Civilian Pilot Training Program

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U. S. AIR FORCE HI.STORICAL STUDY NO._123

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HISTORY OF THE AIR ~ J t ~,) ~-: \,'

CIVILIAN TRAINING PR' ~ g ~_j

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1941-1951

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USAF HISTORICAL DIVISION RESEARCH STUDIES INSTITUTE AIR UNIVERSITY

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lliAIf Lif.t~rics1. Division Re~earch Studies ~t~tute Air Uni'\Ter~ity l~ove;.lber 19~6

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The purpoce of t.t.d5 otuciy i>J to trcce tJ.lO evolu.tion o~ t.le Air .il'orce civilian trru.ru.nL prO~l~VliJ. from HI;; L(;;e.iw.ill~b in the sjJrin .... of 1941 to

the end of 19,1. III tIlis ter.-year period l1.ar~y s1~nif'ic8.Ut develo.£X..!e~ts

in civilian tJ:'ainil'Jt,. t:ok place as B. l'esl1lt of tt.e Lreat expansd on of Air .J'orce per sonnal ::.tre..l.Ltli broU£.,llt about by iIIorld viar II and tHe h.orean 1~ar-and oi: ti:.e ~re t advencea in nlilituor zvirtion .Il:ade po::..~ible b"j new ::"c:iel';Lti:f;'ic S!Jd tecb.r.iol0t.icel. 6.avelopLlents. 'rue ::.iz6-, cc.lI.plexit;,', and bi~Uly t€cLLical n~ture of tae opbratioLE necbL~8~ to aevelop an& ~Ubtain .(;loclGI'n airl?~\ojer csnc t" re'luire t.1V usr"lcE;;S of lCil'{,e nu....1bers of ~j-..illcd civilien !),"rso1.U..1.<.l in a \,io.e variut:, of occulm:hion::... 'i\d.s ;;.tuu:, eLcl..t.E\VOrs to cover all phcses of the trcloinb program develo~ed b~ the Air Force

to meet the vari~d tralnin~ needs of it~ larLe force of civillan~, 6xcept tJ...o::;e needs inv'Jlvillt, civilian fl;;iu..., trailcinL, i.e., tile trainilJc 01.' euch civilien pt.<rt;oID,el as ferr~ pilot;; and flyinb llJ::,tructor;;,.

Thil:l study tras wrltter~ bJ. Dr. Edwin L. ,illiam~, Jr., of the D.:...Al<' historical lJi'Vi::.ion, I~€search btnc'jcs ln~,titute, Lir tJniverdty, 1jaxwell Air .J!'orce Ef'se, llatru...:a. Like otG.EJr r,izt~lricDl .1Jivh,ion studie~" it is sUbject to rE:vi::.ion, ana. addltioo[tl infer' ftior. or SU..,!;..8Si.Ed cor-rectuons will be ~elcomed.



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USAFHS-123

CONTENTS

I

BEGIImING OF CIVILIAN TRA.TIJIUG IN THE Ali: ccr.rs •••••

· .

Page 1

Development of Occupational Analyses: Its ~ortance to the Training Program •• • ~ • • • • • • • • • • ~ansion • • .. • • • • • •• ..."....."....

Discontinuance of the Apprenticeship and lffA Proerams for Civilian Training.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Government Aid in the Development of the Air Oorps Civilian Training Program. • • • • • • • • • • • • • The Independent Depot Trainine Pro£rar'lS: Their Contribution • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• •

10 • • 13

• •

• •

II DEVELOPrIEIIT OF A COI·JPF..EHENSIVE CIVILIAN TRAINING PF:O:..:RAM

DURINQ THE WAR YEARS. • • • • • • • •••••••••

• • • •

29

Organization of the ABC Civilian Training Program. • • Development of an Air Force-wide Civilian Training

PrograDl. .

Development of a Civilian Training Policy and Program

Within AAF Headquarters. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • War Department Civilian Traininf, Policy in 1944. • • • Implementati on of the AAF Civilian Training Program, • Reorientation of the Oivilian Training Program in 1945

•• 31

• •

41 58 60 64 89

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· ..

• •

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III

DEVELOPliENTS n~ V ARIWS FIELr.6 OF CIVILIAN TRAD-IIm,

1941-1945 .

.....

93

The Nechanic Learner Program • .. .. • .. • .. • • .. • • • .. • 93 Jurisdictional Conflicts and Otter Training Problems • •• 96 Off-Reservation Schools. • .. .. • • • .. .. • • .. .. • .. .. • • 104 contract Schools .. • • • • • .. • • • .. • .. • • • .. .. • .. • 119

Factor,y schools 125

Post Schools .. • • • • • .. .. • • .. .. • .. • .. • • .. • • • .. 135 Subdepot Schools .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • .. • • .. .. • • .. .. • • 141

Special Depot Schools 144

Training Course Devolopments .. • .. .. .. • • • • • .. .. .. .. .. 146

a. Apprenticeship Training 147

b. Maintenance and Supply Training Oouraes , • • .. .. • .. 147

c. Supervisor Training Courses. • • • .. .. • .. • .. .. .. • !h8

d. Personnel l.fanagement • • • .. .. • • • • .. • .. ....... 16,5

e. ltiscellaneous Courses and special SChools. .. .. .. • • 168

Veterans Training 176

IV

CIVILIAN TRAINING IN THE POS T,lAR .AIR FORCE ..

• • • •

. .. ..

.. .. 181

Con£;ressional Inquiry into Civilian Trainin~ .. .. • .. .. .. • 163 The Status of Civilian Training, 1946-1949 • • .. .. .. .. .. • 189 Improyement in the status of Civilian Training, 1950-

1951 ~ • • . ~ • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • • • 212



SOME: OUTSTANDING POS'MAR TP.AnIING DEVELOPMEN'lS

Page 2.32

USAFHS-123I Contents

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VI

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Apprentice Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 233 Veterans Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 240

Technical, Scientific, and Professional Training •••• 245 Supervisory and Management Training. • • • • • • • • •• 253

Contract Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 258 Career Development. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 263 Civilian Training Overseas. • • • • • • • • • •• 265

Sill~iEjARY •

282

• • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

FOOTNOTES ••

323 358

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• • •

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BIELIOOOAPHICAL l~O'm APPENDJX

• • • •

• • • • • •

.. . . .

• •

• •

• •

l. Reports and Reoommendations by the Tenq>orary Committee Appointed to Survey Arnv Air Forces

Civilian Training PrograrrlS. • • • • • • • • • • • •• 359

2. List of Schools AutI::orized to Receive A:rrrrs Air

Forces Class 26 Equipment • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 370

3. Recapitulation: Civilian Training in.Army .Air

Forces For Fiscal Year 1941 • • • • • • • • • • • •• 375

GLOSSARY •••••••••••••

376

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• • •

• • • • •

• •



Chapter I

BllIII"JlJIOOS OF CIVllrIA~ 'l'RAntlIl\G I~ 'I"HE AIB. CORPS

In the period prior to World War II the Air Oorps had no civilian

training problem; oonsequently, it had organized no comprehensive civilian

training program.. Labor was plenti1'ul and it was a simple matter to hire fully quelified workers--trajninc. was the responsibility of the individual concerned with getting a job. .Frivately owned and operated trade and

vocational schools, as well as state and oity-owned institutione" were

adequate to meet the trainin& needs of the period. A.t this time the lI.Bl' Department had only to request a mechanio from tbe Civil Service Commission; the Commission then oonsulted its register, selected the top man, processed

bim~ and sent him. to the installation where he was to be employed.

J.s late as the S'UllEer of 1940 there was no concern in the Air Corps over the supply ot trained civilian personnel. A system of apprentice

training" a slow process wtdoh produced several hundred apprentices ever,r

year~ was used to provide the relati.vely small number of trained employees needed. Also a few National youth Administration boys were given six month$ of training preparatory to being used as mechanic hel.pers. But

with the outbreak of' world War II in 1939 and the growing demand for labor

b3 private industry and tzy govermnent agencies, the situation had begun

to change. Beginning in September 1940, the total number o£ airpl8ll.6S

authorized by COllf,ress rose almost in geometrio pro&ression. In the

winter of 1940-1941 with the C:ivil Service register cle8l'ed or eligibles



lBAFHS-123 , Ohap. I

2

and the dema:nd for skUled labor growing everyday it wu obvious that

the Air Corps had one of the maj or civilian traiDing problema in the government services--one necessitating a full-fledged training program.1

Recognizing the newly developed need. for a comprehensi va training

program Secretary of War Bemy L. st:l.Jrwon appointed }llr. Lawrence A. Appl.ey to stud¥ the situation with a view to formulating a policy 8lld a probram.

for -l&.ar Departme:ot civilian traj pj ng. Mr. Appleydiscovered that the prevailing

belief of the \ljar Department was that it had no trainjxl€, respom>ibility

in regard to civilians since it was the function of the Givil service

CoDXInissioll to provide qualified 'Workers who could be put on the job

immediately; he al~o found that omy a few scattered sections o£ the ~ar Department actue1ly had allY real comprehension of the labor market. Also there was no organization at the top of the War Department for deal~ with c~v1l1an training.2

As a result o:f the report made by Mr. Appley

,secretary StiJDson

issued a War Department :.Memorandum for Cniefs of Bureaus, Arms, and

Services, 10 JuJ.y 19-41, establishing a ~peoific policy on civllian. trai.Dills? 'l'hie directive laid down the basic policies for the training of civUian employees of all the components of the Ar;;;y including the Anv Air Corps.

It set forth an approved civilian trainiDg policy which was to attain the following objectives:

1. An integra.ted over-all War Department tra.inin~ program. which would provide civilian personnel with the knowledge" sldll, habits, and attituCles

required to maintain normal or emergency work schedules and to equal or

exceed perfor.mance records.

- ~ "~~ - ~ ~



USAF.tlS-l2.3, Chap. I

2. The same careful consideration for the training of ciVili811s as

was given to that of eoldiers.

3. .l genw.:ne high caliber civilit'lll morale.

4. Trail::d.llg for the promotion of ci viliEUl personnel who showed capaci~ for advancement.

5. A. flexible basic trldning policy readily adaptable to locs! and

changing conditions.

6. Training acti~tie$ wllich would provide tor both long-range and

immediate Deeds.

1blder the provisions of tbie directive the \VBI' Department was to assume

the responsibility for determining tue training required by its civllian

perso:o.nel, and for the performance of as much of that training as possible,

soliciting tne aid of outside agencies when necessar,y or most advantageous.

The directive al.so made it the responsibility of the cbiefs of the various

branches to provide :for the trlljnjng needs of civilian persoDnel in their

orgsrdzatioXli.

The 'War Department recognized that it was now impossible £or the Civil Service Commission to furnish fully qualified personnel. Therefore, aJ. thollgh the Commission would continue to provide the best queJ.it'ied personnel possible, the chiefs ot the 'branches (such as the Chief of the Air Corps) were to see that the necessary traimp€. was provided. It wse

the responsibility of each chief of

branch to determine the treitd.ng

methods most suited to his particular situation. stat£' positions and div.isiollS were to be established in the 'War Department and by the chiefs

~ " ~ - ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~. ~ ~ .. ~- -



u.sA.l'HS-12.3" Chap. I

4

of' the l:n"anches for the purpose of giv1Dg advioe and assistance in carrying

out the trailling responsibility.

Finall~ as a prooedure to be followed in providing training for illdividuals falling l.Ulder ~ civilian c1assification"the directive set

up the following six steps:

(1) A. clear definition of the jobs to be done by posi tiona.

(2) Establishment of the standards of performance required for jobs

to be done.

(;3) DeSignation of the actual training required to develop the

above performance.

(4) Selection of the sources of training to be used--such as training in the shop during production hours (on-the-j ob-train:l ng), traiDing in the

shop outside of production hours" training in special classrooms and laboratories located on the prem1.ses (on-.reservation training), or trainiDg in classrooms and laboratories located elsewhere (off-reservation trBinjng).

(5) Determine.tion of the tra.iniDg required to eIlable an employee to

establish performance standards.

(6) Maintenance of progress reports on all civilian peresonnel.4

The memorandum also indicated that a supplement showing. the organization authorized fQr the purpose of carrying out the prescribed training probram

was to be iflsued. This supp1ement--War Department Civilian Training

Memorandum l~o. 1, October 20" 1941, Subject: Organization-authorized the

following positions in order to implement the civilian training:

(1) Director of Civilian 'J:rainjng" Office of t.ae Secretary or "81".

Mr. William H. Kuehnicl';::,announced as the :full-time incunbent by a letter

~ .. ~~ .-~ ~ ~



of 29 September 1941-, was to serve in an advisory and coordinating capacity. (2) Supervisor or Givilb.n'I'reining, Office of the Gbief of' a ;Branch.

Where oiviJ.ian personnel. vas e~aged in numbers sufficient to warrant a

f'ull-tim.e assignment, the cbief of a branch was authorized to appoint a supervisor of civilian training to his staff. i1here smaller numbers of

civilian personnel vere involved, a part-time appointment was authorized.

(3) Civili8.ll Training Officer, Field Establisbment. The oommanding

officer of a field establishment employing oi vilian pEirt.ounel. vas authorized to appoint to his starf a civilian training officer, either

full or part-time, depending on the extent of the program. required.

(4) starr LlSsistants.. Where it was necessary to expedite and broaden the trainiDg program the chiefs ot branches and the cOlllIl.atldiDg officers

might authorize and designate staff' assistants for bne supervisors and.

for the civilian training officers.

This supplementary memorandum directed that the functional relationship

of the directors and the supervisors of civ11.ian training should be

continuously close, and that a similar relationship should be established between a supervisor and the civilian training officers in the field establishments of his branch.'

Civilian training became an increasingly important part of civilian

personnel administration in the War Department, especially as manpower

shor-tages developed. li..r. Kushnick,as Director of Civ.Uian Personnel and

Training for the War Department, reported directly to Mr. Jobn W. Martyn,

principal adm; nistrative of'f'icer of' the department. Kusbnick also served

as chairman of the Secretary of warls oouncil on CivUian Personnel which considered all major questions of civilian personnel policy and made recommendatioxw thereon.6

-



•

USJiFHS .. 123, Chap. I

6

Meanwhile the Army air arm had begun to develop its own civilian training progrsm in order to meet the problems created by the employment of large numbers of untrained uivilian personnel hired as a result of the great expansion program authorized by Congress. A be~inning had been made even before the War Department issued the l·!emorandum of 10 July 1941 announcing the basic policy for civilian training. Early in Uarch of 1941

the Chief' o:f the Training and Placement Section, Civilian Personnel Division,

Office of the Chief of' the Air Corps (OCAC), was selected, and in May the

Chief of the Training Unit in that section was appointed. DurinG the

following summer three training speCialists were added. This organizational

set-up for civilian training pertained only to departmental employees; not until 1943 W.1S the Training Branch established in Headquarters AM! to handle

civilian training in the field as well as for departmental employees.

The Chief of the Training and Placement Section, eGAG, was instructed to survey and analyze the training needs of civilian employees,; to recorrmend

and help select training officers~ training supervisors, and instructors3 and to coor-di.nste , supervise" and direct the training of these specialists. Training officialS were to analyze and develop training methods and standards, matericls for training texts, examinations and tests, films" and charts as the need ror them was foreseen,; and to coordinate the training of civilian personnel ,,'1 th th...,t of' military personnel wherever practicable. Training officials were also to coordinate the Air Corps training program with that of the War Department and to act as liaison of.ficers on Air Oorps civilian training arrairs with the Navy, the Civil

Aeronautics Authority, the Civil Service CommiSSion" the United states

Office of Education, and oth~r offictal and private agenCies.

The Chief' of the Training and Placement Section prepared a draft.

memorandum entitled "Training Civllian Personnel in the Air Forcetf which



USAFW-123, Chap. I

7

'Was given the approval o£ the Chief of' the Civilian Personnel. Division,

mAC. OOAC training officers visited the Maintenance Command and its depots to study tra:illing plans, aDd to consult and advise depot cOllll1landint. officers

and their staffs. F.l.ans were drawn up recommending a complement for

Maintenance Command tr81n1~ positions and a standard depot training and

plaaement stsf'f'.

When secretary Stimson appointed l'JI'. Appley consultant on trainiDg* in the spring of 1941, he called on the Civilian Personnel Division, roAD, and it:;; TraiIlillt. and Flacement Section to £urnish the latter information

concerlliDg war Department and Air Oorps traiDing prObr8lll5 and plans. P ir

Corps officers also advised the ~onsultant relative to the content of the 7

War Department training memorandum of: 10 Jlil.y 1941.

War Department and Air Corps representatives participated in a m.eetil:lg of the Advisory Committee to the ~urvey of FersoIlIlel lleeds and Training Facilities of Federal DefeDbe ~encies held at kesley Hall in Washiogton,

D.O., 2 July 1941. .At tbis meeting traiIling experts f"rQiIl the 'War Department,

the l'javy Department, the Department of Labor, the Civil Service Comrr.ission# the Office of Production 1,lanagernent, the Civil Aeronautics Authority, Glen

L. I:IJSrtin Co., .A.m.erican Air Lines, Un1ted .Air Lines, and the .Air Corps

discussed the problem of training airoraft maint~nance mecnanics. It waa agreed that operating officials could not just sit back and wait i'or the Oivil Service to furnish qualified mechenics 13ince they were not avallable

any lODger--hence operating officials should get together and agree on a

real training prof>T8lD..

* See above, p.2



USA.FBS-12J. Ohap. I

s

Methods of traiDiDg were discussed and. }1r. Appley described t.a8

training under way at Midd1etrnm where mechanic learners were at work full time on the production line perfol'llti.ng the simple operations they learned

in training classes held after their working hours. At this time the. liar Department bad a total of 20,000 men in trainiXlg in its field establishments

or at schools in e.djoinine. cities. In SUllmlBt"izing the discussion, Civil. Service Con:missioner frthur S. ~"'lemiDb pointed out tha.t it was necessary

to £:;0 furtaer t.haIL then existiDg practices io breaking dowu jobs into specialized opera.tions (especially as a basis for trainine, people with no

prev.i.ous experience and puttinE:; them. into production as soon as possible),

and to make. more job analy:::es. He predicted tbat there woULd be a heavi-el'

load. on the pre-employment schools and pointed out the need for closer

liaison between these schools and the operating officials. He emphasized

that the latter must reali~e the need for all-out training. F1llally be

pointed out that the production and delivery of planes in itself was not

enough, there must be civilians availabl.e for their maintenance. Hence the greatest personnel problem in the def.'eose program was that of training adequate civilian persoIUlel.8

The plazming and developmelJ.t of 01 vilien traiIling for the Air Corps as

a whole received a Great impetus trom a conference of lofainteoanoe GO!lllllllDd

training officers held at Wrie;ht Field on 3-6 September 1941. The work

accomplished at the meeting marked the first stag,e of' progress in the

evolution of a comprehensive civilian treirdng, pro6ram in the Air Corps.

It met the requirements of the Ma:1nten811ce CollllllEUlli and OOAC by making recommendations providing for; 1) the establisbment of a flexible civilian



9

traixli ng orgmlization, 2) the draftiDg of a temporary training directive

authorizi~ the comman~ officers of depots to conduot certain kinds of c1 vilien trainillg, ;3) a systeru of occupationeJ. analyses and standards

of performance, 4) and a system of training and Placement records and reports.9

The recommendations committee 'Was made ufi of the depot training

officers assisted by representatives of OCAC and of the United states

Department of Education. The three major racollllll.endations of this committee

were those dealing with a tentative training directive, training records

and reports, and occupational analyses.

The tenative directive reoommended b,y tne committee was issued in a sligbtly revised form on 18 ~eptember 1941 as a Maintenance Command directive,

BUDJ eot: Star.de:rdization of Civilian TrainiXl6 at Air Corps Depots. It

was :mbatantieJ.ly the 'Wer Department MemoraIldUlll of ~O July 1941 reworded

;30 as to be specii'icelly applicable to the l-laintenance Co_and. It also empbasized the need for training ke,r persoun~ streDgtheued the po~ition of

the training officer; required perioaic stetistical reports on depot

training programs; and required tne coordination or training with recruit-

ment and placeraent •. 'Ihe fact that the bl.e.intenance ColllI1l.8.D.d issued this

directive was significant in that it oonstituted a recognition of tne Ul'€;ency of the training program, end put a single standardized program into operation in place or several independently developed programs.10

The proposed Periodic 'I'raining i'rogress Report~ as recommended by the

comittee o~ training officers and their advisors, was to be s. monthl..y

report on tbe statue of tra;njng in the depots. It would include the



l.BAFHS-123, Chap. I

10

Ilumber of employees in off-the-j ob training by classifications, and the

training hours each month in each classif'ication; a breakdown ahowing

the enrollment and various tjopes of' training; enrollment in various eour-sea

of training, etc. This was the beginning of a reporting system which

started out to be simple though d.etailed, and with time became more J.engtby and Llore complex.li

Devel.opment 9! Occupational Analyses: Its Importance .:!?2 ~ Training Program

The recommendatioIl tbat occupational analyses be made in a standardized

form and used by all tbe depots was of the utmost importance in the develop-

ment of the Air Corps CivUian Trsjning program. The training officers

attenaiDg tne collference agreed unsnimousq to adopt the job analysis £orm (Utah plan) developed at &alt Lake City and Ogden, and indorsed the

procedure b,y which each depot had been assigned the project of oompiling job analyses of specifio types of ocoupations or jobs. Each depot was to use ita own form in developing analyses until the over-all. system--as per the Utah plan--should 'be available.12

No phase of the developmeut of the Air Corps oi vilian training program

was more significant for the future than the early start made in oompilation

of occupatione1 analyses in February 194J.. The Ogden Air Depot and the

vocational school authorities of the state of Utah worked together in

starting this project, receiving very valuable assistance and guidance £rom.

the U.S. Office of Education thro1l4Sh ~Jr. George Sa.nders, Special. Representative, 'Who 'Was detailed to (Ie,den to do this job.

As SOOll as some materiel was made available for tetlots Mr .. Sanders

'Was detailed to the Office of' the Obief' of' the Air Oorps to a.evelop the



USAFHS-123, Chap. I

11

same program for the whole depot system. In June occupational. analyses were allotted by depot--Middletown was to handle the machine overhaul. positiollS; SaaaJnento, instruments; and Fa.ir£ield, tuailage disassembly.

Mr. Sanders visited each depot aDd advised with the foremen of' the different

departmenta, making a record of their standard practices in occupational.

~es. Out or this procedure there gradu8lly developed certain standard analyses which were found to be common to all depots.l)

These occupational analyses were m&de up to two parts: one, the

breakillg down of an occupati.on into its jobs~ end two, the breaking down

of those j oba into their operations. Beaicaliy the analysing of an occupation

in detail was involved to determine the various steps which made it uP, aDd

to put that analysis OIl paper.

In addition to the breakdowns, a fully completed oecupr tionaJ. analysis

also included OJ;leration Sheets, lnf'orrus.tion Sheets, and gener&l.ly a list of tbe tools and equipment neoeesary for the ~ob. The Opera.tion Sheets were actually further analyses consisting of a step-b.y-~tep breakdown ot

each operation mskj DC up a job. The Illf'orIustion Sheets provided necessary

tecbDical and related i.I.l.:tormat1on, serving to supplement textbooks or to

take their place when they were not available. Later the term J,,ob analYsis came to be used to include all the items included under t{~e formal term

~pationaJ. ansl~sisJ and for all practicsJ. purposes, replaoed the older term.. Therefore the tem job Wla.lysis will be used tor the remainder of

this study.

The importance ot job analyses as the basic step in setting up a

majority of' the civilian training courses, especially in maintenance, is

~ ~~~ - -----~~ ~ - - --~ ~Q_~ -~, -



USAFHS-123, Chap_ I

12

obvious. The ~ ob mwJ.yses were necessary in order to determine what the specifio jobs eIJ.d/ or operations were which a worker performed in an

occupa.tion; they determined what knowledge and int'ormation of a tecbnicaJ.

nature tne worhmo.:n must have to do the job correctly; and they determined what ehol.lld be tau£ht, both in tneory and ill practice.14

'l'he job anelyeie proe,'l'mn leid the foundation for a vast development

of training materials and mcthod~. In the beginnipg especially, the analyses

provided effective iIlstructional outlines for tho~e mechardcs who were

forced to be inatructors despite their lack of traini1'l€, and experience in the art of teaching. They made trsiniDg quicker and more efficient by indicating a step-by-step procedure which allowed trainees to progress as fast as their abilities allowed. They provided instructional material. which was simpler and more teacha.ble ttan the technical orders. They made specialized training possible ~ showing the specialization to be round in

each occupation. Since the analyses defined a job in terms of itself, they made possible the establishment of minimum performance standards. Plso

by indicating the exact natln'e of eo job and making it po~sible to break

the job down into very s:iJnple operations or steps, the analyses made it possible to use low grade, unskilled, physically h8lldicapped, old, and

famale workers to accomplieh jobs which were complex in their entirety.

The development ot job analyselil made possi Ole speeded-up, specialized

trainillg, and the substitution of the BpeciBlist for tbe general mechanic in the production line. l~one of the tbings which went into the developnellt

ot civilian training were more fulldamental than the job analysis program which got Ullderwa~r in 1941.15



USA.FHS-123, Ohap. I

Organizati,.9Jl. ~ ~ AY: Service Command: .ts Rapid h:eansion

On 17 October 1941, a little more than a month after the September

training conference, an organizational chaD£.,e replaced the Maintenance

Command with the ld.r Service Comm.and. The Air Service COlllJllanci, as first established, consisted of the headquarters at ~right Field; the four old,

established depots--Fair£ieJ.d, Middletown, San AntoIlio, 8IlI:l Sacramento;

two new depots, O&den and Mobile, not yet in production; and a dozen sub- 16

depots.

Conferences were held in :November 1941 for the purpose of working out

a 'pro~ram of ci"Vilil'.n training for employees in the mtbdepots of the Air Service OOlllr.lelld mid to pre::>ent it to the Bureau of Education, Department

of the Interior, aDd the state Directors of Vocational Education in those

states where approved contrMt schools were located. At a conference held

in the office of Mr. L.S. liawkins, Director of Vocational Training for

Defense \>,Iorkers, Bureau of Eduoation, on 7 November 19-41, agreements were

worked out between representatives of the JSO and state and federal vocational

trajnint. off'iciMI> to facilitate the training of Air Corps depot and sub-

depot Pez"SODIle1 in contract and private trooe schools under the supervision of the btate Boards o£ Vocational mucatj_on.1.7

It was fortunate that the foundations had been thus ~aid for a

comprehensive, cOlDllUmd-wide trair..ing proe,ram in the .ASC, for the entry of the United states in World W'ar II in December 1941 brout,ht about an

accelerated expansion of the Id.:r Oorps which made tt,e trajp;illl:, problems

.!ac;ipj the comra.B!¥i more formidable than ever. * In the 10-month period fran * In 1941 the Air Corps goal was upped ~ 54 to 84 groups, and after Pearl Harbor the goals were set still higher.



•

US.AFHS-123, Ghap. I

.31 March 1941 to 31 January 1942 the total number of civilian personnel employed by the four original depots increased from 8,.524 to 38,526. By December 1943 the six depots and twelve subdepots of ABC had expanded to a great complex of eleven 1T:ajor depots and 238 subdepots; the Miami Air

Depot and the Atlantic and Pacific Overseas Air Service COIlll1lands were in operation; 46 specialized depots had been established; and there were

18

various other subinstallations. The greatost demand for labor in the Army

air arm came from the .ASC which employed more than one half the total number of oi v:ilians workinS for the AKF. About 75 percent of these were the skilled 't-7orkers engaeed in maintenance and supply activities.l9

Discontinuance of the Apprenticeship and NY! Programs for Civilian Training

As mentioned earlier,* the r&ther leisurely apprenticeship training

program, \o"d.th its four-year training period" was quite effective in time

of peace. It was found to be quite inadequate" howeverl to meet the

expandi.ng training needs o:f the period 1941 ... 1943; in order to speed up

output f:"l'eater specis.1ization than 111lS possible under the apprenticeship

program was needed. J..s early as 29 June 1941 Lt. Col. John N. Clark,

Sacramento fJ.r Depot" wrote to the Chief, t·iai.ntenance Command, that con-

tinuation of this pror,ram w,s impractical since the laree number of air-

craft factories and the scarcf ty of trained per-sonne'l, in the aircraft

field had resulted in a situation in which men with less training and

experience than the apprentices v;I"'re receiving high salaries in industry.

Furthennore, within the depot itself the morale of apprentices suffered

when men with only two years of experience in Ilrelated industry" were

hired as jmior mechanics at twice the wae;e which they, with their

specialized training in aircraft work, were receiving •

'l£- See above" p. 1.



USAFHS~l23, Ohap_ I

Oolonel Olark also pOinted out that the apprenticeship program had

become impractical from the point of' vi aN" of' depot production. Production was confused by the apprenticeship training method of shifting apprentices

from section to section to give them comprehensive training. In essence,

the apprenticeship training program COuld not possibly turn out trained

and specialized aircraft mechanics at anything approaclrl.ng the nllJllbera in

which they "rrre needed. Destd. te v::trious measures taken in an attempt to

adapt it to emereencr.y conditions the apprenticeship training program WRS 20

forced out of the ge~eral training pror,ram of the ABC. There was not

enough time to train the old type all-around mechanic who could do any job; now it was necessary to break maintenance (and supplY' work) down

into narrow speCialties which could be mastered b.r new and ine~erienced

employees in a relatively short time throug,h an intensive cour-se of

trainil'..g based on careful job analysis.

For quite different reasons the Naticnal youth Administration Training

Program also failed to mer.'t the training needs brought on by the war emergency. This pror,ram had been adopted by the depots in 1940 with mis-

giVillf.S. It ~Tas accepted because the apprenticeship training prOrrGlll did

not produce enoueh trained personnel, because it provided a place for the

less skilled workers--and because aqy scheme which would produce trained

workers had to be tried. However the NYA Trainine Proeram turned out

workers only in the hundreds, not in the thousands as they were needed.

Under the NYA Program the trRinees were youths who had passed the

Civil Service Mechanic Learner examination and whose names were listed on

- -


This Pa e Declassified lAW E012958

•

WAFHS-12;3, Chap_ I

16

the Civil Service register ali! eligible. A residence center was set up ror the trainees within the vicirdty of a depot but not on the militar,y

re;3ervation. The rarm.meration of the trainees came entirely from NYA. funds.

Part of their instruction was received in the depot shop under the supervision

of experienced Air Corps mechanics and part in supplemental. classes conducted by NYA. instructors. Upon succeesful, ccnc.lusd.on of six month's training

they were classifie~ as mechanic-learners, and after one month's experience

the.y were eli~ible for promotion to the position of mechanic helper • .Although the 1'IYA. Program worked fairly well at some depots it proved to be unsuccesaful, on the whole. lIJ.ilitary personnel tended to look on the

program with disfavor. fublic opinion opposed the continuence of Ifreliefll

programs at a time wuen jobs were openillb up. In addi tioD the NYA. hed

become a political issue b,y 1940 and there was a question as to whetner

or not it should be abolished.

Finally the !liD.. trainin€, program failed because it bad become an unsuitable tJ'1)e of training by the time it got undel"WEzy". 'l:he shops :in

the depots had become too crowded and busy for the mechanics to give in-

atruction to traineee with little or no mecha.r.d.c81 experience. The

trainees 1"ere shifted f'rom section to section with little regard to foremen.

In soma cases the majority of the trainees were unable to meet Civil Service

requirements.

'rhus after a year and a haJ.t" of trial the m.A. traiIline program was

abandoned as impractical. It did, however, provide a model for a combined

work experience and related illstruct10n program on which later depot training prObrams were to be based.21



U3AF'£-123, Ohap. I

17

As it became obvious that the apprenticeship traininb proeram and

tue l~ationa1 Youth Administration Training Program were turning out an

inadequate number of: trained workers the depots, acting indepe:odently,

orGanized other traininB prot,rams to meet their needs. For some time the dep~ts had supplemented the above-mentioned training probram with short

courses developed and used as the need arose. In II December 1940 a

conference of depot commanding of£icers was called to consider means of

recruiting and training workers and to discuss the probl.ens growing out of

tHe multiplicity of training structures e:x:l.stinu within the depots. (II.

7 April 19L.:L letters were sent to the depots inqu:i.ring into tbe statlW

of training at the various installations--exclusive of the apprenticeship

aod b~~ trainlnu pra~rams. Out of this reco~oit1on of the situation brew

the development of the independent training programs by the depots in

19l;J..

1-l1ddletown Air Depot started an independent program in February 1943.J

San Antonio in M2:v; Fairfield in late June; and sacramento in .Jl.llle or

July. The 10 .i u.l.y l1emorandum issued by the "tI;8r Department was of assistance

in that it gave the training :progra.m.s a higher official status, and the supplement to the memorandum authorized 8. definite organization for

training at the depots. These proeTams were significant in that the standardized Air Service Command training program 'Was to develop from them.22

Government Aid in the Development

of ~ l~ir Oorpsl Oivilian'l'raining Program

A factor of major importance in the new training developnents was

the great assistance &iven by tbe l~ational Defense Training Program, 'USing

_ ~~ ~ ~~~~~_~ ~~~. _~ __ ~ ~. 'f,~~~~_~_ ... ~ .. _.0 ~



USAFm-12.3, Ohap_ I

18

funde appropriated by Congress to be used for the vocational. education

of defense workers.23 B.y the enactment of the Second Deficiency Appropriation

Act, 1940, approved 27 June 1940, Oongreea provided that ~5,QOO,I)OO should

be uoed for the vocational training of workers !lin occupations essential

to the national defense and preemplqy.ment refresher courses for workers

preparing £01' such courses selected fi"om the public employment registers

••• tI Not over two percent of this appropriation was to be used for the

adminiserati ve expensee invol veO. in carryillg out the purposes of the act.

Pl8llS for such training were to be submitted to the United states OoDmliseioner

of Education for approval. The vocational traiIliIl£, duties of' the COmmissioner

vere to be carried out under the sup..:;rvision ot the Federal Security Mministrator.24 OIl 1 July 1940 the Program. for the Vocational E.ducation

of Defense Workers came into official existence as the mesne for the

implementation of the af.'oresaid training legislation.

Although the funds provided by Congress were f'or the vocational

training of a wide range of' defense workers (i.e. shipyard workers, ordnance plant workers, welders, aircraft mechanica), the depots met the requirement a of the leBislation" s.OO. federal funds were available .for their use. In

addition to financ1Bl help they received cooperat1on from established

SC110016 and assistance from. trained vocational school administrators.

This program was administrered by an agency designated as VEND,

Vocational :&ducation f'or :National Def'euse, genereJ.ly referred to as

Vocational Train:i.nc: tor National Defeme. This agency was formerly the

Trade and Industrial E.ducation Service of the llIlited states Office of

Education. It was headed by Mr. L. S. Hawldns, who bore the title of Director of Defense Trsiningl United States Office of :E.ducation. He



UEAFES-12.3, Chap. I

19

worked 'With Mr. \Ulliam. H. Kusimick"Director of the Division of Civilian

Persomel and Training, Office of the secretary of "!Mar.

In each !State the program waa headed by a state direotor of vooational

training for defense workers. In maDW instances this official bad been

and continued to be the regular state director of vocational traimDE in charge of the statel s peacetime vocational training program. He 'Was solely responsible for the operation of the defense training program in the state.25

It was not 1.mtil mid-1941 that the depots be€;an to use the funds and services made available to them through Vh~D. Ij,'herc are two explanations for the de1~--the depots bad not been informed of the availability of federal funds :tor the training of civilian emplO}ees, am they hoped that

th~ Defense Training Schools set up in the lItates, althOUgh not connected with them, would prove a source of acceptable 'Workers. This hope was

unfulfilled: depot Yorkers bad to be trained specifioally for depot work in order to attain satisfactory :results.

In lllid-l9Al both the San Antonio and the Sacramento J ir Depots began

to use National Defense Training fUllds. The 8.ITangements were made b;:; the

depot cormnanding officer or his authori~ed agent directly with the state

director or with someone to whom he had delegated authority.

There were several dir:ferent set-ups which mif:,ht be agreed upon

between a comm.ana.ing officer and a. sta.te director; the establishment from

scratch of a vocatioD8l school for the uae ot a subdepot; the conversion

of an existing public acnool :tor depot use; contracting with a privately

owned and operated school for conversion to depot use; the introduction

of new courses in a scbo~, putilic or private, sJ.reacw used by a depot;



1iSA.FHS ... l23, Ohap. I

20

and the rental of space for setting up a new 5chool or for the expansion

of' one already in use. An agreement having been conc'luded; it was sent. to

VEND in Waahington for approval. On approval the U.S. Office of Eduoat.ion

directed the U.S. Treasury to deposit to the acoount of the state board of

vocational education in the state treasur,r sufficient mone,y !rom funds

appropriated by CODgl'6SS to cover the expense of the training set-up agreed

upon for a given period of time.

Under such arrangements all the costs of the off-reservation or t:i.ed

schools were paid for out of the l~ational Defense 'l'rs:ining tunds with

the exaeption of the salaries of the students and the co~t of their trans-

portation, which items were paid for bj- the depot. The depot was responsible for procurillg the students; for specifyin;_ in detail the contents of the

courses; for assisting the school in finding qualified instructors; and

for helping to obtain printed materials and equipment used for instruction

purposes.

These schools were sdmjnjstered by local directors appointed by the local or state board of education. They were to administer the schools

in accordance with the policies of \lEND and a:t the same time ill accordance

'With the plam end specifications agreed upon by tue depot COIll1landing

officers and the state directors. The major responsibility of the local

direators was to turn out students who met the requirements of the depots.

This vooationsJ. training $id given by the UJlited .states Office of

Education and the state vocational education boards, working through

V.clND, was of great importance to the depots. Although there were times



USAFHS-123, Chap. I

21

when the set-up did not operate smoothly due to the frY stem ot dual oontrolB aIld the various problems wbich inevitably arise in an emergency pro€,ram.

established on a vast scale, the pro~ram in general worked well and to the !;>reat advantage of the depots. The depot training prof..rams showed a critical need ot experience in the aaministration of vocational training;

the National Defense 'l'raining Program provided the dEp ots with money and

with people experienced in vocational education and educational administration.26 In addition to ta.e cot of June 27, 1940, which prov:i..ded funds to be

used in the vocational tr8jnjng of persons engaged in defense work, and under the authority of which the National Defense Training Program was

set uP, an act of July 2, 1940, authorized and permitted the employment of persons lacking the necessar,y job qualirications and permitted these persons to be trained. Section 5 of this act provided in part as follows:

liThe President is authorized, ldth or without adver-[,isillf" through the appropriate agencies of the bovernment • • • (3) to provide for tbe

procurement and training of civilian personnel necessar,y in connection

with the protection of critical and essential i.tems of' equipment and material and. the we and operation thereof'; ••• 02:7 This legislation

gave the depots a .firm legal basis for the procedure of hiring unqualified personnel and putting them on the payroll while they were in training

for productive work. It was necessary for the depots to follow this

practice and to pa;y aubstaIItial salaries to non-producing trainees in

order to compete with private concerns and with other government agencies

in the rapidly expanding labor market.



l.BAFHS-12:3, Chap. I

The Independent Depot Training Fropr~; Their Contribution

A.s previously mentioned, the tour original depoba ;:;tarted independent training programs in the first halt or 1943. after they foUDd the apprenticeship and l~A training prograne inadequate to meet their needs. ~ it

happened each of the four depots experimented with a o.ifterent phase 01' the

over-ill training lR'oblem. In-service tra1n1nc "Was featured at the l<.liddle... town Air Depot; at the San Antonio Air Depot (sAAD) a large school* "Was

set up and. operated jointly by the state of 'J:exas Vocational School. Depe.rt:r.a.ent and the Air Depot. At the Sacramento Air Depot (bAD) a widespread.

prO~T8fu encompassed the integration of vocational and other sanoals within

a radius of l.00 miles. Civilian training at Fairfield 1.u Depot was

confined to some 1.5 courses in basic maintew: nce 'Work. No off-reservation

training facilities were used. by Fairfield Air Depot, and the depot did not actually put an inte{>rated training program into operation until December 19.u.28

The l>:d.ddleto'Wn } ir Depot trEd vi De pro"ram was carried on in an in-

service on-reservation school.. The trainees were secured from the 01 vU

Service registers of general mechanica helpers with six or more month's

of experience in some mechanical trade. They received six hours a dS¥ of

on-the-job instruction under the supervision of skilled mechanics in the

shops, and two hours or classroom instruction in related courf>es. looJiddl.e-

town's training prog;ram. grew rapidly-it started on FebruBry 1941j b"j 10 April there were 750 trainees and 40 instructors, and b,y 1 October 1941

the school had trained and put in production some 2,200 general mechanics * This type or school, was commollly called a tied-echool.

.~



USAFm.-123, Chap. I

23

helpers and jUIlior mechanics; and on this date lo'dddletown started a class

of 2,000 trainees, instructed by 180 part-time instructors.

The NiddJ.eto'Wn progrwn had three outstanding virtues w.nich made for ef'i'eotivenes5 in traiDing; 1) Workers were trained in the area and with the machinery which they were to use in prcduction, 2) ltiddletown made

effective use of visual aidf1 in tra.iniPb, beiIlg amOllL the i'i;r:"t to do so, 3) and tbe related training courses were carefully worked out so as to

cleerly relate tt.e classroom training with the on-the-j ob trainir~ and to 29

synchrOllize the two.

San Antonio Air Depot wlla the first of the depots to establish en

off-reserva.tion school. As there was DO precedent for this tj"'Pe or

traiuir.:g, the school aui'i'ered the vicissitudes of an initial period of

trial and error for about six mnntns after it started l)mctioning on 1 May

194J.. LoeB-ted in the city of San Antollio it 'Was organized as a pre-employ.ment

tr&inipt center followiDL collaboration of the Depot and the state and city

vocatiomU. educational authorities on "he plans. Trainees were procured

through the 'I ezas state Lmployment Service and employment 'by t.ne depot was

contingent on completion of the course and beiDt. admitted to the Civil

Service reE;ister. Well qualified inbtructor(l were supplied by sAAD ard by the 48th Subdepot. l·ll" + f. T. EconoDzy", f'orem.e.n of the electrical. department

or the repair shops, conduoted the school.*

The prOtTOIn of the school consisted of three courses--a l020-bour

basic course for the trainir..g of learners and helpers; aooa 96O-hour advanced course for the tl'ainif4:, of ~UDiors and journeymen in the theory and practice * Mr. Economy 'Was latbr comm1~ioned Najor and Jlayed an important

part in the SAP-D civilian. trainir.g program as Trajniac and Placement Officer, SAAD.



USAFHS-123, Chap. I

e of a speoific trade; and a 96O-hour supervisory trailling course which covered such items as ls¥out and job assignment, reports and records,

loyalty, ethics, and leadership. The San Antonio program of traini.n.t, got

sw~· from the old apprenticeship idea of trcining all-around mechanics,

and developed in the direction of trajning in narrowly specialized opere.tioDP

in order to permit the rapid utilization or trainees in production operations

organized. on the assembzy line plan. It al.so developed from a pre-employment to a pre-nervice trainine progrrun as it became evident that trainees must

be emplqyed and put on the p8j7011 before th~ were rea~ for production

line work if the Air Corps wao to be able to com:pete llith other prospective employers in the tight labor market.

One or the most di£ficul. t problems was that of ;;;ecuring adequate

late type equipment :for the school to use for training purposes. This was

solVE:d bl' moving the advanced trninir-f,. courae on-reservation where equap-

ment was available. It later became Air Etervice COIlltll8.nd policy to li.mit orr-reservation schools to basic tra1.n1ng, and to do all advsnced training

at oll-reservation schools. All in al.l, San Antonio performed 19, valuable

service to civilifJl training with the pioneer work it did in off-reservation, pre-service trn1n1ng. ':the J 1r &ervice Commend I s standardized program. which 30 became a model for the f AF 1 owed a great deal to the &an Antonio program.

On the other hand it seems that ill 1941 the civ.1.1ian traiIJ:ing et'f'ort

at Fairfield Air Depot was singularly UDi'ortmate in that it was poorl¥

organized and wa~ beset ~- troubles from the be~inning--leck of capable

instructorl3, lack of suitable quarters, lack of proper handling and support by the depot comaander', indifference to traiIling on the top level, squabbles



U.sAFHS-123, Ohap. I

2,

between foremen aod instructors.31 lhe chief contributio~ of Fairfield

was in its giv:t.ng a very ~rapbic illustrE.tioIl of the wro~ way to run a

civilian trv.iDing pro~ram

OIl 14 lpril 1941, as a result of a conference between the ColllIUallCling Officer of Sacramento Air Depot, the Cbief of the Training and Placement section of the Civiliml EersODIIel Division of the Air Corps, and the

CBlifornia State Director of Defense lrailling, the Director sent out

letters to nineteen school districts inviting t.G.eDl to set up three moncns trllining pr-ograms under the Defense Training Program. 'lhese courses were

to be for the specific purpose of preparir.g workers to become general

helpers in the Depot. By tine end of June 1941 fifteen high schools and

colleges 'Within a lOll-mile rndius of SBcramento llir Depot were offering

some forty-seven classes in subjects prescribed b,y SAD. By tae end o£

liovember 1,778 men had completed tre.inillS and apprOximately 1,300 more

were in training.

However, evidence indicated that the program was not a succes::.--tb.e ::.tudents 'trTere orU.y partieJ.ly trnined m:J.d evidently were not very satisfactory "Workers. This $ystem of lll1.ll.tj;ple off'-reservatioll schools failed to produce

the desired results becau~e the trainees were not paid and were in no way

under the jurisdiction of SbJ).. ... the sta.te Director, representing the California state Department of ~ducation, kept almost campl€te control over the program. Sacramento.Air Depot had little more to do with the progrllDl than to indicate what courses were to be taught and to permit some of its employees to be used as instructors. The SAD BY stem of off-reservation schools 'Was widel, ccattered, 'Whio.n made problenw of securing equipnent



USA.FH5-123, Ghap. I

26

dii'i'icult, and. there was not even a coordin~,tor to see that the different

schools carried out the trninjDc polia,r or the Depot.

There was elso a procrnm of in-service trld.rdl:lb set up at SAD to replace

the defunot apprentice probrmn. This trainine, 'Was for newly hi:red. e.m.ployeeslargely to orient them to their j oba, 5ince the fUes of thia pro&ram. were

destroyed by fire it is hard to draw aD¥' valid conclusion5 as to its worth.

A. final amU}' sis of the Sctcram.ento Air Depot trailWl~ program in 1941 shows the existence of the following defects: l} a lack of a specific and stable irldependent training organization, 2) insufficient well-qualified person:r.el. being selected to head up tue probl'am, ;3) dii'ficul ty between the

Depot acd the California State Department of Education and the State Director. The major difficultiea were corrected early in 1942 whel'.l. the old multiple

off-reservation progrmn was scrapped and a new one, the 1l1echan1c Learners

Program, wa.s set up under which the trainees were paid b~ the Depot , Under

the new set-up the Depot was also able to exert some influellCo over tile

statE Director and the state Department of Education. Despite its troubles in 19U SAD made progress in the development of a civilian trainjng proe-,ram

and acquired a store of ~perience which would be valuable to future 32

train:1.ne. progrmns ..

In connection 'With the independent trainiDg programs developed by the

rour oJ.dest depots in 19itJ., it should be mentioned that in addition to training persollllel to IIleet their own expansion needs the depots were given

a different and apecial type of trai.xlin~ res'pon~ibility, that of tra.iniDt,

cadres of civilian personnel for the five new depots--~arner Robins,

Oklahoma City, home, San Bernardino, and Spokaue-which were to go into

operation in 1942. In late 1941 the four old depots were assigned their



cadre trmnjne responaibilities by a letter from Headquarters, Air Service

Command, dated 17 November.

Each of the four depots was to have the responsibility of trninil:l.6 a

complete cadre o~ at least 1,000 civil service employees with attendiD&

supervisory personnel :for one or more of the five new depots which 'Were to

be activ8ted in 19.42. The recelltly activated depots, Mobile and Ogden,

were not considered react to perform cadre trainixl€.. Subsequently, ho'Wever,

Sacramento Air Depot was relieved of its cadre training responsibility and

its assignment of' trsjnjDE, a cadre for Spokane Air Depot was transferred to

~den. Although the provi::.ion of cadres for sutdepota was :familiar enough

in depot experience, this call for a hurry-up job of cadre training on a

{!,Teat scal.e presented mruzy pro"bleliW and necessarilJ' resulted in a good deel

ot experimentation before the program was completed. At the eDd of 19t.l the cadre training prof:)ram. wa:;; still in the planrdnf; stSE,e--it actually got underw~ in 1942 and was not completed. ootU 1943.33 The entrance of t.ae Un1ted states into World War II in December 1941 further accelerated depot

expansion and complicated the cadre trajrljD(, pr0€>Tsm.

w1lat the depots achieved in 19-4J. in setting up training programs and getting the.i.il underway was obviously the first step in. the successful

solution of the tremendous training problem facing the Air Service Command

in particular, and the air 8I'lll in general. By tne ene ctment of the necessary

legislation supplying federal funds and making available the advice and

assistance of federal aOO state vocationsl training experts and tne service

of state and private vocational schools, CODgress greatly aided the

development of the civilian trainine; progrsm. Finilly the War Department



USAFHS-12J, Chap_ I

and the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps furnished the authorit,y and

guidance wbich would eventually weld tue depot probrams into a comprehensive

civilian training program. for the whole command. ¥,'orld.rl{t. from these

beginnillgs the k,.C was able to expand its training proSram to meet wartillle

needs, and to develop the most effective civi1iaL trailling proeram of' 8I1¥ component of the AAF, Que which bec~~e a model for the official AAF civilian

tr&ining program.

_ _ ~~ ~~_J



USiIFHS-123

Chapter II

DLWL.oPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE AAF ClVILIAl'lf TPJl.I1UNG PROGRAM LURIl<iG

THE '{JAR 'YEAFS

lVhen the military establishment of the United States went all out on

a wartime basis a£ter Pearl Harbor the expansion of the Air Corps lI'~ tremendously accelerated and the total civilian personnel strength of the Air Corps in the continental United states, which was 62,418 in December 1941, rose to 274,980 in December 1942J1 an increase of over 400 percent

in 12 months. The largest employer of civilian personnel in the Artrr:i Air Forces (the Air Corps was reorganized as the Arnij~ Air Forces in March 1942)

was the Air Service GODlnand whose civilian personnel strength jumped from 31,292 to 207,603 in the twelve months of 1942, an increase of over 650 percent.2

The total civilian personnel strength of the AAF in the continental United States reached its wartime peak of 422,157 civilians employed by the various commands and other orbanizations of the AAF in October 1944.3 The

civilian personnel streneth of the ABC reached its peak a year earlier in October 1943 when it had 316,956 civilian employees, 88 percent of the en-

tire civilian atrenbbh of the AAF at t}l..at time. In the last two months of 1943 the civilian personnel strength of the ABC began to decline; by December 1944 it had dropped to 210"075,, and by August 1945 to 185,367; yet even at this latter date ATSC* still employed over 50 percent of the civilian personnel in the AAF.4

As has been noted" 75 percent of' the civilian personnel in the employment

of the ABC were skilled workers engaged in maintenance and supply activities.

* On 31 Aug~t 1944 the .Air Service Command was combined with the Materiel Command to form the Air Tecr...nical Service Command. In this study the two designations, !SC and ATSC, will be used as the date of the action under cons1..derati(m reQuire;,:+ (Walk~r, Procurement and Training of Civilian PersoDriel ~ the A3C, Fart ~~I, p. )



USAFHB-123, Chap. II

30

Since the supply of skilled labor had already been practically exhausted by 1941" the great expansion of the civilian personnel strength of" the .ASC

necessari~ entailed a great expansion of its civilian training program.

Even when the rate of expansion slowed down and there came to be an actual decrease in the civilian personnel strength of the ASC there still remained

greac procurement and training problems arisine from labor shortages which

became critical by 194.3. By this til'm the pool of skilled labor was ex-

hausted and unskilled labor was in verJ short supply. It became necessar,y to make a greater use of female labor and of handicapped personnel.5 The

necessity for training these people as replacements to meet the great turnover in civilian employees continued after the need for training the masses of new employees hired in the expansion period had ended. When hirinG was limited to the maintenance of complements set by the freeze order of September 1943, and was further reduced at a later date by the

drastic cuttinG of these conplements, civilian training remained an 1m-

portant function of the ABC, and of the other commands and organizations

of the AAF, because o:f the iIi'perative necessity to raise each worker to

his peak of ef£iciency. This necessity brought about changes in training methods and emphasis.6

Beoause the Air Service Command e~ployed a majority of the civilian persor~el in the AAF, and had such great trainine requirements, it was

inevitable that it should lead the AAF in the field of civilian training.*

Although the other AAF commands and organizations eventually developed

* As late as February 1944 the ABC, with 181,023 civilian emplo~~es as compared with 155,410 employed by all of the other commands and air forces, had 13,681 of its civilian employees in training as compared with 4,389 being trained by the rest of the AAF. (Daily Diary for II April 1944, Civ Pars Div, AAF Hq,File No. 121.02.)



USAFHS ... 123 .. Chap. II

31

rather comprehensive progr~~ as part of an AAF-wide civilian training

prO&Tam, tr.e history of the development of civilian training in the AAF

during World "Tar II uas in very largo measure a history of the development of the Air Service Command civilian training progrQm.

Organization 2! ~ ~ Civilian Trainin~ FrOgrant

In October 1941 the Air Service Command was established and took over

tbe depots, which were developing more or less independent training programs of their own:~ It became apparent early in 1942 that an over-all training plan for use by all ASC installations should be formulated and is~ued as

Headquarters policy in view of the activation of new depots and the growing

recognition of the expanding training needs of the Command. Therefore

Headquarters, Air Service Comma.nd~ issued the uPlan for Air Depot and SubDepot Traininglf ill l1arch 1942. This plan was intended to effect greater

uniformity of both administrative and ope!'...J.tior..l i rc ir:iPg :t:':'actices.

The I1arch 1942 Plan ow·as not issued under a reg;ulation, aut'hority

being given to it by the inclusion of some halt dozen p~rtinent directives of an earlier date. In addition to these directives the Naroh Plan included

an autlLorizatiol"i tor an air depot training complement. To inplement and

olarif,y this authori~ation there was included an or~anizational chart of

the depot training co;~lement, job descriptions of trainine personnel, and

qualifications for top traiui.l'le personnel. A similar ch.art of the liSe trainin~ complement was also included in the plan.7

The air depot training CO!'lplemi;:nt authorization included in the l1arch

Plan had been originally issued on 27 November 1941. The au~horization for

an air depot train~.ng complement provided for the depot headquarters one

'* For thes(! first steps see abovtl, pp. 22-6.

~~- ,,~~-~., ~ - .~- --~--~-- ~

THIS·PAG-EDe-cfassified iAW E012958


U3.AFHS-123, Chap. II

Civilian TrainO~ng Administrator p·5, and three Assistant CivilIan Training Administrators, p-4. One of the assistants was to handle occupational

analyses and instructional material, one was for foreman and instructor

traininc, and one lira...; to be the general assistant ror aubdepobs and contacts ;.ith outside agencies. Depot headquarters was also to have one

associate instructor P-3.

For the enginp.ering depart~ent of each depot there was to be one Assistant Civilian Training Administrator p-4J one associate instructor

P-3, and four assistant instructors P-2. The supply department of each

depot was to have the same trainine comple~ent. Restrictions as to numbers

of junior instructors P-l were removed; the number of appointments in this

grade necessar,y to run the depot training proGr~n successfully and effective~

was to be de~rmined by the cor.~~andinu officer of the depot concernod.

There was considerable dissatisfaction with this authorized co~lement and a few days after the ~:arch 1942 Plan had been issued it was examined and

discussed by a group or civilian training officers at the San Antonio Conference on Civilia.n Training which met at San Antonio Air Depot on March 1942. Among other things the recorenenaatdons committee of the Conference recommended that one of the positions be adjusted from a p-4 to P-5 and that the others remain at P-4.

The p~~ of the top ranking civilian trainin~ administrators was the

major problem in sett:!.n.g up the depot training staffs under this complement

authorization. It was ab~eed that higher salsries were necessar.y, otherwise

the d~pots would find it impossible to fill the complements with really able and experienced men. Hence it was also reco~~ended that the salaries of almost all of the administrators be raised.


USAFHS-123" Chap. IT

33

These recon~endations ~ere not" in general, followed b.1 Headquarters, ASC, in a new aut~orization of positions on 10 July 1942 which retitled certain positions and changed the classifications of many from Professional (p) to Clerical" Administrative, and Fiscal(CAF). The reclassification was

carried o~t in order to avoid the exclusion of good men from ad~nistrative

positions in civildan training because of an erroneous impression that men

who were not colle.t.;c or un1versit:r graduates were not qualified to fill

jobs in the Professional Grade. There was on~ one raise in grade and

salar.,r; the specialist in charge of foreman and instructor trainins was raised from p-4 to P-5.

The July authorization clarified a someshaf confused situation and

implemented the Civil Service policy of equal p~ for equal work. It

~ depots £rom bidding against each other £or qualified training personnel and effectively prevented extravaGance.

However, it made difficult the pro~urement of the best qualified

personnel available. Instructors in off-reservation schools and in

factories, trainers without ~ a~~nistrative duties whatevBr, received salaries ranging between ~4,oOO and :;~·5,oOO a year, which were higher than the base p~ of aQY but the top two administrators in a depot complement.

'l'his failure to provIde salaries which would perml t the procurement of the best vocational school men in the United States was the cause of certain

weaknesses which appeared from time to time in the training programs of

various depots. The 10 July authorization for air depot ci~llian training complements continued in effect through 1942 and into 1943.8

A really comprehensive and detailed system or oivilian training was provided for when Headquarters, Air Service Command, ppbl1shed ASO Regulation



34

50-1, 18 January 1943, which ~as entitled ItPlan for Civilian Training,R and 1'1as issued as tr..e policy and directive of t.he Command to be followed by operating echelons in carrying on the ABC civilian training program. The January 1943 Plan~ as it was called, set up for !SO Headquarters and for

the air depots trainin6 complements which were much like those authorized in the Harch 1942 Plan. For Headquarters, ABC" there was to be a. civilian

training coordinator and two training specialists, one in charge of

instructional materials and the other handling field service for the whole

command. The depot civilian training personnal included the Civilian Training A~~nistrator (who was responsible to the Training Officer who was, in turn~ responsible to the Depot Commander), and a sta!'f made up ot two

civilian training specialists, one of them responsible for foreman and

instructor training and the other for occupational analyses and instructional

material; and four assistant civilian trai~tng administrators, one for the

engineering department, one for supply, one for subdepots and outside contacts, and one assigned to headquarters and miscellaneous. In addition authority was granted to employ as many instructors as necessar.y in the

positions of senior instruc~or, instructor, j~~or instructor, and

instructor trainee. These instructor positions were also authorized for

5ubdepots with the exception of that of instructor tralnee. Authorization

was also granted to use mechanics in all designations as instructors.

The Januar,y 1943 Plan for Civilian Training also included position

descriptions and charts indieatinJ the organization of the Command and air depot training complements.9 It authori~ed expanded civilian training

complements and gave more details on the 1m?lenentation of the authorizations than the }~ch 1942 Plan. The two sections of the January Plan



USAFHS-123, Chap. II

35

which dealt with training complements and their organization, and with the

functions and duties of the administrative and instructor personnel on the

civllian training staffs on command, depot, and subdepot levels, constituted only a small part of the very co~rehensive civilian training structure

set up for t.he Air Service Command by the Plan. This "Plan :for Civilian Training!1 was a large, well-printed, and profusely illustrated publication which set forth the training policy of the Air Service Command and gave detailed plans for the various t;,'})es of' trai.n:Lne with 'Which to implement this policy. It covered practioal1Y all the subjects dealt witIl in the March 1942 Plan~* expanding most of them, and gave consideration to mapy

subjects not treated in the March Plan, such as Instructors, Training Equipment, References, and Communications.10

The greater authority of the January Plan, the impressive torm in

which it was published, and its greater size and scope were all indicative

of the progress made by the ASC civilian training program since the issuance

of the llarch Plan. It wa.s also an indication of the increased prestige ot civilian training program as a whole.11 It constituted an admirable handbook and l51lide for civilian training. In its first pages were set forth the War Department objectives for civilian training and the functions and objectives of the Air Service Command. The section on the organization of civilian training def~ ned the function and scope of the civilian training

program and definitely fixed the authority and responsibility for carrying on civilian traininG in the Air Service Command.12

The January Plan divided civilian training into four major categories:

Preservioe training~ in-service training, instruotor training, and management

* It covered 288 pabes where the ~~ch Plan covered only about 120 pages--the increase representing a oonsiderable amplification and extension of the ABO civilian traininJ program.

__ '~~~L~ ~~_

~ _. ~.~_ __.~ " ~_~ ~ ~ T~~. .~~ ~~ .... ,_



USAFHS-123" Chap. II

36

trainlng. Preservice training 'Was broken down into: a) preemployment

traini.ng~ the training of unpaid personnel in public schools for specific

ABC occupations; b) mechanic learner and under clerk training, paid personnel being trained in public schools for specific ASC occupations; c) pre~nduction

training, the training of men on a paid or unpaid status in depot or off-

reservation schools for depot work prior to their induction into the Arm1.

In-service training was subdivided into: a) orientation training,

tbe orientation of new empl~rees and newly trained perEonnel by on-the-job training and by supplementary class training or both; b) production train-

lng, assignment of small numbers of inexperienced personnel to advanced

personnel to do work under their GUidance and fina~ to perform the work alone;o) upgrade training. Upgrade traininE was, int.urn, divided into four subtypes as fOllows: (1) Trainlnr; f'or more responsible positicns

accomplished by on-the~job traininG, or supplementary class training, or both; (2) traininz for improvement within rank, accomplished as above; (3) combinat"ion specialist training, tee traininz of an el'l]?loJ-ee in two or more blocks or phases of a speci3ltJ' field; (4) cross training, the

training of personnel in work in distinctly different departments or ocoupations. It was not the policy of ABC to a~prove cross training if

the basic information rro~ one field did not aid or supplement the other

occupation.

Instructor tra1nin~ included tr.e develormcnt of skills and technioal

knowledge j as well as the development of teaching s~dlls and techniques.

Instructor training was divided into two main types--th~ training of new instructors and the upgraling of those who alreadr had work experience in

their field.

~ - ~ .~--

THIS PAG'E-Declassified lAW E012958


37

sohedu1ine their l'1Ork, ttJc":"rlE caE; e·f nn~ deveLcpmcnbs in aircraft main-

ten~ce, cOilducting on-the-job instruction, etc. Upgrade trainine for

eY.ie.ting sup~rvisors and tl:.e tl'ain:inc.; cf r.et~ eupervisors were both Farts of the manacemeuL LOr superviso!7 training ;roeram.

Since the ASO civilian trainin& prOCl'nn had tte objective of trainiLg

cIJplo~ees to do cerbatn specific tasks, and as all trainees did not learn

at the sane r.Ctte or speed , the flU! provided. that. progress charts werp to

be maint~ined to record each trainee's progress in learnine his specialty.13

In its section on t~e org~nizat1on of civilian training the Janu~~

:Ph.n includc.d excerptc frol'l ASC l:cr'lot'andl.1ln 50-2.Jdatcd 20 Aur;ust 1542, :~hich

exple:i ned the w.iJj texj.' technical train:i.n[:, or the ss» Service Connand and

the 1'€Sfonsib5li 1,it-s of cClTJ!l't8.ndinc officers in oeeint; that milit.ary r:erscn-

nel received trair.dnrr in the va.r:eous laW specialties, and thejx responsi-

bilities in regard to tee training of service gro~ps. It was specifjed

that on-tr.e-rescrvation civiliarl trainio£ fuciljties srould be ffiade available for the trainin5 of ~~11tary perscnnel.14

In its sootion desline with trairJees the Janu~' Plan bave consider?tion

to such matt~rs as turnov£r, expansion of personnel strengtl:, recruj.ting,

testing for selection of persoH(el, 3zsigrr..cnt of trainees, the training of

'Women, sC3,lariE's for mechanic learners, reclassification, standards of

performance, draft deferNent policy as applied to emplcyees of the Nar Department, and per diElil. policy.15 This part of the Plan was very useful

in standardizir.e policies and pr8ctices in handling trainees in the various

depo~s.

A section of tJ-oe Plan covered the centrol derot trainint, program with

provisioLS ccr:.carnin::; engir.eerin£ trainire,. suppq training, and training

-




38

in the control depot f:E'<:l.dq1..tarters. At this tine trainin[; programs for

headquart~ro units had not been fully dev~lcped and it was suggest~d that

heodquarters trainir~ shovld be planned and ccnducted by the control depots to nect the individual nee~s.16

Obl er seotions of the Januarj.' Plan conte.ined rather ccnprehensfve

provisiolID dealinG \-lith subdcpot trailrl.nt;, upgrade trainine, cooperative (o£f-reservaMon and contro.ot) schools, preservioe training, and r...an.aGement trainir..g.l7 Included in this part of tl:e pl.an uere such useful i;uides as

a sarr!ple of a cooperative a~reement b~tween en air depot ~d a p~lic

vocational schcol agreeinG to do traininG for the deFot, a list ot the

approved coaperatir.t£ scl-ool,s car:t;'Ji.ng on preservi.ce traim.ne for 11 depcbs

of tl:::e Air Service Oonmand, and t1:.e nanes and addresses cf two Air Service Co~znd contract schools.18

Section J of the Plan took up instructional mate-rial and its development; also the dev~lopltlent and use of training outlines, and their formal organiza-

bion, and the revision of Technical Orders for traininG purposes. It was

specified that Headquarters, Air Service Concr~d, should direct tte develop~ent of traininb courses and instructicnal matorials, incl~ding T~chnical

Orders, inform.:,tional guides, and work t.uides for depobs , subdepobs , and

other installatic'nG and for orr ... reservation civili3.11 training proerams.

The Peracnne'l, and Trc.inint;_ ::iivision, Ileadqllarters, ASC, was to det~rmine

occupations for which ir~tructional material was to be developed, and was

to develop outlines of training courses. The Technical Data dection,

Ha1ntenance Division, Headquartc'l's, Air Service Corurnand, was to work with

the Personnel and Treining Divisic·n in the development of instructional material.11



USAl"HS-123, Chap. rr

39

Section J also discus~ed informational and instructorte guides,

st~ting their purposes and showin[ the or£anizational £or.ms they should foll~l. It outlined the procedures for the procurement and distritution

of difforent tj'POS of training na.terial. The use of traininG films and

other 'risual trainirg aids as an important adjunct in the civilian train-

ing program was discussed, and procedures for the requisiLioning of films,

and for the operation of projectors and the handlinb of £ilrr~ were taken

• d t °1 20

up an some e aa •

Section K took up the allocation and distribution of class 26 material (enGines, airr,lanes, accessories, etc.), and of class l7-A and 17-B

materials to depots and off-reservation schools for use in training.

Section L dealt ~~itb traininG buildings and policies in re~,ard to their

assignment and use. Section M dealt ~ith trainin( records and reports,

and train:i_ng certificates, showinE: the forms used and hOVl to use them.21

On the first two peres of Section N the ifar Department civilian training policy, as set forth in the :iar Department lIemcrandtun cf 10 July 1941,

was outlir-ed for reference purposes. Also for reference purposes Section N gave information on such topics as the titleJ grade, position description, and qualifications of the civilian training pers onnel needed to stai"f a

depot civilian trainins protram--and included conplete informaticn on Class

26 material and its procurement, handling, and disposition. There was also

irrformation on t.rainina, lit.erat.ure and its r-eproductd.on, a l:ist of 41

factories to which civllian employees had been assigned for tro::.ininf;; a cheCk list for civ~lian training, and a copy of AAF Regulation No. $0-19, 1 Jan 1943, which gave instructions on the preparation" production and procurement of training aids.22

~ .~ -~ ~ - ~~ -- - ... _ ~ -~ .-.-~ ~ - ~~ ~



USAFHS-l23" Chap. II

40

Over one-half of the JanuarJ" 1943 Plan, a total of 150 pages in Section

P, was devoted to training outljnes. The outlines were divided into two groups, those used in engi.r.eering (maintenance) training and those used in

supply trainine. The enGineering training outlines constituted the larger group, 78 of' them ranging in an alphabetical index from airframe disassembler and assenbler specialist to Ale woodworker. The engineering

training outlines were also indexed by the i'011or7inc work groups: aero

repair" enf,-:tne repair, equipment repair, metal manuf'acture and repair, and

. 11 23

liUS ce aneoua,

Eighteen supply trainin5 out.lines were listed in an alphabetical index.

They were also indexed by depot sections under the following headinl;s:

inspeotion, imrentory, property acccuntdng, purchasing and contracting, receiving, shipping, tool crib and liaison and warehousing.24

The train:ing outlines "Were given in considerable detail. The purpose,

duration, and general program to be followed in each course were stated. A general outline of instruction was provided along with references to texts to be used (i.e., manuals, Technical Orders, and trainee guides). The emphasis in the outlines was on specialized training.25

The Januar,y 19h3 Plan was the first really comprehensive and detailed

civilian traininr; program desit;ned for large .. scale use, and covering nearly awry aspect of training, to be developed by the- Air Service Oommand. For that matter, it was the first civilian traininG system of such ~ide scope and significance to be developed in the Arrow Air Forces. It provided the

Depot training officers with an all-inclusive plan o.f training based on

exper'Lence and having the authoritative status of an .ASC Regulation. The s~stem of civilian traininG established by the Jan~~ 1943 Plan was to

serve as a model for an Aif Force-wide civilian traininc program.



USAFES-123, Ch~. II

41

Development 2! .!!! !!.!: Force-Wide Civilian Training Program

About eight months later Headquarters., AAF) made its first ofrici~ pronouncement of AAF civilian training policy with the issuance on 1

September 1943 of AAF Regulation 40-6, which delineated responsibility for

training of civilian personnel in the AAF. The Assistant Chief of Air

Staff" Personnel, was designated to coordinate the planning, development,

and administration of civilian training while other ecc.elons planned and conducted programs of their oNn.26 AAF Regulation No. 40-6, 11 December )943., which superceded the directive of 1 September, set forth the same general polic;Yj one undE:r which the Assistant Chief of' Air Staff, Personnel" 1;3,S to act QS the coordinatine and advisory aeency in the planning, development, and administration of all AAF civilian training programs, except civilian flying traininf; pro!;rams. AC/AS, Personnel, was also to plan,

install., and conduct any civilian training programs needed in Headquartera~ AAF. To promote maximum utilization of training facilities close coopera-

tien was to be maintained between officials training military personnel and those training civilian personnel. 27

The Assistant Chief of Air Staff" Personnel, at one time had militar,r •

and civilian trainine together as l1ilit.ary Tre.inine, but eventually civilian

training was separated from military training and put under the Civilian Personnel Division as the Training Branch of that Divis1on.28 As early as April 1943 the Training Br&nch was listed as a part of the Civilian Training Division" AC/AS, Persc.nnel. At the time thE' directive of 1 September 1943 was issued Lt. Col. Varne C. Jj'ryklund was Chief of the Trainine Branch Wlder Col. C'1>rdon E. Clark, Chief of the Civilian Personnel Division.29



USAFP...5-123, Ch~p. II

At the end of the year Headquarters, AAF initiated a review of the entire A.~ civilian training set-up with the intent of brin&:ing about the

unification and integration of the various AAF civilian training programs into an over-all AAF civilian training program which would include every

sort of trainir!e considered necessar.y for the training of civilian employees of the AAF, with the exception of the Civilian FJ}~nE Training Program.

In accordance with a Headquarters direotive dated 23 December 1943 a

conference of civilian training officers representing 11 different oommands met at AAF Headquarters on 11-15 Januar.r 1944 for the purpose of surveying

existing AlJj' civilian training programs and, in the light of findings,

making recoranendatdons for an over-all AAF civilian training program. The

following air forces and commands were represented: AAF Redistribution

Center, Training Conmand, Troop Carrier Command, 1st Air Force, 2d Air Force" 3d Air Force, 4th Air Force, Air Service Command, Materiel Command, Air Transport Command, and Proving Ground Command. A total of 57 officers represented the 11 oir forces and commands at this conference. The

Training Oonmand and the Air Service Command had the most representatives; 16 from Truining Command and 19 frOffi Air Service Command.30

The civilian training problem was considered in the light of the

followio£ factors: the transfer of the Air Service Command subdepots (which had been set up at many installations of other commands and air forces to perform supply and maintenance functior..s) to the various air

foreeo and corr.mc~ds, the taperinG off of the militar,r training aotivities

of the Training Cornmand~ the interest of the Offioo of the Seoretar,r of

War in the establishment of an over-~ civilian training proLram by the

AAF, and the critical manpo~er situation facin£ the AAF at that time.

~ ~ ~~ ~~.~ ~ ... ~ ~~.~ .. ~-



ua~-~-123, Chap. II

43

or most ~~ediate concern wa~ the series of problems created by the

transfer of the subdepots. Eefore the transfer tte ~1ir Service Con~d

lIas con1ucting a~:proxi~atel7 95 percent of the civilian tr~ininB in the

1L~ as measured in te~~ of numbers o£ e~loyees undergoing training. Fhe

ASC civilian trai().ine program. operated in threa echelons, .ABC Headquarters,

the Control Area Depots, and the subde¥ols. ~ith the transfer of the

lowc3t of these echelons it was neceesary to determine how much of' the

fo~m~r flow of training materials t~Jrou6h ABa co~ld continue to reach the

subdepots and to ascertain and set up altel"nat.ive procedures 'Where the

flow must be discontin:.led.3l Later develop1'lcn~s justified this consideration

given to the proble~ created by the transfer of the subdepots.

On 11 JanuaI'j' 1944 !~. ~lilUa."l1. H. Kushnick"Director of Civilian

Personnel and Trairo.ng, Office of the Secl'E"t.3.t·y of :'lar~ made an address

to the headquart-ers civilian training conferenoe in w~11ch he emphasized the

iaportance attached by the l1ar Departr:ent to the trai'lin::; of civilian

81r1ployees. He pointed out that the various af,encies of the ',lar Department

could not have expanded as they had, aud could not have attained their

existinc rate of production_, unless they had developed ;llE'!ans for the

traininc of inexperienced personnel. He also pOinted out that the need

for civilian training was not ebbinc, that. it was as necesaary to intensify time

the training effort Iron this/to the da.T of victory as it had been

hitherto.

Hr. Kushntck in high1:> corr.nieJlili.ng the Air Service Command £01' the work

it had done in oi'/ilian training stated: ItThe Ail' Service Command has done

a magnificent job in trainine." He pointed out that the Air Service Oomnand

had issued the first o££icial policy on civilian traininc, a policy mOdeled


US~"HS-123, Chap .. II 44

artl::.:r that. established 'by the 3ecrehar-J of liar. It was also the first

component of the :lar Department to formally establish a civilian training

pro~~~ and the first to provide funds for establishinB on"reservation schools .. 32

Mr •• Kusbnick 1'lent on to say that the recent inspections made by the Office

of the SecretarJ of War indicated that there was still a tremendous need for

developing a true o?er-al1 training prof-ram in the~. It had been found

tl'at alt.hou[:h traininG in manual, skills was of necessity the main i'eat1.l!'e in

all AAF civilian traininc progra~s, novertheles3 too little had been done to expand the training concept in other needed directions. For instance

more needed to be done in orientation training for both industrial and

administrative perscn~el~ and in the field of safety training. Supervisor

training stood in need of expansion. and improvement. The.Air Service

Command had the best supervisor;." training program in the A1iF, but J:o:r.

fushnick felt that this prograrrl. needed to be carried beyond training in

instructional tec1lnique3, and more emphasis placed on trainine supervisors

for job improvement, work simplification, and h~~ relations.

According to Ill' .Kuehni.ek the 051'1 found that in the A.I\F outside the

lir Serv-lce Command there 'Wa~ but scanty comprehension of an over",all

training program. In some places typists were being trained" in others they

had orientation programs, in some others they had started suprevisor,r training programs; in general, hmlever, such training consisted of the handling of a spot problem in a spotty fashion, and planning was uncertain.33

Mr •• KuBhni~kwas also quite critical of the failure of the AAF to

coordinate between its components such matters as the existence and

availability of training materials in the various commands, and the

~ _ ~_ .~~ ~ ~C_~ _ ~ ~~. ~ n ~



.e

U5AFHS-l23, Chap. II

45

lmowledc;e of successful training: methods and techniques. One AAF

establishment might start a civilian training progr~ from scratch without

YJlowing it could avoid muoh needless and time-consuming foundation work by f'ollol'ling mebhoda alreadj.¥ worked out by another component cl the A..!(F.

He also pointed out that at some i~~tal1ations there existed in the sub-

depots fine training facilities and staffs whiCh were not used for training in other parts of the install~tions where training was equally needed; all because the Commanding Officer or the Personnel Off'icer had not felt the authority or the desire to do so • .34

In Mr.Kusbnick's opinion the AAF civilian training proeran was in much

need of guidance in program and teehniq~e, and of coordination, from the

A.~ Headquarters level. He felt that there was need for an Air Force

policy on civllian training which would set objectives and place responsibilities~ ~d for counterparts of that policy for every subordinate air

force and com-rand, and in the establishments under their jurisdiction. There was also a need for the recoenition by AAF Headquarters that a train-

ing program needed adequate s taf'.f'ing and the facilitation oi' the necessary

authorizations for SUCil staffing.

Mr •• Kushnick emphasdzed the need .for Ittop-side coordinationtt in program

planning_, Bivins as an example the supervisory troining program. He felt

that guidance must be provided to decide whether or not to extend to other co~~ds the s'~ervisory training courses developed by the ABC, or whether

each cO!l'lr.land should develop its own, or whet~er it. would be better to bring in the Training-~vithin-Industry Course (developed in the War Manpower Commission) with its courses in Job Improvement Training, Job Management

Trainine, and Job Relations Training.



USAFHS-123, Chap. n

46

Coordination at the top l~ needed to avoid unnecessary duplication

in the development of training courses, and to make known to all commanding

officers and civilian personnel officers the availability of training course outlines ~and other aid~ which would halp in the inauguration of

much needed civilian training courses. There was also need for help and

leadership in respect to such proble~ of training a~~nistration as traineels p~, instructor's pay, and the securing of training personnel.35

In connection 'With traininc personnel l:r.Kushnick emphasized the need

for the training of training officera and training specialists. The

inauGuration of sound traininc pro::;rt:L'llS in many installationB had been

r8tarded because no capable personnel could be found to head up the program.

l{r.Kushnick placej the responsibility for this project at ~ Air Force

Headquarters level.

Finally the speaker emphasized that the most importanG help which co~d

come from AAF Headquarters in Washington would be the continuous influence

on all co~~anders to establish and encourage cOMprehensive and oVer-all

training prO€;Tal1IS. This influence weald come not only from the issuance

of a policy-making directive; it should stem even more from personal contact wHh commanders to keep them constantly alert to the :advantages offered by a planned trainins program. ~k.Kusbnick also believed that the full

i.l'Uplementation of a Trainine Branch~~ in the Civilian Personnel Division of' AO/ AS, Pcreonne'l , Headquarters, AM', would come te be understood by all the subordinate headquarters as indicating that the top echelons expected

t" ""1" t" 36 ac a.on on CJ.V~ aan ral.nJ.ne.

* As we have alreaQy stated, the TraininG Eranch of the Civilian Personnel Division AC/AS, Personnel, was in existence as early as April 1943. It was not however, adequately staffed or organized and lacked the necessary authorizations to carryon a really cOI"lPrehensive AM! civilian training program.


This Pa e Declassified lAW E012958 ....... . .......... ~

47

liUh Hr.Kushnick.'s analysis of the AAF civilian training program and

its needs to buide them, and ha'l,"ing the benefit of t!:e knowledge and

exp3rience of the many able civilian training officers present, tho con-

ference proceeded to the accomplishment of its mission. The Headqua_~ers

temporar,r cOmmittee, made up of one authorized representative from each of the 11 air forces and co~ands participating in the conference, deliberated

in committee session, and presented their report and recommendations to the

conference as a whole. These were unantmous'ly adopted as the conference

report. It was recommenied that, subject to the approval of its contents by Ae/AS, Person'1el, tl;e conference report and attach.ments should be

officially forwarded to tl:e ail' forces and cormands for sUGgestions and co:m.ment.*37

A review of the existinJ AAF civilian training situation contained in

the report indicated tlmt the Air Service Command had established and was

maintaining an adequate civilian training program to meet its own needs.

The Training Command and the I"Iateriel COJrllnand had in operatdon civilian

training programs widch were not considered adequate to meet the new train-

ing needs of those co~ands. Otter individual air forces and commands had indicated that no or£anized trainine prO~~Jns had been established.38

In the matter of tbe subdepots it was found that their transfer brought

about the cancellation of imPortant traininb services u:nch they had formerly

received from the Air Service Command Area Conmands , They no longer had

access to the post schools and off-reservation scl1ool~ belonging to the

Area. Oommands , and no loo,:er received assistance frol"ll t::em in their sUFervisory

* See Appendix I for the full text of the report and recornmendations.



USXFHS-123, Chap_ II 48

and upgrade training probraw~. It was necessa~J to m~\e new provisions so

that the subdepots could continue to receive such tra1.nine aid and

i'acilitias.

IIi was also pointed out that the Air Service Co.nma.nd had control of'

practically all o~f-reservation training faoilitics, and was using a9proximate~ 40 off-reGervation st3te cooperatins schools, 7 otf-reservation

contract schools, an~ certain factoXJ' training facilities developed in

coopcratacn l'1ith tho Trainin;:; Co:'llIlll'tl'ld. The truuarer of the subdepots made

it necessary to establish prcceduTcs wcerebJ all !_~ activities co~ld use

these facilities on an equal basis.

It was further noted ttat the Air Service Comw~d civilian training progra~ /adequate for its own purposes7was not wholly suited to serve as

- -

The report c'r'iticized the proZra.'D. conducted b.T the 1'raininb Co:nmand

co:.t1d trcrk to(:;cd.h<:r in 1.1:-:: plcurdne,,, exchanSHJ or jOj.nt use of the volurr.inous

am~unt of course ~atcri&l~ they produced.

fIcac1quu-ter:3, Me: J also rE::cciwd its shcre oa criticism. It, tte

report ir.dicatcd~ lacked the facilities and the personnel to properly orbani:z.e and ccnduet, e. satisfr..ctol'J" coordanated tr&5 njJ1[, program • .39

In tteir survey of civil:i an trainirJG in teo AfJi the temporary comml tt.ee

:lound many specif'ic ~;oaY.nesP()s tlnd subnittcd a lone list of r'ecommendatd.ons

as to 1:oH tl:CGB l-Jeaknesseo :might be rc!"edied. Some of tl;e more important

of thel:;e racor.l.ilendrrlion:;; z-re lid·ed aa follows:

1. That particul,,-r at.tentd.cn ehoul.d be [,'iv.."n t.o thE? ph.cemen.t of

el1lplo;tees on specific jolJS for vlhich tte~- had br en trro.ned, thus preventing

__ .~~ ~ _ ~ ~~ = ~ __ ~_~~ _~~_~_ ~ ~ _L.J .. n __ L~.

tHIS-PAG~E~ be~class·ifie-d lAW E012958


USIl1:S-123, Chop. II

2. That A1iJ' He;;.dquarters sr.ould approve both the 52-hour su.pervicor trainint; course (d.evelcped by ASC) and the 30 hour T-'iT-I covrse for use

by the [dr forces and commands, and that it should est::.blish a standardized

instructor traininc procr~ for all in5t~llntions.

3. That a (_,(·r.8ral oriEntation course of froLl two to eit,ht hours

duration be z;iven &0 all UE.1'l EI;'lplcJ ees in the ~~.

4. That consiC'eTClth1n be CiYen to revising Au:' Eegulation 65 ... 53 w:!.th

a view towU'u Livine all civiJj an traininL pror;r;:;...s the hichest priority

Fossible for t1:e !=,rccurement of Class 26 equipment-e-and thai. such action

as ~lght be necessary from time to tDn8 should be ta~on to secure adequate

and e~uit~bl€ dlstributicn of civilian traininG equipment.

5. That :.t~ ~ctiviiJi€s be aut!':.orized to utilize tl:.e i'acHii.ies of

public schoo'ls to asdst in civilian traininB whenever prr.octical and

econOl"-a.oal.

6. That AlE activities sr.ould be autl:orized to utilize tl:e facilities

of private. contract schools to assist in civilian trainir'c: -wherf'vcr practical

and economical.

16 That factory schools shou'ld be used to provide up[;racJe training

that coo ld not ba ecor'orcically provided by usinE.\ i"acili ties e:dstin& within

the air force cr cor~and.

B. That all air forces and oo~~ds be autl:orized to utilize training

conducted by other air forces and co,,~ands when quotas were available. Such

arranr;cments to be made dir0ct~' be tween the air forces and commands in-

valved with clearance tl:.rouCh ~~ Heaoquarters.

9. That AC/J.J3J Peraonne l., s~ould mainta:in in its Civilian Pr:rsormel

Division a ci~~liAn training branch with adequate staff and facilities to

insure proper a.ccmplisbFlent of tbe MJ! civilian trainir:g program.



USAFB3-123,t Chap II

50

10. That PD Rcgult;ti on 40-6 on civilian training be revised to

outline the policies and procecures prescrdbed by Eeadquarber-s, m,t and to further outline the traininc furlctions and resfonsibilities of the individual air forces and co~~ands,t arrl at all echelons.UO

This last reco~endatjon for t~e revision of AAF Regulation 40-6 was

£ollow~d by 0 lonG list of proposed rcvisjor~ defirrlng in consjderable

detail the training fltr1ctionn and responsibilities of AAF Headquarters, the

headquarters of each air force and conmand" and of the headquarters of each AfiF ins l&llation employing civilian personnel. Lil The~c rEvisions 'Would

bE' embcdied,t practically in toto" in the ne.n civilian training reGulation 'uhich was to be issued by ill' l!C'~dquart0rs .in r~~ch 19J.,4.

The conference report also reco~cnded for r~portinE on civilian

training a new system which would elli.ir!ate excessive details and provide

more conpr~hensive data on training activities. To acco~lish t~s a pro-

posed ta.ble lveS submitted which WG.S reconrner.ced .for use in AAF li'orm 134 in

place of Col~~ I.

Included in the r~port wer~ several definitions of training ter.ms sub-

~itted for purposes of clarification.*

The proble!l of I'1~.npower al1otr:1ents WdS considered in regard to the

failure of e:ldstinc person •. Lcl allot.n:ents to make provis:i on for maintaining

adequate training for n~w personnel to serve as replacements. It was

recolWlended that Headquarters, AAF, should secure an allot!llE:nt of' an additional 5 percent of hAF per~onn~l for esch ~ir force and co~andJ such

* See Appendix I.



USAFF.s .. 123, Chap. II

allotments to ~e used exclusively for persorinel maintaIned in full time pre-service trC'.ining.42 Finally the repol·t ended with three aeneral

reco~endations as follows:

1. That the conference report be approved and copies distributed to

the headquarters of the several air forces ~nd con~ds.

2. That an attached proposed Eanning table for the Tr£inine Franch, Civilian Personnel, Division" AC/AS" Personnel" srould toe autl:ol'ized in

order tbat tho recommenci(.Q civilian t.raifJ.ing pro(,t"a..'n might be accc-mplished.

3. That the att~ched proposed AAF R~gulaticn coverine the AAF civilian traininG program should be approved and publjsbed.43

This nneport and necorlr.:endationslt by the ItTemporar;'t Com.itteel! was

concurred in and si1..,!le:d l:~ the authorized representativ~s of the eleven air

forces and cop~ands varticipating in the conference. With its accompanJ~ recommendations, the report laid solid ~ounCations :for the first cOMprehensive Air Force .. wide civilian training program to receive the official backing

of Headquarters, ~\AF.

Col. J _ L. i·nutney, Chief" Civilian Per~.onncl Section_, Headquarters ..

ASC-, made soms interestin£; conmenbs en this conference and what it. accom-

plished in a letter to BriG. Gen. E. E. Adler, Chief~ PFrsonncl and Training

Division, Headqnarters, ABO. Colonel i1hitney was the authorized representa-

tive of Air Service to the conference and one of the signers of the report

made: by the "Temporary CoMmittce!t and. adopted by the conference.

Colonel l'1hitr..ey stated that there 'Was genE'ral !l.E.reement to the report

with certain exceptions by the Training Command in regard to their increased

responsibilities in contract and factory training. In Colonel ~fuitney's

opinion the committee report ccnsti tuted a SUbstantial Lndorsement, of the Air



l;SAFHS-123, Chap. II

52

Service Co~~nd civilian traininc pro~ra~ as defin~d by its reculations

Liar instance ASC ReBulation ~o. 50-1~ 18 JanU~t 19h3~ Plan for Civilian Trcinin.i'7 and directives. Accordinr, to ltJhitney no changes 'Would be necessary in ASC plans and authorities for civilian trairJ.nb--~nd the report in-

corporated !SC viewpoints on the use of pre-se~lce training, uPtTade training, and supervisor trD.iniJ1e.44

In the report the Air Service Co~and accepted no responsibilit,y for

the training of the civilian personnel of other air forces and COP4~ds.

All air forces and cOJ'l'l.manCs, however, 'V1ere to cooperate by exchan.:;iDE

materials and by makint 8vaila~le uc.erever convenient~ quotas for other

AAF personnel to attend uPbrade traininC courses currently ccnducted at

tt.eir installatiuns.

Colonal Whitney noted that tte report of the t'Temporary Committee" was utilized at ~th€' request of Brie. Cen. James 11. Bevans, AC/AS, Personnel, Headquarters, AAF, to prepare a proposed revision of AAF Regulation 40-6

on the subject of civilian train:ing. Thus, it is evident that AAF Headquarters initiated the subsequent revision of AAF Re&~lation 40-6, 11 December 1943.45

Mter the IIF.eport and r..ecorr~endations" hcd been approved by AC/AS,

Personnel, and submitted to the varioue air forces and commands for review and the submission of their corr~ents and suc~estions, the new directive

ostablishine a co~prehensive civilian training policy and procram for the whole loAF rlas drawn up_ It wus issued on 6 ~!arch 1944 as AAF Regulation 40-6 Civilian Tr~ning Program. This regulation, though its topical

arrano~ment was somewhat different irem that 01' the re€,.:lation suggssbed by

the conference report and recommendationsl ~as essentially the same in its

provisions.

-




53

The new regulation, in addition to defining the responsibilities of

all the scheIons of the AAF in reg3.t'd to civilis.n training, defined the

mission, scope, and facilities of the civilian traininc program in detail.

In the first paragraph it was provided that the AJE civilian trei.ning progr~~ was to be developed and directed by AC/AS, Pcrsonr.el, Headq~rters,

AAF, in order to carry out tre mission of the prObI'am. The mission of the civilian train5.n~ prOr;ral'llrlas:: 1) to conserve manpower by increasing the productive capaci1zy- of civilian enq:loj'ees .. 2) to permit the .AAF to employ potentially qualifi~d persons, 3) to reduce wastage of material resulting from the work of untrained or undertrainad personnel, 4) to reduoe

aocidents resultin.; from unsde Hork practices and i'rolll faulty workmanship.

The scope of the A1J! oivilian trainin£ program was delineated. in terrr.s

of the t~rpes-, Locatdcns , and methods of trainine included in the program,

and each o:f these were carefully defined. There were to be three types of

training Civen: pre-service training- .. which nas defined as training given

an employee prior to asslgnment to productive work; up-erade trs.ining--

defined as trcininz designed to prepare an errployee fo1:' a hie:ht='r skill;

supervisory trainine--trainine in the principles of supervision.

In ter.w~ of location two l~inds of training were li~ted, on-reservation

traini~~ and off-reservation trainine. The first was instruction given by

War Department (J .. ~) p'.rsorJ;.el in facHities provided by the "Tar Department

(AAF). 1'11e second l~as defined as the training of AAF employees in public

schools .. private schools, and factoI"J scr.ools.

There were also u'o t~~es of trainin£ methods to be used--group

ir$truction and on-the-job-training. Group instruction was interpreted to



Us.WFS-123" Chap. II

54

mean ir~truction Given to homoGenrous or selected groups not on the job,

while on-the-job trainlng was plaru:ed trainine of employees while they were

engaged in actual work. For obviou::: reasons instruction. on i'orrr.inf" shaping,

and critical aszcrr.bly cper~tions was not to be permitted in on-the-job training.46

The civilian tra:inin.~ responsibilities of Headquarters .. AAF, were to be exercised by the Civilian Personnel Division, AC/AS, Personnel. These

responsibilities included:

1. Planning, organization .. policy determination for, and the evaluation

and supervision of traininc pro;_,rc::s .for all civilian personnel under the

control of the Commandjnc General, ~tF.

2. The outlinin~ of objectives and es!:.3blisr ... menb of standards for

trdnin&, as well as responsibi1:i.tJ· for the atiserr.blJ" and dissemination of

course outlines" and for PGricd~c re70rts and record maintenance.

3. }!a;Lnt'2r..ancc of liaison \lith outside a~t:ncies such as the H"ar

~lpower C:cmrr&sion and the U.5. Office of Education.

4. The estahlisl1.!'lE'nt and operation of a civilian training p:ro[,ram in

I~eadquarters, AfE~ pl~~~ed to meet the nee~s of that orb~ization.

The regulation also outlined in d~tail the tr~in1ng responsibilities of

the individual air force end command headquarters, and of the headquarters of each AAF st~tion emplo~~ civilians.47

facilities, stating that Headquarters, AAF, would 3Ct as a control center

on the availability of traininG iacilit:les J.n:l fi.!rnlsh pertinent information

to the air forces and comnands , 'Ihe ~ar Service COr!.!n£J1'l 'Was to coopcra t~ by

furnl::;hinS .~l?, Headquarters witb curr-ent, inf'ornat"ion as to training facilities,



US~~iS -123" ChCLl'. II

55

by cour-se type, wlaib.ble in Area Air ServIce C01,'llil,.lnd:3 and off-reserv:.ttion

schools, and in lac ~OlJ- school,s., end special .'ichools. Similarly, the AAF

Tra.tlling Cormmnd tzas to cooperate in [,roTldln:; informa.tion reg3.l'Jl£:e trai..ll-

5_rtb .f't.cilities .:?.'J'alLlblo in the schools of the A.:lf I'echnical Tr3.in.L~lG Gor.1HandJ

and .factol'J schools. :::.ch comcand and air ('o.cce wa.s bo provide Headquarters,

AP:i", with informal.iion regarding trainin& f'acillt.tf's, includinG priv.;;.te

schools, b~ coarse type. The proc~1ure for clearin~ infornmtion on the

availo.bility of Lraininf, facilj_ties throi1;;h A."0' H'3ddqu31'ters was also explain,ed.48

Paragraph 7 outlined the procedure to be useu in arrancine for con-

tract traillint.;, znd r':u'~arap:1 8 provid6.i for close cooperation ani coorcli-

n~tlon bC~de~n officlals rcsponslble for the t~aini~ of military personnel

and those rC3DoTilliblc for trainin~ civilian pcr30nrel in order to achiev~ ;na:r..i...'11um utilization of training equipment" classrooms and :tnsi~Nctors. 49

Thus, finally, an official policy and detailed plan for an over-all

MF civilian traininE;' progra.'1l 'Wa.o set up. This rCJ;"i...l13.tion, with nD nor

chances effected by A..;F J1egulation Ho. 40-5.1., issued 9 June 1944" rc.ll'l.ained the officia.l expression of JllW civllim trainin[; polic~~ until 5 l'1ay 1947

when it was superseded by a nf':1 civIlian traininG rel_';lllaticn tvh:i.ch rev-lsco. the official policy ... nd pr0E;ra!YL Ln the liLht of ]_:ost"'1ar developrnents}O

Head.quarters, A.AF" took ee v eral '11easures to secure better coordination

of civilian trainir1& activities in the continental Lnited S~ate3 ~fter an

AIr Forc~-wi4e procr~~ had been set up. Tt.e United stutes was di7ided into

tl'ree areas, northern, Ne$tern, and southern, each wit.h a civilian training

.field liaison offica, one located at I!eadquarters, A'ISC, ':Fright F.i eld,

Dayton, OhIo; one at Headquarters, Fourth Air Force, San Francisco" California;

c~



USi1FFB.12.3" Chap. II 56

and one at Headq lla:rte:rs , Tr;:1j nin£ Co:n.m.and, Fort ~Iorth Texas. Thes o offices

were sLaffed by civilian training field liaison officers sent out from

Headquarters, &~, and enabled He~dquarters to carry out policies for

evalu:;tinC civIlian traininE: proGrams while providing more expecd tious acsistance in field trainine.51

In the sp:l'i.n::; of 1944 the TraIning Branch of the Civilian Personnel Di~lsion, AC/AS, Pcrso~e1, Headquart~rsJ AiiF, Ol'hanized a Civilian rrsin-

inc Ref·:;:rence Ser-fice. Ihe funct.ion of the r.~f'cr{'j;nce Service was to del:.er-

ml ne the availability of traini.nt; materials and to assist the various COF1.0ands and all" f'or-ces in obtaini.ne ti:em. ~2

In order to plan and orf;anize the training of civilian supervisors in

acccedance 'Hi th the civilian tr:lining policy set forth in A.>TI" TIegulation No. 40-6, 6 }larch 1944, W Headquarters requ.ested. the Ail' Servlce Comnand to conduct. a !last,er Institute in J·uly 1944 to train one coordinator of

supervisory training for each of the command air force headquarters.

The Nasl..er In.::titut.e was to include conferences on the supervisor as

an instructor, job metl:ods :Jimplific:ltion" problems of handling person'1el,

and job :nan:l~~enent training. The coordinators trained at this insti c,ute

would be qualified to conduct institutes to train supervisory trainers

within their cowudnd or air force, and to ass~~e the responsibility £01' qualit.y control and supervision of supervisor train:J.ng progral1lS.53

Thi:, Mas tel' Institute was held at Patterson Field, Dayton, Ohio, from

10 to 26 July" inclusive. '1hirtecn persons representing the A.A.F commands and a.ir foroes attended. 54 This ins tit ute was followed by similar i.nstit~tcs given at frequent intervals at various command headquarters.'S



,


57

At the srane time Col. Gordon EoO Clark" Chief, Civilian Personnel BectionJ AC/AS~ Personnel, Hq, AJ~, reouested that an AAF regulation

should be issued setting up an approved AAF sup~rvisor troining program

to be ccnducted in all the commands and air forc~s as a required for.n of civilian training.56 Such a directive was issued on :2 August 1944 as lL~F Regulation No. 40-11, Supervisor Training Programs.57 This was followed by AAF Letter 40-24, 9 August 1944, which infomed the

various organizations and echelons of the AAF that the Air Service Command

supervisor truining program had been aoproved for use by all the AAF

commands and air forces, and boot the use of the Training Within Industry program and facilities would be discontinued.58

On 9 September 1944 Hr. William E. Dewey, who had played a leading

part in the development or the Air Service Command supervisor training

program while he was Training Specialist at Headqu~.rters" i'lSC" was transferred to the Training Branch, Civilian Personnel D:ivision) AC/AS" at AM' Headquarters. hJ 'l'raining Officer he worked under the immediate supervIsion of Lt. Col. Frank r·aller, Chief of the 'l'raining Branch.

¥ll'. De~'ley directed all phases of civilian training :for A,qJf' Headquarters"

and supervised the J;"'1i.F supervisor training proi"ram on a world-.ri..de basis.

Hr. Douglas Claussen Has in chare'9 of civilian traininr: :ror field activities. 59

DE>velopment of ! Civilian Trainins Policy and Program Within ~ Headquarters

Action was taken to reorganize and more closely inteGrate the Civilian

training prOf,rmn conducted within Headqua.rters, Al\F. Headquarters Office Instruction l~o. 30-40, issued 2.3 September 19Lh, stated that ciVilian

training in Headquarters, AAF, would be actively encouraged in order to

~~ ~~~~-~-~

-THIS PAGE-Declass~ified lAW E012958



58

~ncrease efficiency of operation and to promote job satisfaction on the

part of civilian emplo,);ees. All matters partainine to civilian training for Headquarters, Jl~J were to be referred to the Training Branch of the Civllian Personnel Division, AC/JS, Personnel. No Headquarters office was

to carr.y on civilian traininc or to prepare instructional material ror its

ernployees withoat the [.Uidance and coordination of the Trainine Branch.

The directive also set forth the functions and duties to be performed

by the Training Branch, Civilian Personnel Division, in c3.rryins out the Headquarters civilian trainine prO,:ra'1'!. In the performance of these duties

and functions the Training Branch was to:

(1) (2) (3) Conduct lL~ prescribed orient~tion courses.

(4) Assist I!eadquarters offices in detcrt,lining their training needs and planning how to meet them.

(S) Assist offices in formulatinG plans and outlines of special

Conduct upgrade training oourses.

Conduct the prescrlbed AAF supervioor traininr courses.

training projects.

(6) Assist in prepard.ng training and review mat,=rials orif,inated in other offices for training purposes.

All t~~iSt5 and stenoeraphers who were new to Beadquarters, AA~, and

all er.'lployees within Headq',.larters who were reclassi f'ied as typis bs or stenograpl:0l"S, shoi.llr1 be scheduled tor tile 4 .. day orientation course in the Training Branch. This course consisted of ooth orientation and instruction

in militarL correspondence.

Finally, in order to make sure that the Training Branch would direct

and coordinate all c1 vilian trainini:; in 1-leaC:: quart ers -' A.PJY , it was provided



US.AJ.~m-123, Chap. II

59

that all questIons p~rtaininb to traininc co~ses a~~inistered in Read-

quarters, .~~, would be referred to the Headquarters Section, Training J3l'anch.60

The TraLnin;:; Bra.l'jch ccnducbed an extensive traininz procram in

Headquarters, W', until tl:-s- end of the war. Suporviso!' traininG had been

pl'evio.l.sl~' c8rried on in Headq'.w.rters. By 8 NO':ember 1943 a total of' 22,

indi7idu~ls, unit ~nd sub-unit cr~cfs, had been given a job methods training

course, and by Janua_Yj~ 1944 a~st of the job methods training ph~se of supervi.scr lrainin.::~ for Headquarters had been completed.61 Soon afterward

courses in jo1:> rel:;.tions trair.in,:: 'Herd Lotten un:l€I""A3;;. 'i'he job managenerrb

phase of su~-,ervisoI"'J training 'VIas ino.ugurated in AAF J'eadquarters in

Oc~ob~r 1944. In June 1~45 supervisor trainin3 cc~rses in instructor

techniques were bein::; conducted by 1:.'1.: Trainin,-, Franc", which was also ccnducbd.ng mast~:r institutes from t:L'1e to t:Lll1e.62

Clerical tr3..i.ru.n;; 'Was also an ir'J1_)orta.'1.t. F~rt of tl:e .1.AF Headquarters

civilian traininG program, since there was a perennial shortage of qualified

typists and steno.;rapt~rs. ..1tter,pts on the p<1rt of Headqllarters, A .. ''7, t.o

n:il:e up tJlis SllOl:'ta::'8 b~l levjin.:': on Lre eo'nmands and air forces in ti'!e field for quotas of transfers fell s:.ort of the 1,;Oa1.63 Consequently ,*\AF

I{(>3.dquarters had to train many of its own clerical j;er:::o1"'_nel. A.m~ne; the

clerical ccuraee conduc Lcd :for EeadqJ.art"ra fcrconnel "Iere refresher ccuraes

in tJJling, co.n-ses in the -'reparation of 'Tuli tar.,- correspondence 1 basic

nilitary correspondence, OregL shor bhand dictation, and Gre<.~~. shcr thand review.64 Headquarters civilian percoane'l, '.>1ere also sent to attend co lrses

e:mducted by otLer a.;encies sue}: as the '~ar I'epart:!lt:mt co' rse in civilian

personnel adminiGtraticn; the civIlian pa.ll'oll :"id.'l1inistrat:lcn couzse ccnduc+ed



U3X:HS-12J, Chap. II

Go

conducted by the AAF 3chool for Civilian Personnel fJL1inistration at Kelly

.AFB~ San ~<lntonio, Texas; and :::: course In effic:i.,;ncy ratinG !,l'oce:il)res put on by the er-n Sel'\"ice CCl7'.missicn.65

Also, of course, the branch ran its own speeial co~~ses frCi time to

ti,"!I:l and its orientation protra."'l tlaS ;:t ccntanuo-is one as 'r{3S tho su~~erviso!'

tr.J.i.ning f:rog!'&11. An exa nple of tl1B AAF Headqllart't'!'S orientation proc'.ra:n

cited in ite Dia~J of th~ Civilian Personnel Division fo~ 7 AU6USt 1944

indicates that the HCJ.d.quartc.rs Section of teo Traird.n.g Branch processed 145

new cleric~l G:J'lplo" oes Urc.u[ hits four-daJ' orientatj on course dUl'in;_; the

nonth of July 1944. It should be remembered, however, that the training

ma.l:ing :for, and :::up(~J:>vis:i on and cccrdir.ation of all iI);SJ civilian traininc

progrQr."..s •

~ n_'L1:'t:ront Givilic.n l'rC:ir-:itrL Polic;r in 1~k4

In Jure 1~4!... the TrainiJ:C :2r.:.rd- r,.'or~c:e:i 11it..h tre Ci\r.iljan Perccnne.l

and TrLl.ini.c:~ Dl";:.ision of tl:~ Cff':lcu of tte S~crE't.s.lJ· of :;::.r in r?visif.g

the :;ar DL'p"U'tnent's annc unced civlJian tra.ininr, [:olic . ..- as former1;, issued under the elatos c,r 10 Jul" end 20 Oct.o~f'r 1s:L:.1.66 The l'rviseo. rol:i c~ was

Secretar,i or ~:c.r H.enrJ L. stJr..son sent Gent'Tel n. H. kr'nold, Ccm.'r.~r.d5 ng;

Gr;. cerci of ttc brn~- Air 7orcc.::;, a. lett._ r Hlth a COpj- of this memor-andrm,

us an i.nclcsurf:. In tis l<;t t<:r ::r. st:i.;rzun pOirJ.tr:d (:J.t ttut tbis r,oB cy

traLt1i.nb of 10 Julj 1941. B9 ccrmendco Lhe 1.t;J!' for 1 avir.L bllilt so l:ell



U3AFTS .. 123, eli""p. II

61

on the basdc :lcr D'·pal't."!ent Folic;r by settinG up training pl'o[,l'.;:ms under

'tlr'i~h ttousru-~ds of Hor:;Cl"s had be en trained, sl..lperl.'ision improved, jobs

simplified, prcduction Ihcre~secl, and vast q~antities of time and ~oney

saved.

In Kr. Stinson f 5 opj..rLLcI! the r.oed for tra:i nir4; ci v lUans continued to be

as great as ever and l-e Ul't. ed tl:nt. .Arnold incl'E" use his ei'i'ort to bril e: the trainlng of PJJJ' civilian personnel to th(~ l:ighest possible l€vel of' effective-

noea, St..:iJrson <1100 e€sir, d tho.t the at-tached :faJ> I:epa:rtrr:ent ~~emorar!Cl\.L"1 on

civilian training shculC be brought forcefully to tt.e attention of every .A.AF cpel'atj nt; offici ... l and cUI ervisor. 07

In reply to tte Stimson letter 1'll'nold in a memorandum stated that the

A!~ had pursued and 'Would continue to fW"sue an c.[';gressi ve trairo..ing poliC"'J

to ir;crease the effectiv('mss of Civilian erac Loyeoa-c-auch tro.:to5.nc being

extrer:ely necessary sirce most of tl:e repa:i.r ariel'. lllaintem.mce of aircraft

in the continental United st&.tes was done by civilians and such wcrk de-

aener~l Arnold furtrcr pcintcd out teat e¥erJ comwand and air force

was non erilpl:asizjr.L tl:e i portunce of h:i Lh st.;;,.ndarc1s of preservicE' training,

UPGrade tra:ininc" and supervisor t raining. Factory schools werE" beir:.g

utilized for civilian training and eVI:..'ry effort nas be:i n~ made to advise

f:Leld traird.ng officers of tre availability of suitable traininG literature

and trm nine i'acilit-it:"s. E'u..rtt.eITIOre, civil:ian training liaison officers had been assiUlcd to assist field installations in solvinf: training prob-

Lens , Operatin£., units 't1ere beine er~courdt ed to j nitiute train:i.ng teared

to their needs--such trair~G tc O~ conducted un~~r tte supervision of a

civilian tl'a5nir:.~; offIcer in oretel' to insure quality control. Also


USAFHS-123~ Ohap. II

62

arrangements were being made to provide for a more equitable distribution or salvaged material Lespecially class 26 materlaY in order that AAF activlties might rive more and better training b.r using actual equipment.

General Arnold assured Secret.rzy Stimson that wery operating official

and supervisor in the AAF was beinf' apprised of the War Department training 68

policy memorandum and direoted to oarry out its prov.isions. General

Arno~dls memorandum was circulated throughout the AKF .for information and '';~ 69

gtUU<1.nce.

The War Department Memorandum was circulated throughout the AAF in the summer of' 1944 for the infonnation and guidance of all concerned. The accompaQYing t~\P Letter pointed out that the AAF civilian training policy contained in J\AIi' Regulation 40-6" 6 March 1944" was in consonance with the War Department policy as outlined in the mem.orandmn.70 This statement, of course, meant that the AttF WP.s coordinating its training program with that of the OSW and other components of the War Department.

The War Department Memorandum stated the three objectives of War

Department civilian training poliC,Y to be as follows:

~. !IAn integrated .. comprehenS"lve War Department program that provides

training for the development and maintenance ot an ef:fecti ve ciVilian 'Work

force, to include training for executive management, for supervision, for

job skills, for health and safety" for uprradine, for orientation, for

morale" and for both long range and innnediate needs. II

2. liThe same careful cOl'l5ideration ibr civ.i.lians as is given soldiers

in connectdon with training plans" appropriations and prozrams."

3. IISufficient freedom. in the applioation of basic training policy to permit quick and proper adaptation to local and changing cotditions.,,71

The memora~dum also clarified in some detail the responsibilities of

the War Department .. the Commanding Gener-al.s of the three Forces, and training



63

staffs at all echelons, in carrying out the oivilian trajn:ing program of the Wer Department. The reapollSibillty of: the War DepartJllent Wila to determine the training needed and to develop a program. to meet those needs_ It was the responsibility of the CoIllllLlUldiZlg Generals of the Forces and their subordinates at all levels to give aggressive leadership in the civilian training program and to see that the Decessary civilian training was provided. Training staff personnel were to work closely with operating o1"£,i-

ciels, aDd. were to perform all the VsriollS advisory, supervisory, coordiuat1ve,

administrative, and instructional !wlctiOIlS necessary to the lIIAintenancs of a high quality tra::lnjng program.

~be memoraXldum contained provisions tor the general orge.nizational set-up £or the civilian trai D1 ng program. .Acting through the Director ot

Civilian Persozmel and Trajn:ing, the Office of the Secretary of War was to formulate }.jar Department-wide pl.ana and policies relatiDg to ciVilian

training; to inspect a:nd audit training ectivities at each echelon as

necessar.y, to coordinate trajping activities, and to counsel and assist

wherever necossary in the developm.eIlt of civilian train1ng activities.

The COJQ1l8ndjpg General of each Force was to see that the plans and policies ot the SeCl"etat1 of War were made effect! ve as applied to the organization

and atructure ot the Force, and wae to provide for the authorization or

designation of civilian training o££icera as directors ot civilian trainiIlg in eacb echelon of the Force aIJd for assistants when Ileeded. The

1.I0000sJ!ding General was also to insllre that the proper administration or

Civil18Jl training was an integral part of civilian personnel. administration. The functional. relationship of such training from echelon to echelon was to



t&FHS-12:3, Chap. II 64

be continuously close .. 71 Fina:t:q the gelJ.aral outline for approved training procedure was given-the definition of' Jobs to be done by position,; establishment of stsnd~rds of per:for.mancej designation of training required to develop suoh performaIlOe; selection of indi viduaJ.s to be trained; selection of training sources; determination of traiDing time required tor employees to accomplish performance standards; maintenance of iJldividual progress charts; and continuous appraisal ot the results of training.7:3

It 1s obvious toot »'F civilian training po11C7, as o1'fieiaJ.J.y stated in the AAF ciVilian trainiDg regulation of 6 March 1946, was in close accord ldth the revised War Department policy statement or 30 June 1944. 7Ma 1a not surpri:;iDg as the AAF civil1en. training programs, especially that of

the 1ir SerVice Command, were based on policy laid down by tbe Wfl-l' Depart-

ment in 1941, and same of the se.me AAF training statf personnel who had farticlpated in the :formulation or the over-all AAF 01 vilisn traJ.lling polic)" in January ~944 also had a hand in the formulation of the revised lrIer J)e,Pertm.ent training policy later in the "leer. With the be.clt1.1lg ot authoritative and definitive directives trom both. th.e OSW and Headquarters, AJ·F, it was to be apected that there would be a greater EIIlphasis on the development o£ civilian trainiDg activ.ities in the various COIllll.8nds £especially outside the ~ ir Service C~ and air :forces of the AAF, aM jn their field installat1oDS.

Imp}6JIlentation S?l. ~ JIl. Civilian Training Program

01 vilian traj n1 ng programa in the field began to h~ve a llew look even before the J.AF Headquarters' new directive on civUian

trainillg came out on 6 March 1944. Perhaps the



li3:.51_S-J23, Chap_ II

65

influence of .'..iT Service Com.:md trainin._, officSTS in o'at(:.'rlJ'l5r>ine the

nature of tl:" over--al.L civiliun tr~j n:in;: pro::raJr. (J.nd policy) announced in

tl:e :larc; oirocti·.~e i:: ir,d.Lcated by tr.e fae b tkt jL.ct a few days before

Lir Service CO:l .... Dnc1 ~IeadCj_uart6rs iSS!lec1 a net: comnand reblllc:.tion rescinding

tte civilian traininG re[,ulation of IS JcLhUat'j. 19l.!.3 (the "Plan for Civilian

Traioini.;ll) anc sG:ttin::; up a some .. hc.t r;: .. zis cd l-ro~ra:.~ for civilian training

wr~~~ proved to b~ in line with the policy set forth in JL~~ r.egulation 40-6,

6 i.:arch 1944 ..

porconoel £mplo~oJ by the o1ir SOT-lice GOLn~nd. It defined t~c scc~e of the

proCT['YS to he COlY.'>'l3...'l:i","lidc and es cab'l.Lshed the thr,)e major t.7P9S of

cilrllian tro.i.ning re~ub.tion or 6 I::m-ch. Also, H::e the AtiJ'" rez,ulation,

The rC",u12.tion ::;pcci'fied tb.i:. t~';e detailed outl:lOOG of con.iand trai n:W."lg

pro.:;ra.'"IJS would be !,ubl13hed in r(:;r·:>on'l~'l .:In.:1 7.ruio:;.a:: .ci'.~i31on Circulars issued b:l I1€ajquar;~Brs.'l .ASC.74

The rQcision of the PSC regulation of 18 JanJ.a.r:: 1943 wit!1 its

civIlian train:tnc 11rG~ran to enab12 it to adapt it.:>elf to an" ovpr-all

t'le development of cr5 r.ic:ll nanpouer si:.ort.3.bes.



66

On 8 February 1944 Hl?:J.dquarters, Army Air forces Central Flying

Training Com.t':o.nd, issued a c:i..vllian tr2inin;;:: :r..c:norandum. 'i:iiich w~s almosf

ident:l~.:!l with the .ABC regulation of' 7 January 19q4. It, defined the

purpOGe of the neilorandwn and the scope of the training pr0:ll"a':l in much

the Sa..'l19 way. It na"'lfJa ~ nd defined tho sa.'l1e t.hr.ae ffia~i or t.i'Pes of civilian

traininc whch ~:cr~ to be conducted 0.11:1. i'i.~ed the responsibili t.r for

carr" in,: on the tr~ininG pl'o[;ra.l. in t~e \T<lrious ecl-e'lona of the CO!llltidUd.

1'rain~.nr; procedurco were to be cC:1l'ricd. on as set up by CF"J:'C Headquarbers .. and

progrO~G reports were to be F.~ntained on tratni~b received by all ci.,ilian

pcr3on."1('1. Frovision 1'13.13 r13.1e for t,Ile jll':tint'Jnanco of records ana the submlsoion of reports on suc~ trainir~.7$

On 11 April 1944 _~ ~raininb Co~and iQ~ucd a civilian traini~g directb'c in order bo i'lp1e:i1ent and suppbment .&'rS Regulation 40-6, 6 !1arch

1944. This directive wa~ considerably mot's detailed in its provisions

than the ones disc~s>.3ed above , It set forth the objec~tiives toJ" clvilian

trainirJt,; to be the conservatd.on of manpcaer b;l incrGa.sin~ efficiency and

productivity 01' indi;rl.:1u3.1 e:'1.rlo~Tees, to Meet future roq,_cirements by

pre-service tral~~nGJ and to reduce operationol accidcnt3 by furnishing

effective safety traind.ng.

Tais directive bl'oad.vne::i the scope _of trOlirdrr. to include fo"...U' t.i'FeS--

orientation tr~in~~bJ Frc~crvico, uPb~udcJ and supGrvisorJ training. ~aining

i'aciliti'?:::; uere listad in considerable dct.3il as were the trainina r'eeponsd,-

bilities of Head~~ters, l~\P TraininG Oonmand, and those of the indiviiual tr:lining CO!w"::mdrJ. 76

policy directIves, as well as the Lmplementotion of Lhosa iss~ed b.r the



U3A-~S-1~3, Chap. II

67

varioU3 ~;.}$ coranande and air force teadquarter;:;, "Was a process which took

many montha, In order to inpl'~'";'!ent these directi"les, and to establish

effective &n:1 well ol'b3.n:Lzi?d civilian tr.::tinlnt; pro]an::: 01' a co.r;,;ll"ehensive

na :"lI'O in those cormands and air .forces which h~d not already developed

adequate trainin::; pro;;;ra.rm for their civilinn e:nployecs, much

ground vlork had to be dona. CiV'l.1ian trn.inin.:; officers had to be celected

and appointed, trai.niJ.1':: orl~anization3 and conp'Lenen :;$ built u['; staff' and

instruc·tor pereonne L b,1 to be hired and, in '100;;- cases, trained. Often

it; was i.T<possible to procure the perscnne l, needed to cctabl1sh and conduct

an adequate civilian trainin: program. AJso it WlS in SC718 cases dii'.ficult

to convince corri!~.3!1±i.nL o.ffleors and o::oeratin[; oi'ficials of' the need for an

cffect..ive~ well organized civilian tralrrin;:; prOeraL1. Thus, althouGh an

i."r1..":lense amount of very effective civilian trcci.ninb 'Was done by the ill

during World ilar II, it was not until bhe kt year of t10 'War that there

was established an Air Force-T1ide civilian traininr, prOrraI'l in beine.

The Air Derrice Comnand cont-Inued to do the majority of tl:e civllian

traininG acco)n,_oliGhed in the ~ in 1944. As of 29 February 1944 all

the .~1l7 comlands and air forces had a total citrllian personn~l strength

ol' 336~433 and 18~cqO of these civilian emplo:,'eos, 5.3 parcenb of the

total civilian strength, wsre in training. At this time the Air Service

Cartland had 18l~023 civilian o:nployees, 13,6[.1 or 7 percent of whom loJere

in traininG. This is a rat,her impressive traininG record as compared to

that of the othor AAF cO"lL"ll.ands and air forces which, too;ether, had a total

or 155,J.J.lO civilian cm:plo.iees with on1:r 4,3S9 or 2.5 percent ot them in training.77 The AAF TraininG Command) which W:lS second to the .Air Service

COrr'J\1a1ld in namber of civilian o!1lployees, also 'Has second in the anount of civilian training in tr.e ~~~.78

-.~ ~



US.\FBS-12.3" Chap. II

68

There W:lS a wide va.riation from ir.stnllatico La inotal1.at:!.on, even

w~ere t~~sc installations were in the same com,~nd, in the quality of the

training progre.l1S end. the degree to wlu.ch they conformed to stated AKF

training policy. Those variations were due to many factors; so~e of t~em

1'1C!'3 due to personalit;i clashes, obhera developed fro<"\ short~5es of training

pcrsoTh1el and facilities, and sone fro~ the failure of persons in authorit.7

to appreciate training needs.

Even ~farn,=r Robins ~'';r Service Com:-~tlnd, whore civilian traininc had

boen coing on for a lon~ ti~e, wa~ atill h3vin~ iL~ troUbles in 1944. In

February 1944, althoUf;h its civili;m, traioinL officer and adrninistrative

staff were well qualified as a 'uholc, i_·here was no cr.iel' civIlian training

administrator to head the program; Headquarters, liSe r ecosrtended that one

be hired. It also needed 'lore train:i..ng space and none sc:-'ools for pre-

se~lice training to meet current turnover.

The depot.' s instructional staff had been badly depleted because of

tl1e competition of other agencies which paid hirhF.'r salaries. In order

1:.0 assure a high quality of training it 'WaD recomnended by Headquarters,

Air Service Command) that a sufficient nU!'lb"J!' of quulHied instructors should be hired by the depot. 79

On the other l::and Spobs.ne lloir Service Oonrsand had a civilian training

ajrninis·~rator at t1:e head of its progra"Jl." and apparently had an adequate

training staff and adequabe space; It seems to have had 1]10re training facilities than it could use.SO

At many i.nstallationsthc :L'llplemen!Jation o.i' the Air :;;orce-wide

civilian train-mE prngrem uas COll1plicated by the transfer of the subdepo ts



69

to the 'lar.oU6 OO·1ll1Hl.l.1ds and air forces. In I.ay oS: 19h3 the Per~onnel

Sc:cticms of the subdspobs nere consolidated wi ~h tl,QSO of 'Ihe st:atLtls at

u1dch the subdopote ".I1ere lccatcd end the respDnsibi1it~, for civilian train ..

train for th>? ou'o:i '::,0 ~s until the subdepol.s ;.rere i'im,lly transferred from the corltrol of' A3:) in JanuOXj 1?44.81

The transfer of the subdopo ,s from the .l'..ir Service CotlJl1iand to the

:::astcrn 1"J.... ing Tra.inint:; corriand approx:i"latl?l:r d(.Hlblej tl": assiGned. civilian

:ceq,uirE:'d ~ ;Y1~,"i.. intcDr:L{': ca.Lion c,f th" civ~ Hun t.:r",ir.inb pro£ra.'1l l':hich,

an in[:;C'n~lve on-t'Ie-jc'b 1.l·-Ur.ln::_, [,rotrwr: '\I<JS es c.:'blisl1;::d alont: ~1i tl', oth:lr tr air.ilf4". 82

8 Larch 1944 frcvid.inL for a co prcheneave progl"CK or civ·.iliWl tr:l_:l1ing

jurisdiction of tb~ (opo.:nar.d. It NUG t.ee in l.ent of t:'ic rro.:.,rci'l'! to achieve

t11e raY.irrall,1 ut51ization or c.,ll ::-erccrlrrl in ordor tel cepe wii..b the acute

•



llrS..:iFIiS-12J, Chap. II

70

Each sto.tlon coazander , actin~ tbrnu..,h lois civ;lian p?r.f:onnel officer, was

responsible fer the proper accorplishment of this pro~ram in all activities

under his eorenand which employed ci vilj ans ,

In order tc r.ec t this responsibility the follcv~inL actions were to be

undertclren:

1. 3stablishC';ent of rut adequate civilial1 tra1nir.g staff headed

bJ- a full-tL~e civIlian trainine admdJ~strator under Gbe direction of a

civilian trairLi r..z officer. E'orrr.cr faC!llities and pCl"bonnpl of tl:.e Air

Ser-rice Co [J"l:md ~,m('e to Le t1~rt;€;ci wi1,h the civili~,m troin:i.n;; facilities and

2. Provision was to be ~~oe for close coopcr~tion in the use of

f&i.cllities for train:.Lnt,; botl: . .ilitarj' and civilian persol1rel.

3. frovision uao to be made for adequate classroom and shop fa.cilities

for civilian ~rdning, incluclin[ neceasary tools" supplies" and other

trQining lr~ttrials.

h. ':;urrenLly e~pl(";r-ed pensonno'l, assigned to productive 'Work were to

be solected for .'U'\d [;Lven upcrude and sl,;.pplel11entar~r truinJl1g.

5. Kaintenanoe 01' liaison with 1Ta.r ' :anpoHer CO['lI:'.issicn representatives,

and with state and local och:tcaticnal institutions J~~vinb facilities fo!'

trainir&.

6. :1aintenance or traininc reccros , and the rrerar;;;,ticn and .subiTlission

of trainin:; r~:port;:; to hi;)'f'r headquarters.

oj; The ASC civilian traininl fa.cili ties refH'red to here were those of t.he subdej-o ts no,,] trLnsf&ru'd to 3F:!C. ~.ctually the C,F'fC had been in He process of t<:.kin" over and usinl:, s1.lbdc[:ot civilian trainlnL pcrs onne'l, i'Jl.cilities siccc tl-e sprint: of 1943.

and



USAFES ... l23, Chap. II

71

The d.irective ou.tlinpa a plan for blS.sic traininb to be biven to r€lW

01'1'10., ees , J.:Jis m's dhrldcc1 into two catebories; orientat5"(tn and bo.sic

traininc in mechani,c or sFcialist skills. hll new employees were to be

Bivon a u"r..crf..l orientation course in order to acquaint Lhem with cl:eir

new environJilt.'nt, to inforrr: them of the nature of bhe or::,anlzation of wl"ich

ti::e:, were becolTd.n;::, a part, ,;:.pd to j_11prcss upon them the in:portancc of its

mission. :,asic traitd.n~ was to provid. the new em!lloyee wi Lh the technical

in.fomation he needed in orcor to perfOrI'l his job, and was to combdne

classroom tral flint: wi th shop w(lrk.

Pre,vision uas mads, for up~l.rt;de tralnir![. to be t,iV6D both in the class-

room and or.-t.l:c-job. Tl'Jis waG to t c orL.?rd.zed tr.:dni.n:; rJc:;;iQ1ed to increase

o(l".plo;yeeo 1 sk:Uls for more responaib le work. Procedures lor the esLablisr;.."tent

of such training CDu~ses would bc perjodic~11y issued from Headquarter~,

~lJ..C.

The directiv{'~ also contr.:.ined r,rovlsicns .for the ccnducb of supervisor

traini.q; at all st:.tions of O:-'I'G, tr..e us€. or factory scr.oo'ls , tl1e procure-

went of trclning aids, the bc.rldljn~, of traj.nin~ recorda and reports" the

prepara.tion of course outlines, and the preparatdon of tests to do tcrndne

the trainee 1 s deo'e ... of skill and r.astery of each crar i. or occupatdcn in ui1ich he received t.rdnj . .r,g.83

This prccrcm was subject to ct>~n~.e, of course, when n€:w directives

t.;orc. issueci by Hcadq:v..arters, .A.iF. The 'Castern Flyint Trainins Com.:rwnd took

o'lier the traininr per::::onnel and facilities of the subdepots located at

its installations and incorporated. them in a connand-tn.de program which 1n-

clua.ed Lhe various t;:,])€.s of training em:mnratcd above. 1·1.hen the AAF



1,;Sl~,}::S-123, C}1ap. II

72

adopted the ASe 52-hour Supervisor Trainir€ Course, E7TC teld standard

institutes for the puxposc of trainiDG conference leaders to carryon the

tr~ir.d.ng of sv.per~;i::;cirs as a part of the civilian trainine prcgran at all

LFfC installations. By 1945 EFTC had a Hell-integrated civiJian tra.ining

prOt;ral1l oJ.:'eratinr; on a command-i1:i.de basis with tho benefit of effective

dir~ction and super\~sion by the EFTa Headquarters Civiliarl Trainin~ and Placexent Unit. 84

In NO'lel11ber 1944 the Chief of Jivilian PerEorm.el ;:l1d TrCiinior;, OS'VJ',

met with the TraininG Branch, Civilian Personnel Division, AC/AS, Personnel,

Headquarters, AllF, in order to review the r epor-te of OSH Insr'c:'ctors on the

status of civilian training at the various AAF field stations. The

findint:s of the Eoadquarbez-s liaison offj_cers of the Civilian Personnel

Division were comrbIea. with those of the OS~-; inspectors.. It was evident

that clvilian trairrln& at ~Dst of the Army _~r b~ses had sur~ to a very

1~1 ebb after the transf~r of the subdepots had been cor.pleted in Januar.y

1944.

LOI.tcr~ when (he need £01" ci"/ilian traininC became apparent to most

program [_an interest wMch xas no doubt sti.mulated by t.he AD and. ~jar Deparbment, treinin;:_; dlrecti<reil, and later reports by OS"":, inspectors and civilian trairdng 1i9.1s(m officers :fro~ Hezdquarte:rs, )I,AF, l.3'ave e"ridence

of a revival of civilian training in these bases. ~e repcrts of tte

inspectors and 1j_alson offiCErs inC'.i<'s.t.ed, hcuevor , tl:ct some corsmand and

air i'orce hE:adq~el'S were not coenizant of thE' needs of their field

stat.ions in reward to civilian tr2:J ning, and l~ad not. put the necessary ~r.lrhasis on plaro.n.ir!l, and or.eratin~, such a pro:,ram at Lheil' installations-. 85

_~~._~r~

~THIS PAGE Declassified lAW E012958


US}J"HS .. 123, Ch<lp. II

73

rroce:\'t'e rOI' i.-b.? dcvclC'V'rPf!t of on-the-Job tre' mn; and :'.l'Drenticeshlp tra~ ni.ng , 86 r;ow that ti~c roriod of t;rcat perconr e'l cxr:ar,s:i on was trs ~r and

it was no lo~sor ~eces~~~ to placo em?hasis on a cr~st prograM of preservic~

p"s::;ibl~J it became feasible to pLan a rC"li-..ral of .. pprel'~,iceship training in

or..lcI' co dr-''.! 'lop h:ibh1y ~killro'i ~ircraft ,nc.:chunic;J to form the L.J.cleu::; of a

q.l.3.!'ter3 Tra..inJnc Cc_""!::r:::..n1 to dt'''tf'lop a[orenticeship courses. 87 ~':..,r? Letter

cerrcer- ani the I :;:'oC(":'';'1';:: to cc follo\;od in :;cct1.l"in: .. lhe du~j;orH,~- to put on o ich a progra,n/8

71:1;1 c" clQ ran ll.,.~ CO~ll';::c--l'rcl"l :Lndividual troininL 11:'1 the sl-ops in ?I"Gw:tr



1J9AF'f..3-123" Chap. II

74

days, to ."las;> iostr'.l.ction in cb.r.;;:;roo7~' in teo perlo:! oZ expansdon, and .i'in~ll~' bacl· ~ ;:;ain to in:livldual t.cair.dn.; in the l:Ii..~Ou.lct:Lon area, j9

il;. could te uced on~' In circu.'nGt~ce:; wb:ll'e the ex,::>ct'J.9nced. personnel O.lt-

)0

and ~~JS training.

Also therl: wer~ certain jOb3 ~lh·i.ch on .. the-job tl:'ainees

enurrrrated a polle:l in the form of en .1:2 ··;:>1l.or.:t.ndmn r1hich e'n'?hasized the

fact that t:.i~crE' slloul:.l be no oe;::lnnin:::; Lcarnr t-s in t,ratn.tnr; or at loJorl;: on

D.:i.rcr~i't, or on ::my p:J.rt trJsr1?oi', 1>lhich involved s:.aJ!inl~, formine, and

critical a:;~e'nbl;i o_[.l";:r'1t,icn:::>, ani th~t. such ooeratf.ons shoo.ld be taucht on

practice rroat')ria.l unb.l.l, such tirr,c as the Learner-a had attuinRd the necessary

lhe e:npha~;is on QKTC.dc trointnc as a must fo!' ma."d.mu.'ll. utilization of

pcrsonn=L was acccnpanted by an emphasis on super-riser "l.iraininc. Super-

job (hu.'nO.U) relations could !;et more work done l;ilih i'eNer people. Upgrade

tra.ininr; woul,i ~r(>p'll"e 0' Qloyees to p'JrL'or."1 job::; im"olvin:., hif,hcr sl:1115 ,

ti:creby meetinG ,VI i.no t'3.l1ation t s prol'lotion:ll needs and i: 1'rovin~ rr,orale.

Ihch upgrade tra.i.nilD could be done on an on-the-job basis. Then too,

sJlpor'visor trainin", and ;.t]?fra1~ train.i.r.o dovct[~nc5--t.hE' surer'li;;;or who had

:w.stcred job Lns t:.ructlon principles and methcds in a supcrvi.scr bra:mnr;

cour-se cO.llcl ~ct up WI lp~rade on-tho-j('~ tr:d ~!l.n, covrce in his own ·ie:-,art.-

~



us.m:S ... 123, Chap. II 75

:.Jho conducted up;;radc ;;.rJ.~ nine on a cln.::::srcoil bus is. St ,"(muous efforts

(10ra made to i.""lp1'Oll'O ei:_tJloyoe rcl::lli':n~ and to r.rom:>te saf'et~l training so

as to pl;'AVent bho loss of manhours throu,_,h abserrbeefsn, high turnover-, job

d:i.ssatisfactlon" an.I abscncoc , CivIlians 'Were incY'eas:Ln[,l:' used to replace r'1l1itill';r pHsonnel whr:re'ler pos3ible. 92

(,.ua!:'tcrly and serni-annual reports on civlliQn per'[lOoncl utilizat.i.on :J.'2:re roq..d.red of t11e '1=:.r:i,OllS co-mcnda ~d air forces. n3 These t'f'ports were

r€lql!ired because tho'} Uni.Led States Civil Service and. ~-Tar Eanpower CQIf)j~,i5sions

required aSSlll':.'._I1CC that full lltilization lH:.J be> tne made of manpower in all

installations for w'deh they were requeat.ed to ~ive astrls tance in the

recruitment of person()f~l. An imrort~mt phi se of the efficient utilization of manpo,,;er W~IS the proper era) mug of the civilian eJlPlo:rees. 94

Quarterly reports of civili~n ~ersonncl utiliz~tion surv~yo made by

various inst,al1£ttio.n:J ind:i cabed 'J'ar~'ine degrees or de'felop:nent of civilian

t.C'ainin;:; prCGrarns. 1;. ref,ort frOl'l. stockton ~ield, California. .. submitted

.3 October 1944, showed the basic pilot school there to be holj:Ln;:: upcrade

traininc courses for civj.liansJ and indicated that the first phase of the

~ 52-hour course ~as unrierw~r. Also a pres~rvice rrocram of orientation trainir!G for now e:r._:ll0.lees was teino:; given weel:ly.95

A personnal utnization rq;ort frorn an A.1F l'ecr.nical Tr:.itrl-Llb Conmand

deta.chment at Yale Uni'fu:t'slty indicated tr..at upgrade trairdnG "Wa~ being

ccnduc ced with the objectiY€' of replacinL enl.Ls ved raen wiL.h civilian., in

office jobs; ch"ilian emplo~ ees and instructors were l'eeei'ring upgrade

crainine da.i Iii' in the rn.?:i.ntenmce, enGIneering, and com.."1Jnications depart-

meats; tl:ere )las a training proGra:n conducted in the supplr division by the

~~ ----- ~ ~ ~~ ~~.~ ~- ~---



li3.'..FllS-12J, Chap. II

76

officer in charge; and all clvi15.an cler~;;:G and stcno[;l'a!)hr.rs ha1 ta1:en a

cour-se in .~lit;lr~. correspondence. ::0 rientdcn -;'13.5 rra::l.e of' a supervisor

~ .. (6

~ra~nlnb procra1.'

A sem~i-anrlu~l r(p~rt c.n civilian rcrsonuel utiliz~tion made by .~ur

v:l::-' ... ended to offico"" 11 l'sc:u:cl. This su.;.o1'vi;;;o1' tr~~-ninc 't-H!3 ;-1'rO:::I1 c1'edit

[,rh'l'a'1ccs end In tw:in::" dlsciplinar~; ··ct:tc,n, ir,l.:7rQV<3"ent in hanl1ine

pcr scnnek, h:t~,her prcduc LIon, and icc1'P:;.sed skills in the interviewio.1: of

1. Totall:t unLrm ned personnel h.i.ri"d and put into productd on tl'rou.th

tr.J.inin~.

2. Encr-eaaed prod(.\ction resul-tinL .from traloinz rernonr.e'l in better

metrlo:is.

4. -'(.:hction of the nU!iOer of personnel rerpired to do the same work.

5. Ablli ty to adjust 0For~ lion::; 1:,0 a cJ-~an:::;f' of m.;.ssion.

6. Dotznard tro!ld of the accident rate,

7. Incroaoc in ideas for vlcIJol'j' c--li.d a cort'espon:Li.o.:; increase in

production.

in case of peal: lCl:tds.



U3.\FHS-123, Ohap , II

77

9. De",relopr.r:nt of unders tudfes which preverrsed absenteeism .f1"cm

affecting pro:iuctlon to any t_:;reat exi:.el'lt.97

A SI.l!"";mary of the officia.l s l-at-us of trainine in tile Air Technical Service Command :at the bHe;innin_, of 1~45 lVa.S [,hrE'n in ATSC 11.f';;ula.tion ~!o. 50...6, 22 Jc.nuar:r 191-t5. The Civilian 'i'rain:i.nc orf,anization continued to be

respcnsdbke for orbaniZiint~' sU)7ervisl!:1t;i, and conducting training l'rorraJl'..s in sc1:oo1s and production ,H"eaa on the reservatd.on and for 8rranging .fOI'

the accomplishm.ent of J1ecessa.r-,) trainin:;, in off-reserv3.tion fa.cilities of

all types. i'he or-~r:::.tinG oi'ficiab l'wre responsfbl,c for t~dnG the

~litiati7e in proTlidinG assistance and coordinutiQi'l in analyzin~ needs and

in "'lal-:lne; cO\1 .... ce o!.l.t15x'e:J; in proTldin.; assds tcnce in securLng instructors; ia. requestinG tra:i.nin c: ; "l':hero Qeede.:i.; and in ma'dn:::; per-sonne l a;railable

fvr trilin:tng.98

rhe lar;;est prot_';ra.:'r1 Wa3 in the field oJ: o?er:ltional training which

inoluded bot~ proool"'J'ice and uptrade t.raJ.ning. Or£;anized preservlce tra":'n ..

ins was to be r;i"l',m to all new etrplo;;ees w~'o 1'1Cre not q.lalii'ied to enter upon productive dutie::. at tre ti'i'lE' of e-nploym~nt. All ne~ e:rployees wro were

to be assiGned to P1.Gcharlic3.1 jobs and uho Lacked thf-' pl'oy.:!?r mcchani.cal, sJ-:pC'riencc ncre to be giv~n l.tB hours of' basic 1nstr1)ction, includin;;; the

use of tools and oafety pracbices, prIor to aS6i~~cnt to on-the-job pre service training.

Upgrade trainin6 was defino~ ln conGider~ble ae~ail as organized

1n3truction to inCr3(109 thc' sl:ills and proi'icicnc;I' of a l:10rker, to pre;o.re

hdm to aSStl.'U9 addad duties CO:1.1'12ct.:;1 with his cUl"!'cnt job, or to prepare

hL'U for promotion to a hither level in his ourrent job series. Eetraining,

cross-trainine, and reb.ted forms or traininz viCre c.:.noidcr6d to be upgrade



USA.J.7tIS-123, Chap. II 78

training if for ~he benefit or the €ov~rnment. It was sGressed th~t

it W3S a fund~,ent~l pollc~- of the A7SC civIlian trainin~ procram to make

continuous pro·.risicn for uPJ'rade tratninc for cj,vilian porsonnel in the

coamand, The operatin0 division.c:; and the traIninG organizat50n were to

!.luke recc-i iendatdons to tl1e co'nr"~dil:'l~i officer throu:;h the civilian

trai.nine committoe as to the place of train:tng--that is ",(""othcr on-the-

job~ in tte classroQ" or botb in co~bination. Instructor personnel for

opera.tional traininJ cl)·.lld be furnishej b;:.' tte civilian training crgani.sa-

tJ.o.n~ bytl~e ope:;r~\tln,_; divl:::lon, or bjT an outside a..,ency such as the state

department of educati~n.

and pro£essionz:l train,i.n;;. It Ws.s to be Liven to all civilian su~'ervisQrs

6irectin~ th3 Horl: of ot~ ers , The 52-hour 1::.131c s'll:ervisor training

courae , develor:ed bj- AlEC, was a:"proved as the ~taridard course for ~ll

comaanda, 'i'his wus to be the rurrimum req,jirement. Gontinuiu<,_.. eouraes

be ... ond tht:> basic rro.:;ram "Here authorized and rccol'lC",cnded in order to

deal 1-1ith ai'J'anced problc'I13 01' nan:l{j2ment and supervision. The trainins

of 1Tlllita.:rj' s~l!?E'rYisol"J person~el by the civilian trJ.in~.nc ol"Ganhation,

usin,:; tr..e stal1dord ..'I.TSO 20-hour off'lcer-trainin~ pro;:;rWll and corrb 7 nt.ling

c0urses~ was aut~orized ~nd reco~~~ndGd.

Emphaais W.1S also :plt.ced on a [Jr'O[(r2_<'Yj for tee tr~d nJ.nc of j nst.ructcrs

in the Labes L arid 81Jpro'l€d techniques of mc::tl'uctlon. Spocial attention

train on-tho-job inst~~ct0rc.

"~~



79

';:'a.ch cirrllian e:'{plo .. eo Ut'::: to receiv _' an eorie>ntc.- tJ on tra:i.nins ccurae

to luf'ern hitl1 as to I?' rlo;:ce rules ~ riLhcs, o"::lliGatlons" security, sat'ctj,

and as to tho nature 01 tho organiz.a.tion in 'Hnloh he "r<':tS e~r:ployed.

B:e usa of civili9.i'! trainin~ fo.c.tl5:t,:i.,,=,s for t!;e je,int traininG of

cl,rilian and {'i_!.litar;i rerso!'..ncl lIas aabhordzcd in the intere;;;t or the

ma.'rimurr. ut.:71izatlon of rr..c.nr~Ol~er and space.

other .~iF instal1aticns ua::: to br- n'~dc on'ly in accordance wit!. AltF

An important feature of th"::l trainin.3 set-up catabllsj,ed b:i~ .\.T3C

::Obuh.i.ion 50-6 was tho civllien traininr, cow.ru:tte.-' 'Wl·_i.ch 4'D..S to b: set

up at each .\'1'](; itlSt r. ~11ai'ion. It consisted of ~ rer res ent:it:. VI:' of the

cO;J].;lundint.; officor, the civilia.n p~r::;ol1:el officer" tre civilian training

off'ic(.:r, the chrlli311 traininc ad..'l].lnistr.:!tor" the civllicn place:nent

o:ti'iccr, arzl ODO rt'prescnt8.tlve frOM each operatin.:; division. In smaller

instal1Q.tiOl'l.$ one ai'fico!' "J.[,ht servo in r1:.re then ens of the positions

conrianddng officer on Matters ficrtintnt to the e{'£icien,:y and effectiveness

of the cl'lili:m-tr .. dnir..:; prot_:ram. It-:on ..... its drl.t;es wa:3 tLt of s..l.b"1.tting

a r:onthlr pLan fot' tro.i.nin~,; to t~'e c01'1ll1cndln:;, officer or his representative.

'i'here 1JCJ1t; pro"llsicn., (lcQlin~. wJ.t,11 tra:i.rdnc records and rep!)rts, with

the issuance of certlfic:h:..:s of trainir4; to troae tr21nees .eat:isfactori1y

conp1etink CDJI'SeS, and ::1 t.i1 the r~';'Jl1ent of' ~m.:C's and rer diem to tr3.inees.

I'rainh!E;; f~cllitles ;,lere to to I'ound in both on-rcccrvatdcn and o:l:f-

l'''!.i:l::!rvai..ioa sc1-;OQl::;. 3(cc5ali:!ed tra:i.nin .. , rae: lii..ies in certain technical

~ .... --~. ~~. ~.~~ ~ ~.,~- ~



co

Such ~r:"d.::.lizcd 3cl 00:::; were to be esta,?li;:;hod only on tl:c 8Ut~ orit;i of

Off-rEservation sc;_cols were to br used uh"'1'o Ch~;.l iCI1 tr::iI11n:., reeds

co.flrl not. be; f..rovidoci on the re::;erv'L G.i.en. ouch c·rr-rc·scl:''Irat5cm facilities

~]ore to Lnc'Iudc b··.1? 'l:::r Froducticu Tr.x~ nil'"" rro< ... rc. . 0.:' the U • .J. Orfice of

.

::;;duc~ L::i.c'n; Droi'e:.:s.1.c,n~l an1 t'ci8ntific troa: nin~~ (.rfr red by the ::;nJr,f- t:);"io.;:"

: ,j_~ (l...i NI tl e 1000:.1 d~velcPJllent

CI, c.i. \' .~ l~,:. n tr .:..inl.a;:: c curs cc • ~ _..



81

chlof::: on 5 1;,.::CC; .... ::cr 1~44 l'ollc.m

1. [,irriculvJ in ~)rocuriH ..... :'1"1:1 '-e;r;:-:ir'L, q1..l.dHieo. ;'1.il:U ar ... ~!,,(J.:l c.~.Ynian

(;:r:e'l:'tur..iHcs. CV'J't':: r'l'~.C"d oi' t',Q ~' ~7~ 1;.l~' fUf'no\"' r :1."1cn;:; e~.vll:ian tr'.inln:.., zd,d.t:.1si"r'"tcl'r., ol.oJ'Grvisor ired c:in,: qccluli:::t::', and ins r ructces r' •.. acheu ti e r,xLc of 75 y.' :rccr..t.

2. T:'rini..ir,t,. ;rc;::Lr:i.ci.i W w:lich 1 af ;J~,c·t:p;:;J :J':(' .){ wlcpJl",:r~~, of !:.rair- lr.c. l'.:.n.::.nls. :io~J cnl~' r.U.:1cccp.:.:rbr,::'Q 0 tlh,c;:; ~nj 1'.:-rk sr:c.t:;; o(",ld be

c..c. •.• , lc['.::l.:1.

3. JJ:.n'lcul t;t Ln Fain;~~.i.r,j!1._, cCDqm .. LfJ sllpc]"{i;: ic·n of tI':::"~ rin ... ~ .;.,cti'rltirj!;. in t}-o" fif 101. 'i'rOi."el_ I'P!;;trl.ctlcno sev,';l'f:'l;,' haJ"ip8re~ cueh surervl::;icon ar:cl th: b~u.i r.J.r.;,. progr ,'. ¥S 5.1' SCl'.0 ~rE'c.s s I.tfi't;l'cd as a I't'_s!.llt.

Lt. D:1.fl'lculti6:;; r ... ;J.1.1tin<,., .r~":i': LL introi\:.cticn 5.r~ :"lYl":i.l 1~44 of

bhs .ir,diylducl bcchnl.cc.L t.;,~<!:i.r,jr.,-, ~""ro ... 1':;,"1 for 0115 :::ti.!rl r.'Hh ~~uch o£ this traj,nin{; llJ,::l dono OJ 0 rB civ:i.li:m tr ... lrdn", schcc,l:..., :;,r:o. t)->e r1;~Uli.:.ni.. uork Load 1(>0 to trf> nDI(xt corr.~h~t~G eli::Q.r,~Licn or tl.e t.r:.\5nir._ of civilians

t: i" ti..:c::;. lLT. 0 i:.hr,:r t}_: \s!;; tLtt sudden ui1.hJrs;u: 1 at t.l.c e:l:l .. i::'1-ed zen irOTll tr.::.:i .nin~; left ';tn (-:l:OI;:S:::: of iustruc Leor rer~NJfi,ol. Zff'orts tr:· cceurc

(.=:;th:i, :,,,"S r:l L:~( f" L'lr0 tr..:.~.t}:_;.n,-; rF'Cc:::. of C'nlj s i:-0J Fe rrcn'({Jl twrp nof successful, cv=n ce l::.te cs 1 !.prll 1~45, her-cc ini,.: lli;::prr1. Hld ('l'ficient

cen~!,;rallzcQ du;.:ot SC' .co'Ie in ::rSO CC"',,", .... r"~ ~ rc-c,f: b: cn:LJSC most 0';: t!'!p area civil:i"-f! t:r;:Jn;.ng br8.J;cccS ho.o te.-.:u rcdi.ced to the- p~ir!t at ;i!.i~h no ouch acl.<l1.tior~o1. 1:or1: lo:::.c-:S co,:1d co hmdled.



C2

rcqu.'J::.ts fer tly, lrJ..~l,5 ,1 ... 0';: civil:'_:n _;:C'I' or m 1 ]'01' the ?..:ir forces and o t 1, H' ccr ..'![.nd::; o.t r.rea l'..TSG fG.cilitie::::: .. 100

vented tl:e ['ill acld.cve.torrb of tto objectives of tbo A!lf civilian trainitlE

I,rO[;l'ar:. in tl':e .h.ir 1'c chnic: . .J. Service Co-c::t.nd, and tho cth>r cormendc and

nE~,ci.G.uarters, .".:BG, reque:)tinL in:torr::·j.ticm on Sl)fciJ'lc tralrling achieve-

ir;:prc.o:::iV8 lis';, of bonefIts rcsultill_: £1'C11 its civilian tl'a5r!i.t1£., F<rO[.;rrur..i'

The;.' were an follows:

1. Decr-eased {(L:.';.our <:mc:. so,;;:.::r:i.t", of' o.ccid€:nts. Con t lnucua tc chni.cal.

courees in industrial r,[lJ~0ty~ a~c:ic1cnt, prevent.Len, :::10) n(.t·;od:::, i'.irst aid,

2. Increased producticn.. l'r.fl OI'i~5 nal c' Ciros of ~,wrJ(~ rs sont to

re:.::ervnticn schoof.s c.,_nd in tltc Cl· r i1i:,m J:'r&inin:_: :;:;ranch of O";I~rsc [or

sr:ec'l ric ti.~sicn_"":(JlJt to :r::dnl..tnaYlcc, sl.1.rrl.;, ud:n.1 njstralivu_, and miscellanE'ous

{, Attached. to t:.Le li;::t. 11(;l'C 14 c,:Libits to illustrr..te the vaIue of



63

to 50 pc rcont of' 3.11 G-',plo:rC'cs o,r:pointlC'cf to positions at Oklaholr:a City

. :'3C recrdved all or a. PG..'t't of tIcoir traini.l'l: 1"r:::, C:: .. 'l.-SC Civilian

l'raj oing ::-rar:ch. In p~..rt it W~::; tr~5.ninG th;:d .. caabled this installaticn

Lo 1"iso frcr.! an unproductd.ve orC1lliization in July 1;'42 to becone Otle of

the r:oot product-iva j nst~llatic'r.~ in thr> AJ:'SC.

3. Increased sld11 of trcinees. Tha OOATSe Civilian Tra~ninc .Branch,

U:e ofi'-rE'zerV't't.iDn Gel,coL ur.:c.cr its control, 3,Ccl the factory schools

relda it pcssj.hlc for eJ:-l:'oUSC?Hivos end [;p.r'"~ t:: r:ocl:Ctl"Jic:> in large nU:,::r z-s

to work ~lon:::..sidi3 :0:'-::0 IG?d s i"'c!'::.ft TrIBe" u.n5.cc auo instru.m€ nt workJX':O ~r..:1

mach~nists, al1d to full:- qun1if;," in f'inn;" of of the> l'f'h.tcd skills tl:orrsel"es.

had ixcn cNld.UCtC:1 at O:!.'iI'SG aG E.. total cost, of :~79,837 .60. It was

cstilr.Htcd t!1:·!;' ~3 [1 r("sl.lll. of the tr3.inin: rGcc:i.'J?d in this course a total

at eO ccnte an hour Lhc ~'onehr" s3,'irln_: H:lG ,)1,025.2$"6.40. Subtractin;:- frolTi

+1.is tlw cost. of the> 3)pel"'J'isor trc.J.n1t"l_, th"" pre.fit to th(> <:,ovrrnmcnt ;,ws

the principles ::.nd methods lc:.rr.:.:1d in Sl'fcr';isor tr3inine.

trc;lDir.G', ard sur:er·.rlsor tra:~ flins. ~'fbsentec.isI'l l~~'S a seas ona'l affair but

its iJ1cic1er:cQ hr d been decreased to 8o:ne extent b./ a presenteefsm proGram

put on b;)' the conference leC:c::1cr::; c·r thE' S~P':'l"'v"iGory Tl"Dirdn: Unf.t., Givil:ian



US1~FHS-123" Chcp. II

6. Adapto.bilit:, 01' civill:::,(j tra: nint_: to cr an~e of rd.ssj_C'n. On

13 July 15'44 the O:::AISC Civ:ilian li1cininL, Br~ncb 'l'l~ s i"fol'med tr.at trere

lr.s e need for the trainin:_. of nili tar;:- and civilian perscnne'l, in the

nuintori'E,r.co of B-29 aircl'.?!t. lJ,trlou._:h it he.d very IHtle expt"ricmce ·vith

a nontl; 3it>?l:' notific atie'n and on 11 3c!""terr!Oel' 191-Il1. tJ-.e firs t. class started.

~'1it,hin a start tL'1G a fully peeN d:ited curriculum in 2.11 phases of' the

By 28 ;1arch 1;:45 a total oi' 2,4ll orrict.l'{; and men l>ad ~r8,jllf'ted from

Lho world where'H'r B-2?' S 1\'Ol'E' in opr r::·tion. I'(acc:riel 8o"'r'snd inspectors,

t.echrdca'l representa;x':"vos, f8ctC'r~: reprE'sant,g,tj_yOS, c1epartrr.ental aupe:r-

visors and other tr~lle('8 were still b;:;i.rC Liven tra.in"il".£ in 3-29 main-

c:l.v.i1ian tra5 nin~-: scI' 001 had ch'::Jl':I?::l to a mIl Le.r.::, end civilian trtin:! ng

school in a vOIJ chort time and had scown itself an effe:tivc ~edium for

7. Trainin.:; for the untro.:i_red and ine:}:pC-l'ienced. At tbe d~te of the

report 33 1/3 fa:.:rcent o! all .:::er~Conr:e1 0:',;:10,) ed monthl;: by OGA~C were un-

l.rair.ed anc; ineXfc.l'ienced. 'nds [:roup lias assir.;ned to Lhc- Civ1li?n Tra~ning

School for orif.:.nt,a,ticn ~nc tra:1nl.r'G. Of the cl(~rical emplo.yees 40 percent

were witr.out experienC3 ~nd trair~~r. und th~ rernalnjn[ 60 percent were below

the star:cklI'cb or n0rrn.:tl til'!es. S1_'pplJT and m~dnLeno.rco employees needed

upgrade and or:-the-job trairdn= io orc'or to bE:' bE>tLr fitted fer their

in ccrt..::d.n fl'.:'ld:; Me' were used by thE' opcratdon d1·,r:i)Jic.'Us to meet currr nt , 101

rroduccicn n",eo.ls.



LS.'J?hS-123" C::c:. II

S5

ticn by- .AT.3C 1-!ec,dqu.artcr~, Sun .. \ntoJ·io ATSC report. Q sirr.il'lr achiev€ments

in j~st~ric~ticn of oxr9pditur0D for i~s civilian trc1ning prcGrare. Largely

as a result or civ'U:1an i,r~irdrz [~cti~liti~s the accid€nt frequency rate

ror the period JartU3.l'~· 1~L3 to J~lItu.;.r;}· 1545 h~d bt:'?l1 lowere-: .c'rcm. 15 percent

to.68 p~rcent" and the accidont s~veritJ rr.>t,e frcr.1 .8 to .13. Training

accident frequC:DC"'j rate for fc,rt lif~" Ot,erator::: h&.o dcclinE'cl to 5.55 percent

as ccr:pf.r,~Ct. to thE" nutlonal <lve.ra[;c of 26 :rerc.:mt.

SAJ..TSC reportd th:.l.t due to traiCtlnc 'T.;.n~r depill"tn€'n-Ls were :lldntaiaing

produc tion at t! I.e reqLirea levels de:.;p:i.te dr-as t.ic cuts in PET": onne L, Tro.:in-

l!,t£; had prcduct..d ncsf notdceabl,e re-sults in inc:reasiw:, the speed of t;ypists

rnent had been abl~ to i"'tfl'oVE' the' ir.diviol1al abilities of many uorkoz-s and



uSAFl!.3-123, Ch<?p. II

66

Livin..., sp0cbl tr::;.in:;_n..:.- to Gupcl'viJc,r;: in etficienc;:; raUnc r-rocedures ,



57

It is ob· ... i(1);:;, oJ' cc arue , ,r:c] :';{(G so ct'ltcd in tht; above-marrt t :nB:t

~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ .. ~. - ~-- ~ - -~ ~~~

THIS··PAGE Declassified lAW E012958


88

all of ti">'1 131:'1(.'n :'.l"::Y..S of civili::l.jl tr;!inlnG: e:::t:lblisr.E!d in Au!.,'USt 1945 fvI' '*

v.d .. ~;ll1i'itt':!I<ivc and inot.f'uctor Fc.rscnnr:~l), and conduct doaena of couraec ~"j", /. a tot:ll e(ll'oll:r.~;n'., 0; tJ;';:j "lees flwl",-sriE':' ;;u"Y,-r~l hun::'lreJ at, ?n:- ;',1'1' 11 ti-lf.'

Cn the otl'm:' bc.n::i a rC'la.tlvcl:, snal.L or~r.a.izn.Lion likE? J_:~' l'~cG.Lcal

'n I'heso .:::.rCJ.::; of i.r.::.:.:i nil'lL ~10T'i= 8." f,:;.11,,::.::;: '- . .:)"[,0(1 t.: o::eslrip; cler5 c31; lrtni/ccl.ion and testln'::j Nt:_na::;I::, n I, ard ::mpJr'li: j.cn,; m::.rIJ;tl~ lms\:illf'u, and 3;:;I".i<l!~11laci.j ol'i:nt3,tion; r~c,t('C~i7a a~d fOr~on[\l sc:rrlc~~j so.J'ety; s'~illed ·t,r~d~s c-nd crn.n:Jj S.1f:-.1:_,r or:~Jr·.1.,.iC'{.G ~1nj ;_I-occdnJ"::;; techn:'c,ll, scientific, and r::'ro('~sGicnal.. SO):.5 nutes of T1':<;.n_;.n~, c: '#ni Ltr"_ ~:0etin," h:·ld ;:t (iff:i_ce of Tro...i..nJ..r.[ I.r':J1cl., GPD, C5.I, at. 10 Al-l, 8 Au:..u;:;;~ 1~h5, in ;:'ol~oI":r, Fc,licies (15.sc. :'n,:;.), I'll.:';:; of C;u:oeer D(>v',_lo,_""v?nr: /;lvit:lcn, I,irec:.or: to of Ci'.rllian pnY"r:;;; I_'Yt ~l, L~ .. ~ 11'1, ::"-tA~flr~~tcn, O.C.

;. Io Jl.lr2 19~4 Saora:'er~to !£C had 4 officers and 133 civilbns assirned to its tratnin', co; "lo"1-:,nt. :~t .i..ts r9~< E<?11v tdr ';_'Q,..C't ::20e (San Antonio _l.TSC:) had e Lr~lnin: O~" ~ o.nlzl' i:,;':m i;~ liell b' 1'e;" o':e1' Loo r'- Cl1'l0 GO cs.rry on ci~.rilian traim.ne. See 1st. In~'::., l'!q, S 'SG, ::cClcll 'U:t r ield, Cf,J ifol'n:tn., to C3,l15C, P3.ttercon Field, 0!1io, 24 June INI4 (Branch Ltl', Eq} ASe, to Hq S:..sC, subj:

Civlli2.!l Tr,~'i nin£; ',ct;;'vi tie;:; \,J.Qsticnwrirro, 31 :=2: 1~44), l:C:W, 353 Civilian Tralnln~ :lASe, A:gril; nl?o GU: t'Ttc r:811~' Cl~rlU2n T1':;,.J ninG Stor:",tI p.';j" in

... 'older, l.ij.2tor;J' or Clv".i.1i,:!.o ?C'0in:!.rl:, In filcG Qf Se.r ·':,r l;,,,"\"ln[:r~nt rbr.1.:.:.lO~I,

Director .itt' cf Clvlll~o P"J';:or",,'1tJl, U3.'\.. -, fIq, :r)~ hln~tonJ 1). C.



1]3.l...'7]15-123, Cha!). II 139

done on-the-job O;i' i'ot'C!::':!"l .... nd l';u.pr::rvl:;o't's uro h::-:] r0c.:.:il,,·cd job ir:.!:t:ruction

the cours ..... :: ori'Jrrd trc .11-:.; no t. 0:: OVT,t' 100 in nu:.:'!::tr" if all the erroplo~ ees

listu:i O"~ tin tr~inin .. pro,:r.x:s elrrrt.s 1fmr8 not counted as actllallr being

. t .. aos

an r:an"l.r...r.:,. ;.J

.Alt' o .... ,_u tVJo civili'ln [r: ·C"r.onc::pl c Lr~nCJ til 0;: Lhe il..t. had be, un to decline b.r tho eno of r;oV'ember l$1h4 "J"1 cor~tinucJ this process tl-:rou..,h 1?45,l06 and

A.\7 cant:'! nued to Co.TI'j' on an exbensf.re civHian trainln, r::OO<.:Tn..l1 in 19u5.

pbted. 91Jf'el:'vioor;;, e-xacutiv0, R,c'1d crl'1l..1nistrative tra.:ning; 35,249 com-

~_l~"t.ed oriBDtaticn :m:l. io:10Ct.l"iU3.tic.n trdrd.ns; r.nd 32,276 ccn-enced trainir'g for -cr.f' Ilr;:;t ti'le. 107 In ~':J.J 19'15 a tot.:l.1 of' 72, 72~ ci'rili~n

total of SlS(!9--ln 1;.h!' Gru'l{> t~.;o -.ontr.s 39,654 c:1vlllan emploJees conmenced trnin:ix<:! for thl-) fi:re: t. ti::e.109

RQoricntatiolL of Cld l:i.::Jl 1'1: J..j-nir.k Fro._:r:;.'1. in 1?~5

- --

in the ccnt.inuJ.t21 United Strtk's stoo::l at, 1.:Dh).!.o9; by the ea1 of' J..,cc/"y,:b r J.>'~5 it ii3.d <5eclj_ .... t:c.t to 23.3,,056.lC~ This u.:-clir1e in iL lvont1Gl strenf::th

____ • __ ._.~ _ •• ~._~._ ~~ __ J



90

job::; ~:.i tl Frlv",t~ Emt<..'rpr:L::e and to escape t::e 1't?ductj on in force ",(o:i ch

il'J.-i'orc€ 1"( ~t.11::tion ':l: iet' req,.1i:r'f'~ t)"::,L each e ;:;10: O~ be £,iv.2n 3:1 days'

ad .. :,.1').oo nctico 't.:;.i'c"" 6'-~f&r:Jticr •• l10 By 4 Cctob:::r lS}~: r~~dClction-ir.-fC'rC8

mticcJ ha1 b .en di:::tl".ib..lLc:J te' tl ';'N civlU_n J. '~f·1c~·ecs at t.k'~iquarbrs .rt..W, ":lho were E:'i'fect':'Q by Lhe ill':_' L C0. t.111.

t . + ,112 "'rto'.:Lna ;ca..

in cti.l.!.c3.lJ' r.:.nd. c1v.i.lic..n r.~r::cnnd. It; i~'_S the cr:inio.a of the Chilian



S'1

irdicatcs tl:e ~cr.l 1',_.1 9Colic;S 01 tLr- T~_:r 'c·:r:.rlr,,('nt in roga.rd to dvHian

w:.d (V~~1it" 0_' :;_,,;J;_'!:LuD'l o:...tput, i.tr..:Zlro·:e the caliber of s1J(,£'r".":isi0l1" and

\'

!':J.ir,t :d_n ~t \:j_~'h d& ... )",~:: 0: _, :.,10" eo 2'l')Tale j u:~ 1_1 b., :rr't~'~nc 5.114



or 0'1.'... ht acout



Chapter III

DE.V-Jhl..OJ?l.u\!S Th VARIOlS }I~Il::LDS OF CIVlLIAl~ lRAnUltG, 194J.-1945

The discus;sion, in the previo'W3 chapter, of the development of the

Air Service ColllD1SllCl civilian training program and the subsequent. establish-

ment of a comprehelJSive and effective AJiF civilian training probTarJJ. on an Air Force-wide basis necessarily confines itself largely to the over-all

picture. The civilian training proE,rmn in the AAF during the 'War years

was so extensive, however, and included so many different types and phases

of traitd.r.tg whic!J. were important in themselves, that it deserves separate

treatment.

The Mechanic Learner ProgEUIl

One of the most important phases of civilian training. to develol,J ill the early years of the war was the mechanic learner progr8Jll. This prot_ram

enabled the Air Service COlDlland and other A1IF organizations to hire thousands

of unskUled and untr&ined civili8.U employees and to soon have them trained

ror productive work. This proLram made it possible to meet wartime ex-

pansion needs.

It has alre~ been noted that ~ome of the depots of the Air service

Oommand. had embarked on mechanio learner prOf:,raIllS in 19L;J..* Tne mechanic

learner prolram YSs a system bw which trainee~ were paid wsees during the

time they were receivioB traininS and before they were enbased in productive

work. J s previously pointed out the authorit;y ror using fec.:.eral .funds to

* See above, pp .. 22-28.

93



tW.FRS-12.3, Chap. III

94

pay wages to trainees derived from the act of July 2, 1940, which authorized

the President "to provide for the procurement and training of civilian

personnel in conoection with the protection of critical and essential items of equipment and :material and the use and operation thereof.n~ This legislative authority for the hirin~ of mechanic learners on a trainee

basis was confirmed by the Comptroller General on 23 June 19.41; San Antonio

and Middletown, however, had been paying their trainees since 6erly in the

year.

The question of authority having been settledl a aefinite prob~am for mechanic leerner3 was set up in the fall or 194J. and the CivUian

Personnel Divi~iou of the War Department authorized the inclusion of the

position of Junior l1echanic Learner, $600 per annura, in the engineering departments of the air depots.2

From these beginnings a widespread prol;,l'am developed and was in almost

uni!'orm operation at. the depots by late February 1942 ~ lrlecnanie learners

were hired at ~9'JO per annum and for a period not to exceed six montha trained

at any vocational educational tacilities available and suitable-private or

public civilian institutions, factories, or schools established on military

installations •

The mechanic learner prob-rara thus established proved to be well suited

to the needs of ASC and was effective in meetine; the emere;eney situation

existing at the time. There was one continuous problem which had to be met, that of how much to p~ the trainees in order to m.eet the competition of

private industr.r and of other goverrllllellt agencies in the labor market.

Various adJustments were made in salary scales, and finally on 31 .lugust 1942 Headquarters »$ aut!_orized a scale of ~980-96O-l080-1200 per annum



lBAFl£-12.3, Ohap. III

95

with authority granted to appoint or promote to a.tI3' salary within the

range. This wide range of salaries caused some difficulties as the

determination of the salary at each depot was left up to the depot commander.

This meant that trainees of the various depots received different wage~-

8. source of considerabl.e disatisf'action and tl."ouble when trainees from

several depots got to{;,ether at the same acnoo1. At the end of 1942 tHe

program was well established altbo~h there remained some dissatisfaction

with the salary range.

'Ihere was also a probleI:l for some time about what to do abou.t giving

per diem a1J.owlances to trBinees who were s(:Int from the hiring depot to

training centers some distance awa:y. Inequalities among trainees in

receiving per diem caused considerable dissatisfaction and lower1ne of

morale. Attempts to standardize per diem payment procedures finally led to the inclusion in ASC Regulation 40-1, 16 Jamm:-y 1943, ot: a par8t,raph which provided that enplqyees in pre-service training (before ePbaged in productive work) should not be paid per diem wbiJ_e in sehook; but mibht

be paid .for time spent in travel from the officiRJ. station to school. and

back. This did not apply to experienced emp1.oyees who were being sent off to 'Work for specialized training, only to mechanic learners.

In addition to enabling the I.ir service Conmand to compete in the

labor market and at the same time to give tne new and inexperienced employees

the necessary preservice training, the mecnan1c J.earner program had tile

advantaee of giving the depots a means of control over tbe Off-reservation schools. As these 'Were financed by liational Defense Training funds, the depot

control over them was very sli~ut insofar as the written agreements went.


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