Putting the Army Together Again

...NEW SOLDIERS WITH NEW PROBLEMS Putting the Army Together Again BY ARNOLD ABRAMS SEOUL ORIENTATION pamphlets distributed to American soldiers in South Korea still tell them—as have similar pamphlets for some 20 years now—that they are stationed on "Freedom's Frontier" and form "part of the forces that stand guard on the rim of freedom, keeping in check the tide of Communism in Asia " The stateness of such presentations was unwittingly pointed up recently by a slightly intoxicated enlisted man emerging from a dingy bar where he strongly suspected that one of several local ladies vying for his affections had slipped her hand into his pocket and settled for a wallet instead "Man," he said, "it seems to me that maybe us guards ought to open the gate and let that Communist tide roll into this frontier of freedom and clean the place out" Though he spoke largely in jest, the GI's words reflected how changing political winds and the passage of time have tarnished the old Cold War credos Having seen pictures of their Commander-in-Chief wishing a long life to Chairman Mao Tse-tung in Peking and swilling champaign with Soviet Party chief Leonid Brezhnev m Moscow, young American soldiers today tend to be somewhat cynical about the concepts of an earlier era that bring them to barren posts halfway around the world Especially in South Korea, where President Park Chung Hee sent troops into the streets to replace constitutional government with a heavy-handed and highly centralized regime that permits no effective political opposition and orders agents abroad to harass and even kidnap critics, many GI's wonder what kind of freedom they are defending In fact, while Park has worked hard to perpetuate the spectre of Communist hordes sweeping down from the North—a threat that cannot be fully discounted over two decades after the formal signing of a Korean armistice—the most serious problems confronting US officers here come not from across the Demilitarized Zone, but from within the ranks of the 40,000 men under their command And the situation in Korea is m many respects a microcosm of the difficulties facing the new US Army in a time of far-reaching social turmoil To be sure, discontent among enlisted men is as old as the Army itself Yet in the wake of the Vietnam debacle, long-standing morale problems have been heightened by several significant developments (1) the abolition of the draft and the creation of an all-volunteer Army, which has altered the composition of the enlisted ranks, (2) mounting racial conflict that can no longer be suppressed, and (3) the changing tenor of the times, characterized by widespread questioning of established authority The Army's changed character is evidenced by the personnel stationed ARNOLD ABRAMS regularly reports in these pages from Southeast Asia in South Korea College graduates and others from the middle class?whose age, education and general background used to enhance enlisted ranks—are conspicuously absent About 90 per cent of the GIs are volunteers, for the most part poor and ill-educated youths from crime-ndden urban slums or relatively backward rural areas Roughly half of them are under 21, more than a third are nonwhite, about a fourth never finished secondary school, and many are illiterate Two items underscore the social problems these men bring to the Army ?Last October, a senes of seemingly unrelated weekend brawls flared up between black and white GIs, resulting in 27 casualties, imprisonment of two dozen soldiers and considerable property damage So explosive was the atmosphere that the entire Second Infantry Division (the key fighting contingent of the US forces in Korea) was put or full alert in order to keep the troops confined to quarters and under strict control A subsequent investigation discovered the incidents had been carefully planned by a group of about 30 militant blacks who felt that bloodying some white heads would help solve their gnevances ?In 1972, a total of 11,600 cases of venereal disease were recorded among the Second Division's approximately 13,000 men, last year there were about 7,000 cases Military authorities acknowledge that the statistics are an indictment of the boredom of Army life overseas AT LEAST one military policy maker in South Korea comprehends the current malaise in the ranks He is Major General Henry Emerson, the Second Division's outspoken commander "There's no use trying to kid anybody," he says "The Army has been good on changes in weapons systems and technology, but not with people " A combat soldier here in 1951-52, Emerson returned last May determined to make the needed reforms and armed with new ideas drawn largely from his previous assignment at Fort Bragg as director of a special group studying TJS military leadership problems Tall, lean and laconic, he came on quietly at first Yet, before anyone realized what was happening, 'The Gunfighter"—a nickname Emerson acquired from his legendary acts of derring-do in Vietnam and his habit of carrying a Colt 45 high on his hip—began shooting the status quo to pieces For openers, he initiated a physical exercise program whose effects were roughly equivalent to a daily doubledose of saltpeter It consists of a compulsory 2.5-mile run at 6 am for all personnel (including the 48-year-old commander), across-the-board toughening of all combat training, and a "reverse cycle" system that has each battalion spend two consecutive weeks every two months training at night and resting by day Emerson reasons that tired soldiers will have less appetite for many traditional but debilitating off-duty activities Indeed, bar business outside Second Division posts has dropped dramatically, setting off a flood of protests from local saloon keepers and ladies of the night Some of them have presented formal complaints to U S authorities, but to no avail A sweeping series of additional innovations includes 18 hours per month of compulsory schooling during duty hours, mass-participa-tion athletic contests and organized karate competitions Emerson also gives his men weekends off, offering them activities like parachute jumping, scuba diving, and rock concerts His objective is to provide healthy, character-building energy outlets, and to create more harmony among the troops by getting them to participate together The concept, which Emerson calls his "Pro-Life Program," has earned rave reviews from the troops "The Gunfighter has made a difference here," says 21-year-old Specialist 4 David Hassalevns, who served in South Korea before Emerson came and thus has a basis tor comparison "He's impressed the troops because he genuinely seems to care for us He's made us aware of the connection between physical condition and mental outlook " Last September, as part of his effort to ease racial tensions, Emerson purchased "Brian's Song," an award-winning television documentary depicting the deep friendship that developed between pro-football star Gail Sayers, who is black, and Brian Piccolo, a white teammate fatally stricken with cancer At the end of the first showing, before a packed auditorium of more than 1,000 black and white soldiers, nobody moved The massive hush was broken only by some audible sobs and considerable clearing of throats It was as if bearing witness to the extraordinary tale had woven a bond that no man wanted to break Finally, the officer in charge, spotting the commander in the rear of the hall, haltingly asked if he wished to address the audience "I went up there," Emerson recalls, "and what with the silence, and the way all those men were looking at me, there was only one thing I could do 'Nothing I can say will add to what you have just seen,' I said 'If you didn't get the message, you never will, and I feel sorry for you ' Then I walked off " As Emerson readily concedes and as the racial outbreak a month later showed, his approach alone cannot solve the deep-rooted problems of American society that have been spilling over into the military But as he puts it, an effort can be made "to improve things by adapting to human needs This is a new Army, these troops want explanations and, except in combat or other emergency situations, I think they're entitled to them " If pursued by other commanders, his philosophy could at least help restore the morale of America's servicemen...