Silver SEAFOOD SHOPPES 4400 AYERS 4939 GOLLIHAR RD ALL SEATS 1S0 "THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU iPtil PLUI SHOUT ATTHE DEVIL vno ironihar Wednesday only HOOT 1 00 PM PH MOAIAU 0i PM.