Troop information and education in the AFP

Media

Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title: Troop information and education in the AFP
Language: English
Source: Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume 9 (No. 2) December 1955
Year: 1955
Rights
Fulltext: COt%~~-~:n~~~:sE of~~c~rs0p;;:~ been asking why the AFP has to embark on the task or providing information education to Its men, thereby distra<:ting its own attention and efforts from its main mission - military training and operations. To thi'i question we find one of the an· swers f1·om an editorial of a prominent cosmopolitan daily which says: "If there is any group or . men in the country today which needs to be soaked in <:ulturc, which needs the humanizing influence of art :1nd letter and music, it is the soldiery - it is our dass of officers and men. For it has become evident that these people are beginning'· to act and think like that Nazi soldier who remarked, 'Every time I hear the word culture, I want t-o draw my gun!' The situation could not be so bad it it were not for the fact that army men are being called upon to perform 72 ration, an~ cooperation of the people instead of creating suspicion, antagoniam, and fear. Incidentally, culture may be defined ag a development of that faculty which will enable the soldier, as well as anr student, to think, to understand ideu, and to exercise judgment. It llhould equip him, in our civilization, to understand and appreciate democracy. It should make him a soldier or a ch·llian who is a stronger and better citizen. We find another answer on the pages of the history of World War II. If we are to learn some of the lessons from the last World War, we must consider the most outstanding of them the role information and education played in the t>truggle for supremacy of two major European powers. It is claimed that a certain deep significance u~ in fhe fact that the only two major European armies capable of facing each other are the produets, not only of intensive military training, but of studied informafunctions which can hardly be tion and educational programs, classified as military. More and Armies too numerous to mention more, they are being given ci- have boasted of their prow~s and vilian assignments which they morale, but mechanized warfare can discharge properly only if has eliminated them and they are they think and act like civilians." no longer in existence. Yet beWithout accepting or rejecting cause neither the German nor the truth of the observation, we Russian Armies relied on meehanat once have an inkling of the ization alone, they survived to impression the army makes on the face each other in the final deoutsiders. It accentuates the cision. These two powers emneed for the tempering influence ployed well-studied information of culture on our men if they and educational programs to supwill command the respect, admi· plement military training. A 73 brief review of th~ inforn1ational ries, and every soldier has to ~ \ and educationnl p1-og1·ams of have some 1;eneral knowledge t hese major powers should prove of both modern and classian eye-Oj)encr for our j)lanner.; of cal literature. The male adult t he armed forces training pro- who must seJ·ve two y~ars in the gTam Army, receives, in addition to his In Nazi Q<>nnany, the boy, from military training, a certain the age of six, was closely ob- amount of general education. served in school, in t)lll Hiller Many of the soldiers, when they Youth Camp, Storm Troops, join the army, are illiterates, of Black Corps or Labor Front. bad habits, and generally back· Army psycholog·ists unknown at ward. It is necessary in the the outset of the last war, ad- first place to teach them reading, ministcJ·ed aptitude tests and oth- writing, and hygiene. They must er forms of examination, and attend classes in political sublong bcfotc the German youth jects, structure of the State, and entered the Army, his career, the functions of the Red Army . professional and cultural, was The teachers aJ'C the Commandclearly chartered. Except when tors who ar·e es;pecially trained for engaged in combat, all German the purpose, the prokrams and units devoted one hou1 of each methods of working being day's schedule to information :md planned by educational ex perts. education. This was in part a (Every company haS its small compulsory lecture, in part a per- room or "Lenin Col'!H.'I'" where iod of discussion in which officers work among backward soldiers or" IigJ.ting experience - men of takes place, and each corner is L914-18 if possible - related sto- supcn·ised by the battalion club. ries of war and battle. 'fhc ob- Each ''Lf.'nin Club" has its cirjcct of cour<;e was neither cui- clcs in d1·amatics, singing, music, tural nor vocational training but and movie show. All the clu bs a thorough indoctrination in the and comers possess libraries with myth of Nazi superiol'ity. books of general culture, inclucl· This thoroug)Jness in the indoc- ing Russian and foreign classics>. trination and ~·ducation of the German sold ier is matched only in the Red Army The Red Army is something morc than a mere military instrument. It is at the same time a school and a political machine. There is no other army in the world which pays greater attention to education. lt has inn u mer a bl · ~chools and over 2,000 libra It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of army training to Soviet Russia .•. It means that when the men go back to their villages they cannot only read and write but ha\'C also a j.!ra~p of political affairs, and can take an aclive part in lhc or~an i 1.ation of VJllage J! { f', C''mnectcd with the Army is 11. Conespondence School from whic:h the men, who have left the army c:an get educational help and advice. The third answer Is derived from the experiences in World Wars I and II of the British and the U.S. Armies which utili:l:ed information and education not so much to obtain training effieienc~· but to promote and maintain a high state of morale. It ir.to be noted in passing that inspite of the fact that these two democracies are among those which have the best and most extensive educational systems in the world, and, consequently the best edUcated citizens, they have to resort t'l information and education in keeping a high stat11 of morale in their armies. .A glimpse into the programs of information and education in the British and the U.S. Armies should provide us with the necessary information e-n their organization, operation, <'xtent, and content. In the British army, the men under arms during the two world wars had comparatively little opportunity for land action. The maintenance of the morale of these forces was a problem. Inactivity and mental rrtagnation can undermine an army as effectively as a djsease. The British recognized this danger as early as 1920 when their Army Education Corps was first organized. Each army unit had it11 educational officer who ad J vised and oguided the student· soldiers. An inspector-general, attached to the adjutant general's staff, supervised the program. The British plan for adult ,,ducation in th(.' army consi!<ted of frequent lectur(.'S, torrPSpond<'n<:e courses, library facilities and pCI-sonally supervised study under the dit·ection of trained civilian edueatot·s. The U.S. Army has one of the most complete, extensive, best organized, equipped, manned, and supplied army informational and educational system in the wot"!d. Its I & E operations followed the men to their foxholes in all theaters of wars, includ ing the il'>"Olated isles in the South Pacific. Its I & E program is geared to both peace and war time conditions, planned and opernted by a special staff kn~wn as the Information and Education Division. The education program of the U.S. Armed Forces is being carried out by the United States Armed Forces Institute <USAFll. Since World War II, the USAFI with headquarters in Madison, Wiscondn, has grown Into one of the biggest correspondence ·schools in the world. For a $2.00 fee, USAFI will give any serviceman anywhere correspondence and self-teaching courses in any of the 334 grade. vocational, and college subjects. lt also ~:~ffen extension courses from 47 cooperating universities. Every isolated detachment, from a weather station in the Arctic to an air75 Troop• in, 0< bock from, combo! nee d ,oolhong e flech of informolion ond educolion In Korea, A~P lrooperi were undoclrinoled during progrom strip in Africa, has at least the part-time services of a man from the1 I & E Division, Large mi· litary bases have a complete school system. At some there is an actual branch of an Ameriun university. Men who cannot read and write are given time off and required to attend school two hours every day until they have received fifth-grade certificates. For other men, at.. tendance in any of the USAFI courses or colleges and univerai· ties ia voluntary and in off-duty time, StudentS' receive full ererlita and the government pays three-fourths of their college expenses. In our country the need for information and education in the army has been recognized by both educators and military leaders at early as the first organization of the Philippine Army. The first attempt to extend education to the army was mad~.! by the Office of Adult Education in 1937 when, through its initiative, 10,843 illiterate trainees in army cadres were taught how to read and write in their own dialects and afforded training in agriculture and vocations by the cadre commanders and their aaeiatanb. The war interrupted the program of training, but ofter the liberation the post-war P A planners. recognizing more than before the value of information and education in the armed services, incorporated into the Philippine 76 Anny organization the lnforma· tion and Education Division. It is noteworthy to mention here that the former PC officer assumed the duties of father, mo• ther, teacher, big brother, and leader of his men all at once. The PC officer settled intramural bickerings and petty quarrels. His word was virtually the Jaw, and very seldom woUld anyone contest, or ask clarification of his decisions. But the old PC officer was as just as he war stern. He conducted company schools at day time or at night and taught his men the three R"l!, because he was required by reg· ulations and tjadition to give his men an education and make them literates. Thlr phase of work was so emphasized that the or· din~Jry PC non-com before the war could conduct an investiga· tion, efted an arrest• prepare the information, and argue the case before a Justice of the Peace Court. A comparative study of the process of indoctrination of the US Anny Serviceman and the machinery that makes him a good soldier with those of our own system and facilities, will help us understand better the underlying causes of the present probIn I~• Tl&f DiYioion, mol•rio!r for diJcuroion and audition or• oYai!obl• and dirtri· but•d r•9u!ortr. Troopo or• r•quir•d to ~on on• />our of diJcuuion •oc~ w .. k. DO YOUR ,JDB !ems of morale and tiisciplinc in the AFP. The policies on indoctrination · in the US Army do not differ widely ft·om those adopted in ~he AFP. As a matter of fact we have adopted from the US Army what we believe arc the most effective techniques in spreading the concept of troop information awl education, and also in elicitin~ intc1·est from military per sonnel for this important phase of military activity. Circular ~o. 62, GHQ AFP, series 1953, contains a clear and concise procedut·e of disso:min:tting troop information materials. This circular imposes upon all unit commanders in the AFP the respou~ibility of conducting a troop illformation hour among their troops. for one undivided hour of duty time per week. In the "r1 oi E Division, materials for discussion and audition are available an<! being distributed re~; ularly l:nfortunately, for lack of a thorough understanding of th~ vahu.• of Tl & E in 1·elation to the training, morale and combat effcctivl.'ness of the troops, a considct·abl(> segmrnt of our Officer ('orp~ has not given attention and support to the TI & E program of the A FP. To say the least, the attitude of many of our commanders toward our TI & E p1·o gram is indifference. Some commanders and ranking officers for that matter, have come out with the statement that the TI & E 78 program or the AFP is useless to the individual soldier. To this type of officers, operations are all that matter. They have ovedooked a truism born out of experience from fighting in cost. ly wars that it is the best in· formed and best educated soldie1· who wins battles. It is for this reason that the per capita e:r:pendil1trt of th~ US Af"my, the British Cummonwealtl! Af"ndes and practically aiL the modern armies in educating and inform· ing their persunnel amounlll to ot•er $100 per year. Our IJE!'r capita e.tptn<litl<re per year for similar p1trpose is only about r1.00, and yet we derry the expense in l{l1dtrtakin.Q a real-to· goodness Tl & E program The reasons ad\·anced by most commanders in the field is lad: of iime fo1· assembly am\ discus&ion. Moreover, they believe that troop information is secondary in importance to the operations effort. Most commanders are !IO engrossed in catching Huks and bandits, without realizing that men, exposed to the elements and hazards of the jungle, become emotionally unbalanced, and in some cases, develop various de· grec,; of insanity. These tr~?llS need the soothing bahn of adviees and reorientation in the ways of the more convivial life in the lowlands, through no other more effeetivc means than troop information. It is the negative attitude among unit commanders, therefo1·e, that constitutes the main drawback of ou1· troop inWith inodequole lund•, Ttoop lnlormoloon ond fducolion D••ision doet il< but U operoles, a•ide from ><hoofs lor enli•ted men, o library lpltoro obo~•l fo!mation and education lli'O• zum. Whereas the US Atmy offic<'r exhausts evC'I)' means at his f'Ommand to inform hi~ soldierr,: on the things that are necessary in makinl! him un eifeciivc fighter, we ha\'e to admit with remorse that the ordinary unit comntander in the AFP devotes \'ery little time, if at all, to the work of g-ivin~ his m<'n the nece~sary mental orientations that should be given normally to give him a better ap praisal of his !'elations to his unit and the whole nation. Facilities available in the US Army and the AFP are hardly worth comparing. Suffice it to say that judging from the cnur· mity and qu;llity of the troop information and education mat .. Jials turned out by tht US -\rmy, it is safe to coneludl!that the American soldier recci\·es about a hundred dollars worth of TI & E matetials per capita yo•arly. This figure will likely be increased because the Unih:d States is engaged in an ideological battle with the Con• munists everywh<'n', and we knO\\ only too well that the US will n(lt fight this battle sitting down. As early as November 1943, when the US Army was impressing millions of young men for service in the battlefronts of Europe and the Far Bast. th~ nel.'d for mental haining of the solt!if!r was recognized by its top plam1ers. The US Wa1· DepartOemon•trolion• are held often in the Afl' •choolo lor fM and dependent• Vocotionol demon•lroliaM ore among tho .. gi.-en bf orm1 ond civilian teocl!erJ ment in TM 28-210 said: .__ "All armies now recognized the neeb. for training the soldier'11 mind in order to maintain hts zeal and for work and combat. The United States holds the belief that the so\diet·'s mind sh.ould be free, informed, judicious, able to protect itself for sophistry and falsehood, alert and understand· ing of the larger problems of command and of his nation. "Such qualities of mind can grow only in the presence of a free press and freedom of speech; and they un only serve the individual and his democratic society adequately if he has opporturnity to nourish such qualities through information and education." 80 Accordingly the Information and Education Division was e!tablishcd in the War Department as a functional staff division. It was charged with "the supervision and policy control of those activities which are concerned with the ml"ntal training and the attitudes of the soldier." . • The mission of the Director, In· fot·mation and Education Division US Army was defined ag follows ·' . the planning, production, dissemination, and supervision. of matel'ials and programs for the information, ol'ientation, and nonmilitary education of troops and with research on troop attitudes, in order to assist commanders in maintaining a high st.:lte of morale." The task of indoctrinating Education bffiee1· .. 1 the American soldJt>r into the Radio Offic4"1 ... 1 ways of the military, apart nnd distinct from the training he I"&· ceived in the profession of arms • was given to a selected group of officers specialized in thi!' work. "Information and education staffs were set up in all higher commands, l & E personnel were authorized in all units and installations down to and including the regimental and post level provision was made for the appointment of additional duty personnel in lowe1· echelons; and the stipulation was restated that all military personnel will be given training in orientation; and that jn regiments,- groups and separate battalions, squadrons, companies, and detachments, or equivalent organizations, not less than one undh•ided hour per week will be de\'oted to this training during duty hours." Throughout the army, in short, orientation betame a continuing training program; the information and education program became an established responsibility of commanders; and information-education personnel, primary and addition· al duty, becanw members of the staff or command team in every headquarters and organization." To carry out these functions and Research Officer ....... 1 Detachment Commander . J Radio Section l USAFI Section (USAFI Brl 1 Each section has a ('fmplemcnt of at least one (1) additional duty officer and seven enlisted men who are specialized ~olong their respective lines . The US Army I&E organization al theate1· level was p1·esented because it corresponds to the level at which the TT & E Div, GHQ AFP, operates. • As a matter of fact, the 111ission of this Division is the very samP mission that its US Army counterpart is implementing. Ad ded to these missions and objectives, the TI & ED Chief of the A F~, as special Staff Officer of GHQ, performs the following functions: .I. Advices the Chief of Staff on all matters pertinent to troop information, non-military education and historical matters of mi litary importance; 2. Plans, coordinates and supet·vises all troop information and education and activities covering military history of the AFP; 3. Procures, allocates, prepares and distributes materials and objectives, the Information and equipment for the above mentionEducation Section, Special Staff ed activities; of the U.S. Army at Theatre level 4. Recommends and trains perwas set up as follows: sonnel to conduct these activities; Personnel - <Officers only> 5. Conducts researches and Theater I & E Officer . . . . 1 staff studies Intended to enhance Field Service Supervisor . . 1 the morale of the troops in the 81 field and improves p¥blie rel:!.tions in general. Compared with the US Army the AFl' Troop Information and Education Division personnel arc as follows: TI & E DI~SION, GHQ, AFP C, TI & ED ...... 1 officer Executive ........ I officer Tl Branch .. 1 officer 2 EM 3 Civ Non-Military F.ducation Branch- 1 Off 2 EM 2 Ci'' Publications Branch- 1 Off 1 EM 2 Civ ~lilitary History Branch ... l Off 1 EM 4 Ci\' l~brary & Museum Braneh ... 1 Off 1 EM 4 Civ A1lministrative Rraneh . 1 Off 3 EM 4 Civ In tlw field, we find the most incongrOU!l Tl & F. set-ups. There an• no officer~ a;signed to Pnga~P JHimalily m troop infor lll;lt~<HI work. At best an un•tual•fio:>d office~· who has shown tittle filnf'SS for combat is detailt•rl fo1 this highly S)lf'Cializ('d JOb The offic~>r so assi~rned <lcvdnps a •lisgu;;t fm the unit and ,.,.,.n for himseH. and ultimat<•l} jokes he has to put up with which usually runs in this wise; "Thf' most unfit for combat comes in handy for odd jobs." In some units, however, qualified officen olfe overloaded with work. The man 11;ho exhibits aptitude for troop information work is given additional duties that call for supel- human bmwn nnd brains. ln one Military Area headquarters for in&"tance, there is an officer who is called upon to do the jobs of PRO, SGS, PIO, and TI & E officer all at once. Obvious. ly these responsibilities and function with the desit·ed ,•fficieney and f'fleetivenes.s will have to be given no additional work. All told, our TT & E machinet·y 1.> very inadequate. The subjed mattet· of indoctt·ination given 111 tht' AF'P differs slightly from that adnplt.'<i in lhe US Army in that wt• haw imJlOSt"l!ttpon troop informationoffieNs th,• additional duty of trainin~::" out· m('n in the way~ of /:"OOd citizenship Of eourse th(' educationl!.f le\"el nay the cultuul level of the ave· 1 age American so\cliet· is a<lmtltellly lli.dter than that of th~> AFP soldier. The American GI only needs lhf' materials from which he could learn the things neee~s:u·r in u1kntinR hi~ m'i'nrl in thP military lift• and titus plac1· himsp[f in ll>f' con('('t perspeeti\"e for ~ootl sollli<:"ly and uoo·l citiz('ltshitl. Thf' AFP ~ol<ll('r. on thr• othl't" hand, not only ne····b tlw matc-J·ial~ hut also a coiL'<CI<"ll 82 AfP Jo/dier> need inlormolion moteri<>IJ "' .... 11 "' inlormolion leader> to help them imbibe doctrine• ol good ciliun•hop ond interpret e•enl• ~!isinu!ate the 1loctrines of good dom, inquisitive, and anxious to 'IOl1li1•ry and good citizl•nshifO, or know th<' 1·easons behind the ~ who would help him interprete det·s- and actions of their officeJ·s. the news developments aroun1l There is a definite need fol' sa him anol the whole nation in tisfying their curiosity at least, tlwir true light and telling them the wisdom be· If tn><[Jlte of th ... hiKh level of hind their officers' moves, withthe education and eultur,-, of the out breaching of course, secunty typical American soldier, the US regulations. All these can be Army spends huge sums for his done by a thorough Jlt'ocess of information and e<lucation, it troop information and education. stanrl!>< to reason that the A FP Tt is only through this medium whO.'ll' t•ank and file consists of whet·eby the demanrls for knowmen who have h:nely an clemen- l<!dge of the highly technical and tary ('(\ucation should devote highly democratized enlisted man more funds and personnel for .;an be met Thete ts still time t1·oop inf<>rmation. to answet· the growing inquisiTime has c'lme for us to travel tivencsg of our soldiers by supwtlh the wheels of progress. Our plyin~ them with all the correct pte~ent crop of soldieu in the and truthful information about AFP are also hungry for wis· lh<cmsclves as soldiers and as ci 83 tizens, and their {true relations with their officers and their organization. The mild wave of discontent, arismg purely hom lack of correct mdoctrination and info1·mation, can still b£' easily corrected b/ gh•mg the Troop Information and Education Division facilities and means to engage in an expanded h·oop information program. We have barely scratched the :>urface, so to speak, in this gigantic job, but if we are to Mlvc the problems of morale and discipline of out· new type of soldiers, we should engage in a troop Information amt education campaign with sufficient force and intensity so that our effort could be felt not only by the highest ranking officer but a13o by the private. The TI & ED has delved into way~; and means of providing the necessary impetus to make our soldiers well informed and educated so that they may be able to gauge fo1· themselves the good and the evil, especially in ou1· present world of conflicting ideologics. We have taken trem~n dous strides toward that end. but thE> effort cc1·tainly is not commensurate with the dcnmn\ts. The educational level of our soldiers is far from the ideal, and only through the expansion of our Tl & E program can thia ideal be attained. It is a worthy commentary that since the establishment of the fn!isted penonnel of lite Afl' hotd!y nu d onr moliv<>lion IO sutucrlbe lo lnfot· m<tllon ond educotion progrom They "o!iu volue of ocfiviti•• underlohn br -=---...:.'i.fhe l&fOivllion 84 -1 whot t~ey pcueu ond ~op• fer be!l• r •upporl from l~e government -~ FP -><:nool for F:nlisted Men \ high school level> under the su· pet·vision of the TI & ED, said :;chools have had a total enrolment of 7,520. These schools havr graduated 1,035 To .;om" degree, t herefore, the educational program undertaken by thf' Armed Forces, through the T I & ED, has helped increa!'e literacy in our orli:"anization. on and write the different unit histories of the pre-war· a11d wa rtime Philippine Army as well to chronicle the all-continuing a~"''f.' vities of the AF P . A more realistic ami complete program of troop information find education that wc propose. nne that will add power and force tn military traininy probably not ]>oSSf"Ssed by the JHe~ent Army prngt·am, is premised on the fnl T he TI & E D has been .. n- lowing idPa~ trustefl with the publication of I Th•• !'hanged nwlhod and Ji. informational materials with the mcnsion of wat·fan• which utili· end in vif'W of guidinK our sol- 71.'s thf' results of tcchno]()gical cliers on the path to bccominJ.! "Jlrogrcss in this atomic age renot only better soldiers but bet- 'JUin• suldicry of hight·r intellect.ter citizens. And further, the ual und t·ducational level l"l•J•ahh TI & ED ha~ been given tht• uf tackling lh• mor(' rompli('atl-d mission of publishinv a profe~- WI'UI•"us and mat('ria.l Tht·y rl'sional magazine, and to research <Juir" me•l whu ra11 ··~crdw 85 structin~ leadcrsh~• in position.s of responsibility and intelligent fol\owership in the ranks. 2. Our country can Ill-afford a big army, so it must have the highest posrible quality of men in its ranks that will make up for its size. It should be able ~o attract the more rcspon~iblt', prol,l"ressh·e, and desirable types of men and encourage them to remain in the service during the most productive years of their lives. The high rate. of pa)" and specially privileges alone will not accomplish this. An assurance of growth and future ad· vancement can be sufficient guarantee. To attract men imbued with the :rpirit of service. Ptogr•UiY• mmd• ol out •oldiet< "'"'' 3. If the army expects to j)]ay be m•t with otogr•niYe method• of •n· the role of leadership and e-ain tht ::~::"::,e:":, ;:o:.:'·,:~0,,.,:,~::o ,;::::. •·espcct, admiration and coopcra· n & ED, •peoking dwing on• ol ol· t"'lOn of the people, instead of their lie•• troop onlormotion driu• '" lo•ld suspicion, fear, anti antagonism, it should have in its fold~ men of cultural and intellectual quality above tht: ~eneral level of the masses. Power capable of rc pelling ideological bullets. Only e thorough information and education will properly equip the :fighting man in such a warfare. The role of troop information and education i11 surh a warfare is Ufldisputed. Let us meet therefore the progressive minds of our soldiers with progressive methods of information and education. If we neglect this important phase of military sr; activity, there could be reason to fea1· that in the not-too-distant !uure, the AFP would disintegrate, due to forces not from without but !rom within. Note that lack of sufficient information could render our men more susceptible to the dangerous and wily communist propaganda. The activities of the communists here arc far two apparent to discard a~· an idle thought. Ot1r leaders and policy makel"S therefore, should not negate the much n<:Wed suppol-l these important activities ot the Armed Forces of the Philippines deserve.