THE EVOLUTION OF AND EVER EVOLVING ARMY SPORTS PROGRAM
INTRODUCTION ---- Any sports director in the field wonders where and how the Army Sports Program originated. The following provides background information as to how we evolved into what we are today. But in a nutshell, we came from the experience of our allies in World War I, particularly the British and the Canadians in Europe. Specifically, they found that sports helped to promote and maintain military efficiency and moral. You will note in all of our mission statements, there is always something said about mass participation. These statements stem from the leaders concerns about the troops indulging in the use of liquor and prostitution during their leisure time and the lack of organized recreation and sports activities. Everyone was to be involved regardless of their athletic ability in the unit level program. The high level programs ( battalion, regimental and post ) stem from selecting the more highly skilled soldier athletes to provide spectator entertainment to the soldiers who didn’t have the ability to perform at the regimental level. We will start at the beginning and fill in the blanks about this exciting evolution.
1. Military service as a way of life resembles no other. Hours of intense violent activity and extreme strain often followed by long periods of inactivity and boredom. The earliest commanders learned that these enemies to his combat capability could be best counteracted by recreational pursuits. 1 The information contained in this presentation highlights the development of sports and athletic programs for the US soldiers from 1776 to the present.
2. Patrick Henry’s eloquent plea for liberty and the shots fired at Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the war against Britain. The Revolutionary Soldier and Sailor was left mostly to his own devices in finding recreational activity. One of the earliest activities aimed at improving the moral of the troops during this time was the Fife and Drum Corps. It not only helped rally the citizens to arms and encouraged patriotism, but provided music for enjoyment and relaxation.2
3. Up until 1895, canteen and recreational activities were provided by civilian groups called the traders store system. These groups essentially were cooperative institutions whose expenses were met entirely by contributions from enlisted men, without any assistance whatever from the government, except permission to occupy vacant buildings. The building was maintained entirely at the traders’ expenses.3 These traders provided a well-stocked general store, well-kept lunch counter, recreation rooms, supplied books, periodicals and other reading and writing materials. They also provided pool tables, bowling alleys, facilities for other proper indoor games and apparatus for outdoor sports and exercise. They provided well-equipped gymnasiums. 4 They also provided a room that exclusively was used for the sale of beer and light wines.5 This was where a serious problem developed causing the Congress to kick the traders off post.
4. During the build up for the Spanish-American War, it was felt that soldiers grossly misused the drinking rooms provided by the traders and Congress decided to get rid of the traders. The post exchange was established in 1895. The exchange mirrored the services provided by the traders and was financially supported by the US government with one exception. The sale or use of ardent spirits in any branch of the exchange was strictly prohibited. The commander could and did allow beer and light wines to be sold at the other facilities.6 The bottom line was the government finally recognized the recreational needs of the troops and provided money to address them.
| 5. By the summer and early fall of 1902, George S. Patton, Jr., soon to be 17 years old decided he wished to become a soldier. Given the social prominence of the Patton family, enlistment in the Army was out of the question. The only acceptable career was the honorable profession of Regular Army Officer. The best road to that goal was an education at the Military Academy at West Point, for graduation meant immediate entrance into the Regular Army as a second lieutenant. 7 The only problem was it was difficult to gain admission to West Point. Entrance requirements were rigorously prescribed by law. The student body was extremely small, but there was a way to get there. |  |
6. Each US Member of Congress was entitled to have one cadet from his district at the Academy at any given time. In 1902, Patton’s father wrote a letter to Senator Thomas R. Bard, Senator from Southern California, requesting he considers appointing Patton to West Point. 8 A pause here is taken to show Senator Bard’s important impact on the Armed Forces Sports Program. At Port Hueneme Naval Base, home of the Seabees, Senator Bard’s home, Bard Mansion, serves as the Officers Club on base. Port Hueneme has hosted several Armed Forces Championships in the past few years and Bard’s Mansion has served as the site of most of the organizational meetings for these championships. Port Hueneme also served as the site of the Conseil International du Sport Militarie(CISM) Village at the 1984 Olympics held at Los Angeles, CA.
7. In 1903 Senator Bard was constantly provided letters of recommendations for Patton to enter West Point, but he dragged the appointment process out and Mr. Patton elected to send Patton to VMI with hope he would eventually be appointed to West Point. On March 3, 1904, Senator Bard telegrammed Mr. Patton that George would be nominated to West Point.9
8. During his career at West Point(1904-1909), Patton excelled in the sports of football, fencing, athletics and shooting. These activities would later define his time as an athlete at West Point. He graduated June 11, 1909. 10
9. His first posting after graduation was at Fort Sheridan. His time while there was uneventful as far as sports were concerned. His next posting was to Fort Myer, VA. Patton had hardly mastered the duties of his new job as a quartermaster when he learned that he was being considered for a most interesting detail. The Fifth Olympic Games were to be held that summer in Stockholm, Sweden and he was being talked about as the Army’s representative in the Modern Pentathlon. Intended to test the fitness of the man at arms, the pentathlon consisted of five events: (1) shooting a pistol at 25 meters (2) swimming a distance of 300 meters (3) fencing with the dueling sword (4) riding a steeplechase for 5000 meters and (5) running a cross-country foot race of 4000 meters. The competition seemed made to order for Patton. He was an expert pistol shot, he had done long-distance swimming as a young man, he had been an enthusiastic swordsman and he had been a runner in track meets at West Point. Learning on May 10 that the preliminary decision had been made in his favor, he started training at once for there was very little time to prepare for competition.11
10. The competition for modern pentathlon started July 7 with shooting. Of the 68 competitors entered, 42 actually started and Patton placed fifth amongst them.12
11. During the early part of America’s participation in W.W.I, athletics were largely under the control and supervision of the YMCA whose athletic director did much toward establishing the firm foundation for future development of all types of sports and games in the American Expeditionary Forces(AEF) and among troops in the US.
| 12. On December 29, 1918, General John J. Pershing issued the first General Order(#241) relating to sports in the US Army. General Pershing was the commander of the AEF and this was about six months prior to the start of the Inter- Allied Games that were to be conducted in Paris, France 22 June - 6 July 1919. The purpose of the order was to direct the attention of all concerned to the importance of encouraging the development of general and competitive athletics and all kinds of appropriate entertainment, for the purpose of keeping up the morale, fostering and developing organization esprit de corps and improving the physical fitness of the Army. The order directed competition in the AEF leading to championships in track & field, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, boxing and wrestling. The publication of GO #241 established a cooperative arrangement between the Army and the YMCA.13 |  |
13. The Inter-Allied Games signalized to a vast number of soldiers of the various armies of the allies the end of the Great War and the beginning of a greater and more hopeful peace than the world had yet known.
14. On April 18, 1918, America being in the World War and having a rapidly expanding army in Europe, Mr. Elwood Brown, physical director of the YMCA, requested war service and was brought to France as one of the YMCA athletic directors. At that time little had been done in the way of organizing athletic relaxation among the troops resting near the front or waiting to go in the line, chiefly because of demands which seemed more pressing for work in other lines. But with this physical director in place came wide experience in organizing, full knowledge of the psychology of sports and a vision of bringing peoples together in friendship upon the field of sport. Becoming a field secretary, Mr. Brown began urging in influential quarters more widespread and systematic athletic activity in the Army. 14 There being no difficulty in arousing the interest of General Pershing and securing full cooperation from the Army and the YMCA headquarters, in a comparatively short time the AEF themselves were being fairly well equipped and directed for the enjoyment of the sports in which Americans will always indulge if they are given the opportunity. It is clear Mr. Brown facilitated the issuance of G.O. #241.
15. The eligibility requirement of the Inter-Allied Games, carrying with it the restrictions that the competitors must be men who were still wearing or had worn the military uniform of one of the allied nations brought about the adoption, in practically every instance, of a system of selecting athletes entirely different from that which had been adopted in previous world meets. Since the date of the Games was known only months, instead of years as is usual in the case of great meets, before its actual staging, teams had to be chosen and trained quickly. America practically overcame this handicap by returning to France several athletes who had gone home and by adding to this contingent a number of Army athletes who had never had the opportunity to come overseas during the two years of the US participation in the war.15
16. The invitation to participate in the Inter-Allied Games was issued by General Pershing, as commander - in - chief (CINC) of the AEF, on January 19, 1919, less than five and a half months before the opening of the events themselves. There were 29 nations receiving the invitation. Eighteen accepted, the other countries finding themselves forced to decline the invitation owing to the fact that they had a very small number of men in France and the date set for the games was too near to allow time for training and transporting others or for the reason that their troops had already left French soil and were being demobilized at home. 16
| 17. Although the conclusion of the competitions at Pershing Stadium, on the afternoon of July 6, did not bring to an end the complete official program of the Games, the date marked the summary of two brilliant weeks in which sport history was made. When General Pershing awarded the medals to the various winners of events, amid the applauding of the crowds he put the seal of official approval on a sports gathering unique in the history of athletics.17 | THE EVOLUTION OF AND EVER EVOLVING ARMY SPORTS PROGRAM
INTRODUCTION ---- Any sports director in the field wonders where and how the Army Sports Program originated. The following provides background information as to how we evolved into what we are today. But in a nutshell, we came from the experience of our allies in World War I, particularly the British and the Canadians in Europe. Specifically, they found that sports helped to promote and maintain military efficiency and moral. You will note in all of our mission statements, there is always something said about mass participation. These statements stem from the leaders concerns about the troops indulging in the use of liquor and prostitution during their leisure time and the lack of organized recreation and sports activities. Everyone was to be involved regardless of their athletic ability in the unit level program. The high level programs ( battalion, regimental and post ) stem from selecting the more highly skilled soldier athletes to provide spectator entertainment to the soldiers who didn’t have the ability to perform at the regimental level. We will start at the beginning and fill in the blanks about this exciting evolution.
1. Military service as a way of life resembles no other. Hours of intense violent activity and extreme strain often followed by long periods of inactivity and boredom. The earliest commanders learned that these enemies to his combat capability could be best counteracted by recreational pursuits. 1 The information contained in this presentation highlights the development of sports and athletic programs for the US soldiers from 1776 to the present.
2. Patrick Henry’s eloquent plea for liberty and the shots fired at Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the war against Britain. The Revolutionary Soldier and Sailor was left mostly to his own devices in finding recreational activity. One of the earliest activities aimed at improving the moral of the troops during this time was the Fife and Drum Corps. It not only helped rally the citizens to arms and encouraged patriotism, but provided music for enjoyment and relaxation.2
3. Up until 1895, canteen and recreational activities were provided by civilian groups called the traders store system. These groups essentially were cooperative institutions whose expenses were met entirely by contributions from enlisted men, without any assistance whatever from the government, except permission to occupy vacant buildings. The building was maintained entirely at the traders’ expenses.3 These traders provided a well-stocked general store, well-kept lunch counter, recreation rooms, supplied books, periodicals and other reading and writing materials. They also provided pool tables, bowling alleys, facilities for other proper indoor games and apparatus for outdoor sports and exercise. They provided well-equipped gymnasiums. 4 They also provided a room that exclusively was used for the sale of beer and light wines.5 This was where a serious problem developed causing the Congress to kick the traders off post.
4. During the build up for the Spanish-American War, it was felt that soldiers grossly misused the drinking rooms provided by the traders and Congress decided to get rid of the traders. The post exchange was established in 1895. The exchange mirrored the services provided by the traders and was financially supported by the US government with one exception. The sale or use of ardent spirits in any branch of the exchange was strictly prohibited. The commander could and did allow beer and light wines to be sold at the other facilities.6 The bottom line was the government finally recognized the recreational needs of the troops and provided money to address them.
| 5. By the summer and early fall of 1902, George S. Patton, Jr., soon to be 17 years old decided he wished to become a soldier. Given the social prominence of the Patton family, enlistment in the Army was out of the question. The only acceptable career was the honorable profession of Regular Army Officer. The best road to that goal was an education at the Military Academy at West Point, for graduation meant immediate entrance into the Regular Army as a second lieutenant. 7 The only problem was it was difficult to gain admission to West Point. Entrance requirements were rigorously prescribed by law. The student body was extremely small, but there was a way to get there. | |
6. Each US Member of Congress was entitled to have one cadet from his district at the Academy at any given time. In 1902, Patton’s father wrote a letter to Senator Thomas R. Bard, Senator from Southern California, requesting he considers appointing Patton to West Point. 8 A pause here is taken to show Senator Bard’s important impact on the Armed Forces Sports Program. At Port Hueneme Naval Base, home of the Seabees, Senator Bard’s home, Bard Mansion, serves as the Officers Club on base. Port Hueneme has hosted several Armed Forces Championships in the past few years and Bard’s Mansion has served as the site of most of the organizational meetings for these championships. Port Hueneme also served as the site of the Conseil International du Sport Militarie(CISM) Village at the 1984 Olympics held at Los Angeles, CA.
7. In 1903 Senator Bard was constantly provided letters of recommendations for Patton to enter West Point, but he dragged the appointment process out and Mr. Patton elected to send Patton to VMI with hope he would eventually be appointed to West Point. On March 3, 1904, Senator Bard telegrammed Mr. Patton that George would be nominated to West Point.9
8. During his career at West Point(1904-1909), Patton excelled in the sports of football, fencing, athletics and shooting. These activities would later define his time as an athlete at West Point. He graduated June 11, 1909. 10
9. His first posting after graduation was at Fort Sheridan. His time while there was uneventful as far as sports were concerned. His next posting was to Fort Myer, VA. Patton had hardly mastered the duties of his new job as a quartermaster when he learned that he was being considered for a most interesting detail. The Fifth Olympic Games were to be held that summer in Stockholm, Sweden and he was being talked about as the Army’s representative in the Modern Pentathlon. Intended to test the fitness of the man at arms, the pentathlon consisted of five events: (1) shooting a pistol at 25 meters (2) swimming a distance of 300 meters (3) fencing with the dueling sword (4) riding a steeplechase for 5000 meters and (5) running a cross-country foot race of 4000 meters. The competition seemed made to order for Patton. He was an expert pistol shot, he had done long-distance swimming as a young man, he had been an enthusiastic swordsman and he had been a runner in track meets at West Point. Learning on May 10 that the preliminary decision had been made in his favor, he started training at once for there was very little time to prepare for competition.11
10. The competition for modern pentathlon started July 7 with shooting. Of the 68 competitors entered, 42 actually started and Patton placed fifth amongst them.12
11. During the early part of America’s participation in W.W.I, athletics were largely under the control and supervision of the YMCA whose athletic director did much toward establishing the firm foundation for future development of all types of sports and games in the American Expeditionary Forces(AEF) and among troops in the US.
| 12. On December 29, 1918, General John J. Pershing issued the first General Order(#241) relating to sports in the US Army. General Pershing was the commander of the AEF and this was about six months prior to the start of the Inter- Allied Games that were to be conducted in Paris, France 22 June - 6 July 1919. The purpose of the order was to direct the attention of all concerned to the importance of encouraging the development of general and competitive athletics and all kinds of appropriate entertainment, for the purpose of keeping up the morale, fostering and developing organization esprit de corps and improving the physical fitness of the Army. The order directed competition in the AEF leading to championships in track & field, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, boxing and wrestling. The publication of GO #241 established a cooperative arrangement between the Army and the YMCA.13 | |
13. The Inter-Allied Games signalized to a vast number of soldiers of the various armies of the allies the end of the Great War and the beginning of a greater and more hopeful peace than the world had yet known.
14. On April 18, 1918, America being in the World War and having a rapidly expanding army in Europe, Mr. Elwood Brown, physical director of the YMCA, requested war service and was brought to France as one of the YMCA athletic directors. At that time little had been done in the way of organizing athletic relaxation among the troops resting near the front or waiting to go in the line, chiefly because of demands which seemed more pressing for work in other lines. But with this physical director in place came wide experience in organizing, full knowledge of the psychology of sports and a vision of bringing peoples together in friendship upon the field of sport. Becoming a field secretary, Mr. Brown began urging in influential quarters more widespread and systematic athletic activity in the Army. 14 There being no difficulty in arousing the interest of General Pershing and securing full cooperation from the Army and the YMCA headquarters, in a comparatively short time the AEF themselves were being fairly well equipped and directed for the enjoyment of the sports in which Americans will always indulge if they are given the opportunity. It is clear Mr. Brown facilitated the issuance of G.O. #241.
15. The eligibility requirement of the Inter-Allied Games, carrying with it the restrictions that the competitors must be men who were still wearing or had worn the military uniform of one of the allied nations brought about the adoption, in practically every instance, of a system of selecting athletes entirely different from that which had been adopted in previous world meets. Since the date of the Games was known only months, instead of years as is usual in the case of great meets, before its actual staging, teams had to be chosen and trained quickly. America practically overcame this handicap by returning to France several athletes who had gone home and by adding to this contingent a number of Army athletes who had never had the opportunity to come overseas during the two years of the US participation in the war.15
16. The invitation to participate in the Inter-Allied Games was issued by General Pershing, as commander - in - chief (CINC) of the AEF, on January 19, 1919, less than five and a half months before the opening of the events themselves. There were 29 nations receiving the invitation. Eighteen accepted, the other countries finding themselves forced to decline the invitation owing to the fact that they had a very small number of men in France and the date set for the games was too near to allow time for training and transporting others or for the reason that their troops had already left French soil and were being demobilized at home. 16
| 17. Although the conclusion of the competitions at Pershing Stadium, on the afternoon of July 6, did not bring to an end the complete official program of the Games, the date marked the summary of two brilliant weeks in which sport history was made. When General Pershing awarded the medals to the various winners of events, amid the applauding of the crowds he put the seal of official approval on a sports gathering unique in the history of athletics.17 |  |
18. Of the 24 separate events listed in the program, the US military athletes won first place for their country in twelve and second in seven more. AEF entrants making clean sweeps of all three places in five events and in a sixth having three of four men who succeeded in placing. Again in the service shooting events, the AEF was successful with both rifle and pistol, taking four first places. Other first places were gained by the US in baseball, basketball, boxing, prize jumping with horses, swimming, tug-of-war and catch-as-catch wrestling. America’s notable success in winning first and second places in so many varied events was due of course in no small degree to the preponderance of entries and to the consistent preliminary training, not only immediately prior to the Games, but also in numerous athletic competitions fostered in the AEF by YMCA experts Army officers before the Inter-Allied Classic were undertaken. The concluding ceremony of the Games took place on Sunday July 6, when the medals were presented by General Pershing, the allied flags lowered and the French standard left to float alone over Stade Pershing - now the official property of the French nation - an abiding monument to the unique sport carnival in athletic history.18
19. The Army Sports Program as we know it spent its infancy, formative years and matured under the auspices of the Adjutant General’s Department and the Adjutant General Corps. There are gaps in the information we were able to obtain from the National Archives and the Center for Military History, but we were informed by both institutions that theirs is the best and most complete information available.
20. During the Revolutionary War there was an Adjutant General of the Army (TAG), in fact the first one was General Horatio Gates 1775 - 1776, but after the military forces were disbanded in 1783 no provision was made for that officer until the passage of an act of March 5, 1792, which provided for an adjutant who was to do also the duty of inspector. An act of March 3, 1813, established an Adjutant General’s Department and an Inspector General’s department under one head who was known as the Adjutant and Inspector General. Separate heads for the two departments were provided by an act of March 2, 1821. The organization of the Adjutant General’s Office has been changed by various acts of Congress and has expanded and contracted to meet the changing needs created by wars and their cessation. Its existence has been continuous since 1821 except for a brief period, 1904 -7 when its functions were combined with those of the Record and Pension Office to form a new office designated the Military Secretary’s Office. 19 The history of the internal organization of the Adjutant General’s Office is a complex one. Divisions were organized from time to time as the need arose to handle specific functions, some continued for brief periods and went out of existence, some were redesignated or consolidated with other offices.20
21. Our interest in Tag is that we know Army Sports spent its childhood, formative years and matured under TAG. We know the first General Order (#241) issued in the Army concerning sports and athletics was issued in 1918 by General John J. Pershing. Some of the key words and phrases we use today are contained in that document.
22. The first Army regulation we can identify with TAG is AR 15 -5 issued in January 30,1924. However there is no mention of sports or recreation. 21 Therefore it is safe to assume TAG was not in the game yet. AR 15-5 was reissued June 30, 1928 and TAG is mentioned to have the duty of supervising the recreation and welfare of the soldier.22 No elaboration is provided. And then AR 15 -5 is reissued October 10, 1939. TAG is responsible for general matters pertaining to recreation.23 Of course those matters are not defined. Then AR 15 -5, June 15, 1942 states TAG’s duty is execution of administrative functions and properly determine policies pertaining to recreation. 24 In 1952 the Adjutant General’s Department is changed to the Adjutant General’s Corps June 21 and TAG’s duties are listed as providing military personnel management to special services activities (recreation). AR 15 -5 is superseded by SR 10-305-1. SR 10-305-1 is the regulation that made it clear as to what we are and what we are to do. Paragraph 6c states that TAG provides Army-wide supervision of special services activities. For the first time, it adds specificity by stating that TAG is responsible for planning and supervising the Army’s participation in interservice and international sports competitions.25
23. It is felt it is reasonable to assume that after the Inter-Allied Games in 1919, the success of those games lead the leadership to believe the sports program must be nurtured and in 1924, the Adjutant General’s Department received that duty. Under TAG’s leadership, positive things began to happen to the Army Sports Program.
24. In April 1, 1942, the special services branch school offered its first recreation officers' course at Fort Meade. The course was 28 days in length and classes operated on a five week cycle. The primary emphasis was placed upon planning, organizing and supervising practical recreation and welfare activities for troops in domestic and overseas theaters of operation. 26 Soldiers working in the special services arena were assigned four military occupational specialities (MOS’s). They were 03B(entertainment specialist), 03C(physical activities specialist), 03D(crafts specialist) and 03Z(recreation service senior sergeant).
25. This course, later refined, opened the door for professionals to run the Army Sports Program. It must be remembered the first individuals attending the recreation officers course were officers in the US Army. Recreation services remained military until the US Congress decided that those jobs that can be best performed by civilians and at a lower cost be done so. Additionally, the Congress started to frown on borrowed military. In an effort to comply with the wishes of Congress, the Morale Support Directorate of TAG started to civilianize the Recreation Services Officers and Sports Directors jobs. Droves of recreation professionals left Continental US (CONUS) jobs to pursue the opportunities in overseas US (OCONUS) areas specially Germany. With the draw down, troops now specially in Germany, the trend had reversed its self.
| 26. Right after W.W.II, conditions concerning the morale of the troops was similar to the conditions after W.W.I. To meet the needs of soldiers, the office of the chief of special services offered a program of recreational athletics sufficiently diversified to satisfy all soldiers, regardless of age. They had an opportunity to engage in and watch the games they liked best: boxing, football, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, track and field, badminton, bowling, swimming and even archery and horseshoe pitching. Never in Army history had there been such a wide - scale "sports for all" program. Not only were sports assigned a place in the regular training program, as a means of physical conditioning, they were also pursued with avid interest by troops in off-duty time.27 |  |  |
| 27. On October 10, 1947, the Secretary of the Army approved the establishment of an Inter-Service Sports Council so that service wide championships in various sports might be conducted annually with the three Departments of the National Military Establishment participating on an equal basis. The Army Chief of Special Services was directed in coordination with the US Air Force and the US Navy to formulate plans and policies necessary for implementing this program. On 22 and 23 October 1947 respectively, the Secretaries of the Air Force and Navy indicated their concurrence in the establishment of the council and designated representatives to act as members of the council. At the first meeting of the council held on 21 November 1947, each of the three departments were asked to obtain approval for a joint Army-Navy-Air Force golf tournament to be held during the calendar year 1948. Arrangements were also completed at this meeting for the inclusion of the Air Force in the annual Inter-Service Tennis Competition which had been conducted annually between the Army and the Navy since 1924. The golf and tennis competitions kicked off the Armed Forces Championships as we know them today in the summer of 1948.28 |  |  |
  
28. A few years after W.W.II, several of the allied nations formed the International Military Sports Council ( Conseil International du Sports Militaire - CISM) whose primary purpose was the promotion of world-wide good will through sports competitions. While the USA was not among the nations which met February 16 -18, 1948 at Nice, France, to found CISM, it can nevertheless claim credit for organizing the Allied Forces Sports Council, which was the forerunner of CISM. Also, the USA can claim credit for active participation in CISM championships, since its admission, and for contributing toward the leadership and growth of CISM. At the end of W.W.I, General Pershing, US Army, was searching for a means to bridge the language and culture barriers and bring together the allied forces in Europe into a cooperative cohesive force. He conceived the idea of an Allied Sports Council (ASFC). Championships were organized in different sports and the ASFC was an instant success. When W.W.II ended, General Joseph McNarney, US Army, was faced with many of the same problems General Pershing faced. He recalled the earlier success of the ASFC and revived the idea. The 12 nation ASFC was also an instantaneous success. Allied forces from Western Europe and those from Eastern Europe competed against each other on the playing field in perfect harmony. But in 1947 political storms began to appear on the horizon. Russia and the other Eastern countries withdrew. England and the USA followed. The ASFC disintegrated. However, five nations that realized the full potential of military sports in bringing nations together refused to let the idea perish. They met in Nice and formed CISM. The USA joined the new organization in 1951.29 When formed in 1949, there were fewer than 20 nations in CISM, now that number exceeds more than a 100. In 1963, the US Armed Forces Teams entered every competition (14) sponsored by CISM and hosted two (boxing and volleyball). 30 Over the years, we cut our participation level, but these CISM competitions give our soldiers athletes the opportunity to participate in some of the best international amateur competition available.
 
 
29. Right after W.W.II, a typical special services recreational sports program was the Pacific plan, concerned with soldiers in the five commands, Korea, Japan, Philippines, the Marianas and Hawaii. The program had two principle aims: participation locally of every soldier in at least one sport and participation of teams from the various commands in theater wide competition. In the European command, the concept was similar.31
30. The US Congress finally realized that soldiers did more than fight. They had idle time that could be filled by participation in the highest levels of amateur athletic sports competition.
31. The services carried the fight asking that appropriated funds be authorized to support the military in their efforts to gain positions on the US highest level amateur teams.
32. In 1955, the 84th Congress amended the work of the 80th Congress. The amendment was to PL 159. The amendment which became PL 11 stated loud and clear what the Congress intended. It read, to authorize personnel of the Armed Forces to train for , attend and participate in the Second Pan American Games, the seventh Olympic Winter Games, Games of the XVI Olympiad, future Pan American Games and certain other international amateur sports competitions, and for other purposes. The amount Congress authorized for the services was $800,000 every four year period. The services were allowed to determine their own formula for distributing the money.32
33. After a few Olympics pasted, the services became keenly aware that the $800,000 every four years was grossly in adequate. After the USA boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, the services started to push for an increase in the PL11 allocation. The Olympics were going to be held in Los Angeles and this would be the ideal time and to showcase America’s military athletes. The services did not get the money for LA, but it was increased to $3,000,000 every four years October 1984. 33
That would give the services the entire 4 year period to prepare for the Seoul, Korea Olympics. To their appreciation, Army athletes went to Seoul and captured 3 gold and 1 silver medal.
34. Nothing has been found out about the sports or recreational pursuits of African-American military personnel in the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. Perhaps the reason being was their small number, percentage wise, obscured what they did. From the Spanish-American War forward, that situation changed. In fact, 13% of the doughboys of W.W.I were African-American.34
35. Immediately subsequent to and during W.W.I, American soldiers encountered numerous new challenges. Emigrants and native-born men of European- African descent, men from the city and from the country, men with sophisticated education and virtually illiterate men were gathered together and went to war. Contact between black and white troops was strictly controlled during, the first World War, as military authorities strove to keep black soldiers from standing side by side with white soldiers on the battlefield. 35 Sometimes, there could be no avoidance of the races participating together in athletic competitions. For example, when the installation varsity team participated outside the gate, emphasis was placed on the best athlete available regardless of race. During the 1920 Olympic tryouts held at Jefferson Barracks, MO, African- American athletes participated and did extremely well.
36. The wartime experience of African-American athletes in the services was quite varied. Despite the military’s commitment to maintaining as much segregation as possible, in units, on bases and in the command structure, that guarantee could not always be met. Nor could the guarantee that African-American athletes have opportunities similar to their European-American counterparts be met. Thus, on some bases black soldiers and sailors found that their sports and recreational opportunities were severely limited while on other bases, black athletes, particularly those with superior skills were welcomed as teammates, and as representatives of the post in off-base competitions. That such integration did occur suggests that despite their best efforts those opposing ultimate equality of opportunity for African-Americans within the service and in civilian life, were fighting a losing battle. 36
37. In 1973 the All Army Trial Camp Support Activity (AATCSA) was established at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA to support the competitive and training apparel requirements for the growing All Army Sports Programs. As the departmental level programs continued to grow, and expanded the women’s program, the need for an expanding support activity was soon realized. The Fort Indiantown Gap support base expanded to serving as the cradle for All Army Women’s sport program in basketball, softball and volleyball that dates back to 1975.37
38. Since that time, AATCSA has hosted more than 100 All Army Trial Camps, 24 Armed Forces and 2 CISM competitions. The All Army Teams have captured 51 gold medals at Armed Forces Championships. AATCSA has assumed seats on three national governing bodies and now included among its responsibilities are to appraise coaching staffs and hosts trial camp stations updated safety apparel and competitive uniform codes.38
39. Recently the Base Realignment Commission directed management of Fort Indiantown Gap be assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard. It was then that CFSC and the Pennsylvania National Guard signed a memorandum of agreement for the continued support of All Army activities and trial camp support activity at Fort Indiantown Gap. 39
 40. The early seventies were a great time for the Army Sports Program at the installation level as well as the departmental level. Because of the Vietnam War, troop strength was high and great emphasis was put on the intramural and unit level programs. In order to accommodate this activity, the Department of Army realized improvement to sports facilities must be accomplished. However whatever was to be done had to be done uniformly. There were plenty of horror stories from the field. For example, football fields were being constructed 10 yards too short, the same thing was happening with softball fields and running tracks were being built without the proper facilities being included. It was determined that the sports programmers at the installation level were not being allowed to fully participate in the construction process. Everytime a facility was built, the contractor always came up with new design. The design utilized in California might be somewhat different from the one used in Virginia or Alabama. The solution to this problem was to come up a generic design that could be utilized by all in the Army. In 1973 , the Morale Support Directorate of TAG along with the Huntsville District of the Corps of Engineers joined forces to produce definitive designs for outdoor playing fields and courts. The final product became TM 5-803-10 and is currently under revision with the new one available to the field by late 1998 or early 1999. This TM has been assigned an Air Force and Navy designation (NAV P-457 and AFR 88-33).40
 41. In the late seventies, the same team of TAG and the Corps combined talents again to produce definitive designs for physical fitness centers. Fitness centers in the Army inventory at that time were called gyms, brigade gyms, fieldhouses and anything else anybody decided to call them, but they all had been assigned the same construction criteria code of 74028. There was a difference in gyms, brigade gyms and fieldhouses, but you could not tell the difference by reading the construction criteria codes. At this time the Construction Criteria Manual, DOD 4270.1-M, was the document used to determine how many square feet an installation was authorized to have ( this document has since been replaced by the Architectural and Engineering Instruction Design Criteria). 41
 42. The Army Sports Office set out to develop definitive designs for every facility authorized by the construction criteria manual. Designs were developed the 15,000 sq. ft., 21000 sq. ft., 52,000 sq. ft. and the 62,000 sq. ft. facility with natatorium. This design guide was developed and released to the field in 1976 and reissued in June, 1985.The only problem with design guides was the field didn’t have to use them if they did not want to. Therefore what the sports office found even thought we had definitive designs, our facilities were still being misdesigned.42
43. In 1983, General Maxwell Thurman became Vice Chief of Staff, Army. General Thurman foresaw that in the outyears, MCA funds were going to become scarce and he directed that the Army should try to standardize designs for as many facilities as possible. Physical fitness centers were one of the facilities designated to develop standard designs.43
 44. A sub-committee was formed by the standardization office at the Corps of Engineers and the Army Sports Office chaired and still chair this sub-committee. Representatives from members of the Army Staff, all Corps of Engineer districts and the MACOM’s were members of this sub-committee. To start out, selected members of the sub-committee visited several outstanding civilian physical fitness centers including the University of St. Louis and the University of Florida and several Army installations including Forts Hood and Rucker and USMA.. The sub-committee then reconvened at Corps headquarters and selected an architectural engineer to develop the designs. After each rendering from the AE, the sub-committee would distribute to the field for comments and convene at the AE’s office to incorporate the field’s comments. This process continued until February, 1990 when the standards were approved. The standards take an installation instantly to 15 to 20% design. The only way an installation can avoid using the standards is to obtain a waiver from CFSC and the Corps. Standards have been built at Fort Belvoir, Fort Lee and Fort Leonard Wood. The key elements of these seven designs are a series of standard classroom modules and outdoor play areas. The packages includes various revisions to support new functional and mission requirements of the proponent, lessons-learned from the design and construction of recent physical fitness centers and were developed using the metric system of measurement. Also, the design packages contains an additional size facility (5500 square meters/59,180 square feet), that was required to meet the needs of the user. the revised design packages contain six sizes of physical fitness facilities (1600, 3000, 3300, 5500, 7400, and 8750 square meters).These six designs give today’s soldiers access to physical fitness facilities that are equal, if not superior, to those available in the private sector. The major elements of these six designs are the gymnasium, exercise room, weight room, handball/racquetball courts, locker rooms, lobby and staff/administration space. The larger physical fitness facilities (5500, 7400 and 8750 square meters) also include a secondary gymnasium and/or natatorium and indoor jogging track. These packages replaced the existing DA Standard Design Packages for Physical Fitness Facilities which was originally implemented in February, 1990.
Copies of the standards can be obtained from the Huntsville Engineer District. The address and telephone are as follows:
US Army Engineer Division
Huntsville
ATTN: CEHND-ED-ES-1
P.O. Box 1600
Huntsville, AL 35807-4807
(205) 895-480144
45. The district has also developed a document which will assist in the placement of weight equipment to include giving the placement a piece would require and a recommended list of individual pieces (examples of restive equipment layouts). This document can also be obtained by writing or calling Huntsville.45
46. The early seventies revealed a problem in the procurement of equipment to run the sports program Army-wide. The Morale Support Activities Program have a dedicated common table of allowances (CTA) to procure equipment essential in running the program. Sports directors Army-wide were at the mercy of supply personnel who had to search many CTA’s to locate needed equipment. Most sports personnel across the field had not been trained to add or delete items from the CTA.46
47. At that time, there were seven core programs that made up the Morale Support Activities Program. Army sports was one of those core programs. Each program at HQDA had at least two program managers. The managers were well aware of the difficulty sports directors in the field were in trying to procure essential equipment. At its annual workshop held in September, 1975 called Management 76, sports directors were directed to bring 3x5 cards to the workshop so a dedicated CTA could be completed for the Army Sports Program. On November 1979, chapter 17 was included in CTA 50-909 giving Morale Support Activities its first ever dedicated chapter in a CTA. The addition of the chapter to CTA 50-909 greatly assisted installation sports directors in procuring equipment. In fact, the publication of this chapter in the CTA is considered a milestone at HQDA in assisting the installation sports directors in doing their jobs.47
48. During the tenure of General Thurman, he thought the game of soccer resembled the Army’s War Plan 2000 Air, Land and Sea. Subsequent to coming to the vice chief’s job, General Thurman had been the CG of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and was well familiar with the war plan. In 1981, soccer was added to the Armed Forces Sports calendar and the Army won the first Armed Forces Soccer Championship. At that time, The All Army coach was the only active duty military person to have an A level license from the US Soccer Federation(this is the highest level license the USSF awards).48
49. At this particular time, licensed soccer coaches in the Army were hard to find. Upon the retirement of the All Army coach, he submitted a proposal to General Thurman to write programs of instructions to assist in licensing Army personnel who would then go Army-wide to teach Army personnel how to coach soccer . This exercise took on a life of its own because a lot of sports directors in the field were not keen on soccer being adopted as the Army’s sport. Sports directors across the Army started asking why not softball, why not basketball and why not anything but soccer. The programs of instructions the D,E and F level licenses were delivered prior to the retirement of the Vice Chief, but were never distributed to the field for implementation of soccer as the Army’s sport. Those programs of instruction are still available and can be obtained by any Army Sports Director by writing to the following:
Army Sports Office
The Summit Center
4700 King St., 4th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22302-4413
Because of the potential numerous requests for these programs, their availability will be restricted to Army Sports Offices.49
50. In the 1976 Olympics, there were 31 military athletes who won 5 gold and 4 silver medals. At the Army Sports Office, there was a feeling that we could have done better, but our guys were are not allowed to train properly. Subsequent to the abolition of the draft, the military would routinely have sixty plus members on the US Olympic Teams (summer and winter) and bring home 15 or more medals. But there was no more draft and if the military was to do better, something had to be done. The Army came up with a solution.
 51. There was a problem within the Army Sports program that was eating away at soldier athletes’ desire to reach the highest levels of amateur athletics. Our officer and enlisted as well but more so officers started to feel the pinch when the Olympic glory was over and they returned to their duty stations. They found they had fallen behind their peers and the only option for them was to leave the service. Only the second American in history to make two Olympic Teams in the same year became caught in this dilemma. Something had to be done.50
52. To address the problem, the Army Sports Office developed the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) in 1978. This program would provide assistance to the aspiring and qualified soldier athlete. It provided the soldier athlete the opportunity to train and compete in national and international sports events leading to the Olympic Games. Although the WCAP had been approved, it was conducted without additional funding. Therefore the Army Sports Staff had to be very selective in the soldiers chosen for the program. The number of selectees was few in the beginning because funds had to come from the annual Army Sports budget. Once selected for the WCAP, the soldier was authorized to begin training two years prior to the Olympic Games on a full time basis with the Army Sports Office providing funds, equipment, coaches and technical training. This then was the basic or beginning of the WCAP. In 1989 after the Olympics in Seoul, Korea in 1988, we found the same things that happened to our solder athletes in 1985 were happening in 1989. The problem still existed and soldier athletes knew it existed. The medal counts for 1988 was 3 gold and I silver, a sharp decline from 1984. The soldier athletes returned from Barcelona, Spain and met in the office Chief of Staff, Army. On this occasion, the chief, vice-chief and the Sergeant Major of the Army were all present to welcome the athletes back. Only one medal (bronze) was won by the soldier athletes. The chief, recognizing that the 1996 Olympics would held in the USA , said we will do better at home. The Army was energized to come up with a better way to support our soldier athletes. 51
 53. With the help of the Army Sports Office, a former Olympian, soldier athlete, athletic administrator and officer in the US Army developed a paper that would include national guard personnel, reservist and active duty personnel participating in the WCAP, but with safe guards that would allow them to keep up with their peers as they trained for the Olympics. A formal WCAP office separate from the Army Sports Office, was created, staffed and funded. The first Olympics for the WCAP office was the 1996 Olympics. The WCAP remains to this day a necessary and highly viable program for the Army’s male and female soldier athletes. The results were mixed but everything is pointing to 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Army personnel interested in this need only to drop by and see their local sports director.52
 
54. By helping to insure the physical well-being of all soldiers, by inspiring the ideals of sportsmanship and the team spirit of competitive sports, the Army Sports Program continues as a constructive force in the lives of soldiers everywhere. As the people of the US Army approach the third millennium, war and sports remain tied together in popular conscious as they first were at the end of the 19th century. 53
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18. Of the 24 separate events listed in the program, the US military athletes won first place for their country in twelve and second in seven more. AEF entrants making clean sweeps of all three places in five events and in a sixth having three of four men who succeeded in placing. Again in the service shooting events, the AEF was successful with both rifle and pistol, taking four first places. Other first places were gained by the US in baseball, basketball, boxing, prize jumping with horses, swimming, tug-of-war and catch-as-catch wrestling. America’s notable success in winning first and second places in so many varied events was due of course in no small degree to the preponderance of entries and to the consistent preliminary training, not only immediately prior to the Games, but also in numerous athletic competitions fostered in the AEF by YMCA experts Army officers before the Inter-Allied Classic were undertaken. The concluding ceremony of the Games took place on Sunday July 6, when the medals were presented by General Pershing, the allied flags lowered and the French standard left to float alone over Stade Pershing - now the official property of the French nation - an abiding monument to the unique sport carnival in athletic history.18
19. The Army Sports Program as we know it spent its infancy, formative years and matured under the auspices of the Adjutant General’s Department and the Adjutant General Corps. There are gaps in the information we were able to obtain from the National Archives and the Center for Military History, but we were informed by both institutions that theirs is the best and most complete information available.
20. During the Revolutionary War there was an Adjutant General of the Army (TAG), in fact the first one was General Horatio Gates 1775 - 1776, but after the military forces were disbanded in 1783 no provision was made for that officer until the passage of an act of March 5, 1792, which provided for an adjutant who was to do also the duty of inspector. An act of March 3, 1813, established an Adjutant General’s Department and an Inspector General’s department under one head who was known as the Adjutant and Inspector General. Separate heads for the two departments were provided by an act of March 2, 1821. The organization of the Adjutant General’s Office has been changed by various acts of Congress and has expanded and contracted to meet the changing needs created by wars and their cessation. Its existence has been continuous since 1821 except for a brief period, 1904 -7 when its functions were combined with those of the Record and Pension Office to form a new office designated the Military Secretary’s Office. 19 The history of the internal organization of the Adjutant General’s Office is a complex one. Divisions were organized from time to time as the need arose to handle specific functions, some continued for brief periods and went out of existence, some were redesignated or consolidated with other offices.20
21. Our interest in Tag is that we know Army Sports spent its childhood, formative years and matured under TAG. We know the first General Order (#241) issued in the Army concerning sports and athletics was issued in 1918 by General John J. Pershing. Some of the key words and phrases we use today are contained in that document.
22. The first Army regulation we can identify with TAG is AR 15 -5 issued in January 30,1924. However there is no mention of sports or recreation. 21 Therefore it is safe to assume TAG was not in the game yet. AR 15-5 was reissued June 30, 1928 and TAG is mentioned to have the duty of supervising the recreation and welfare of the soldier.22 No elaboration is provided. And then AR 15 -5 is reissued October 10, 1939. TAG is responsible for general matters pertaining to recreation.23 Of course those matters are not defined. Then AR 15 -5, June 15, 1942 states TAG’s duty is execution of administrative functions and properly determine policies pertaining to recreation. 24 In 1952 the Adjutant General’s Department is changed to the Adjutant General’s Corps June 21 and TAG’s duties are listed as providing military personnel management to special services activities (recreation). AR 15 -5 is superseded by SR 10-305-1. SR 10-305-1 is the regulation that made it clear as to what we are and what we are to do. Paragraph 6c states that TAG provides Army-wide supervision of special services activities. For the first time, it adds specificity by stating that TAG is responsible for planning and supervising the Army’s participation in interservice and international sports competitions.25
23. It is felt it is reasonable to assume that after the Inter-Allied Games in 1919, the success of those games lead the leadership to believe the sports program must be nurtured and in 1924, the Adjutant General’s Department received that duty. Under TAG’s leadership, positive things began to happen to the Army Sports Program.
24. In April 1, 1942, the special services branch school offered its first recreation officers' course at Fort Meade. The course was 28 days in length and classes operated on a five week cycle. The primary emphasis was placed upon planning, organizing and supervising practical recreation and welfare activities for troops in domestic and overseas theaters of operation. 26 Soldiers working in the special services arena were assigned four military occupational specialities (MOS’s). They were 03B(entertainment specialist), 03C(physical activities specialist), 03D(crafts specialist) and 03Z(recreation service senior sergeant).
25. This course, later refined, opened the door for professionals to run the Army Sports Program. It must be remembered the first individuals attending the recreation officers course were officers in the US Army. Recreation services remained military until the US Congress decided that those jobs that can be best performed by civilians and at a lower cost be done so. Additionally, the Congress started to frown on borrowed military. In an effort to comply with the wishes of Congress, the Morale Support Directorate of TAG started to civilianize the Recreation Services Officers and Sports Directors jobs. Droves of recreation professionals left Continental US (CONUS) jobs to pursue the opportunities in overseas US (OCONUS) areas specially Germany. With the draw down, troops now specially in Germany, the trend had reversed its self.
| 26. Right after W.W.II, conditions concerning the morale of the troops was similar to the conditions after W.W.I. To meet the needs of soldiers, the office of the chief of special services offered a program of recreational athletics sufficiently diversified to satisfy all soldiers, regardless of age. They had an opportunity to engage in and watch the games they liked best: boxing, football, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, track and field, badminton, bowling, swimming and even archery and horseshoe pitching. Never in Army history had there been such a wide - scale "sports for all" program. Not only were sports assigned a place in the regular training program, as a means of physical conditioning, they were also pursued with avid interest by troops in off-duty time.27 | | |
| 27. On October 10, 1947, the Secretary of the Army approved the establishment of an Inter-Service Sports Council so that service wide championships in various sports might be conducted annually with the three Departments of the National Military Establishment participating on an equal basis. The Army Chief of Special Services was directed in coordination with the US Air Force and the US Navy to formulate plans and policies necessary for implementing this program. On 22 and 23 October 1947 respectively, the Secretaries of the Air Force and Navy indicated their concurrence in the establishment of the council and designated representatives to act as members of the council. At the first meeting of the council held on 21 November 1947, each of the three departments were asked to obtain approval for a joint Army-Navy-Air Force golf tournament to be held during the calendar year 1948. Arrangements were also completed at this meeting for the inclusion of the Air Force in the annual Inter-Service Tennis Competition which had been conducted annually between the Army and the Navy since 1924. The golf and tennis competitions kicked off the Armed Forces Championships as we know them today in the summer of 1948.28 | | |
28. A few years after W.W.II, several of the allied nations formed the International Military Sports Council ( Conseil International du Sports Militaire - CISM) whose primary purpose was the promotion of world-wide good will through sports competitions. While the USA was not among the nations which met February 16 -18, 1948 at Nice, France, to found CISM, it can nevertheless claim credit for organizing the Allied Forces Sports Council, which was the forerunner of CISM. Also, the USA can claim credit for active participation in CISM championships, since its admission, and for contributing toward the leadership and growth of CISM. At the end of W.W.I, General Pershing, US Army, was searching for a means to bridge the language and culture barriers and bring together the allied forces in Europe into a cooperative cohesive force. He conceived the idea of an Allied Sports Council (ASFC). Championships were organized in different sports and the ASFC was an instant success. When W.W.II ended, General Joseph McNarney, US Army, was faced with many of the same problems General Pershing faced. He recalled the earlier success of the ASFC and revived the idea. The 12 nation ASFC was also an instantaneous success. Allied forces from Western Europe and those from Eastern Europe competed against each other on the playing field in perfect harmony. But in 1947 political storms began to appear on the horizon. Russia and the other Eastern countries withdrew. England and the USA followed. The ASFC disintegrated. However, five nations that realized the full potential of military sports in bringing nations together refused to let the idea perish. They met in Nice and formed CISM. The USA joined the new organization in 1951.29 When formed in 1949, there were fewer than 20 nations in CISM, now that number exceeds more than a 100. In 1963, the US Armed Forces Teams entered every competition (14) sponsored by CISM and hosted two (boxing and volleyball). 30 Over the years, we cut our participation level, but these CISM competitions give our soldiers athletes the opportunity to participate in some of the best international amateur competition available.
29. Right after W.W.II, a typical special services recreational sports program was the Pacific plan, concerned with soldiers in the five commands, Korea, Japan, Philippines, the Marianas and Hawaii. The program had two principle aims: participation locally of every soldier in at least one sport and participation of teams from the various commands in theater wide competition. In the European command, the concept was similar.31
30. The US Congress finally realized that soldiers did more than fight. They had idle time that could be filled by participation in the highest levels of amateur athletic sports competition.
31. The services carried the fight asking that appropriated funds be authorized to support the military in their efforts to gain positions on the US highest level amateur teams.
32. In 1955, the 84th Congress amended the work of the 80th Congress. The amendment was to PL 159. The amendment which became PL 11 stated loud and clear what the Congress intended. It read, to authorize personnel of the Armed Forces to train for , attend and participate in the Second Pan American Games, the seventh Olympic Winter Games, Games of the XVI Olympiad, future Pan American Games and certain other international amateur sports competitions, and for other purposes. The amount Congress authorized for the services was $800,000 every four year period. The services were allowed to determine their own formula for distributing the money.32
33. After a few Olympics pasted, the services became keenly aware that the $800,000 every four years was grossly in adequate. After the USA boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, the services started to push for an increase in the PL11 allocation. The Olympics were going to be held in Los Angeles and this would be the ideal time and to showcase America’s military athletes. The services did not get the money for LA, but it was increased to $3,000,000 every four years October 1984. 33
That would give the services the entire 4 year period to prepare for the Seoul, Korea Olympics. To their appreciation, Army athletes went to Seoul and captured 3 gold and 1 silver medal.
34. Nothing has been found out about the sports or recreational pursuits of African-American military personnel in the Revolutionary War or the Civil War. Perhaps the reason being was their small number, percentage wise, obscured what they did. From the Spanish-American War forward, that situation changed. In fact, 13% of the doughboys of W.W.I were African-American.34
35. Immediately subsequent to and during W.W.I, American soldiers encountered numerous new challenges. Emigrants and native-born men of European- African descent, men from the city and from the country, men with sophisticated education and virtually illiterate men were gathered together and went to war. Contact between black and white troops was strictly controlled during, the first World War, as military authorities strove to keep black soldiers from standing side by side with white soldiers on the battlefield. 35 Sometimes, there could be no avoidance of the races participating together in athletic competitions. For example, when the installation varsity team participated outside the gate, emphasis was placed on the best athlete available regardless of race. During the 1920 Olympic tryouts held at Jefferson Barracks, MO, African- American athletes participated and did extremely well.
36. The wartime experience of African-American athletes in the services was quite varied. Despite the military’s commitment to maintaining as much segregation as possible, in units, on bases and in the command structure, that guarantee could not always be met. Nor could the guarantee that African-American athletes have opportunities similar to their European-American counterparts be met. Thus, on some bases black soldiers and sailors found that their sports and recreational opportunities were severely limited while on other bases, black athletes, particularly those with superior skills were welcomed as teammates, and as representatives of the post in off-base competitions. That such integration did occur suggests that despite their best efforts those opposing ultimate equality of opportunity for African-Americans within the service and in civilian life, were fighting a losing battle. 36
37. In 1973 the All Army Trial Camp Support Activity (AATCSA) was established at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA to support the competitive and training apparel requirements for the growing All Army Sports Programs. As the departmental level programs continued to grow, and expanded the women’s program, the need for an expanding support activity was soon realized. The Fort Indiantown Gap support base expanded to serving as the cradle for All Army Women’s sport program in basketball, softball and volleyball that dates back to 1975.37
38. Since that time, AATCSA has hosted more than 100 All Army Trial Camps, 24 Armed Forces and 2 CISM competitions. The All Army Teams have captured 51 gold medals at Armed Forces Championships. AATCSA has assumed seats on three national governing bodies and now included among its responsibilities are to appraise coaching staffs and hosts trial camp stations updated safety apparel and competitive uniform codes.38
39. Recently the Base Realignment Commission directed management of Fort Indiantown Gap be assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard. It was then that CFSC and the Pennsylvania National Guard signed a memorandum of agreement for the continued support of All Army activities and trial camp support activity at Fort Indiantown Gap. 39
40. The early seventies were a great time for the Army Sports Program at the installation level as well as the departmental level. Because of the Vietnam War, troop strength was high and great emphasis was put on the intramural and unit level programs. In order to accommodate this activity, the Department of Army realized improvement to sports facilities must be accomplished. However whatever was to be done had to be done uniformly. There were plenty of horror stories from the field. For example, football fields were being constructed 10 yards too short, the same thing was happening with softball fields and running tracks were being built without the proper facilities being included. It was determined that the sports programmers at the installation level were not being allowed to fully participate in the construction process. Everytime a facility was built, the contractor always came up with new design. The design utilized in California might be somewhat different from the one used in Virginia or Alabama. The solution to this problem was to come up a generic design that could be utilized by all in the Army. In 1973 , the Morale Support Directorate of TAG along with the Huntsville District of the Corps of Engineers joined forces to produce definitive designs for outdoor playing fields and courts. The final product became TM 5-803-10 and is currently under revision with the new one available to the field by late 1998 or early 1999. This TM has been assigned an Air Force and Navy designation (NAV P-457 and AFR 88-33).40
41. In the late seventies, the same team of TAG and the Corps combined talents again to produce definitive designs for physical fitness centers. Fitness centers in the Army inventory at that time were called gyms, brigade gyms, fieldhouses and anything else anybody decided to call them, but they all had been assigned the same construction criteria code of 74028. There was a difference in gyms, brigade gyms and fieldhouses, but you could not tell the difference by reading the construction criteria codes. At this time the Construction Criteria Manual, DOD 4270.1-M, was the document used to determine how many square feet an installation was authorized to have ( this document has since been replaced by the Architectural and Engineering Instruction Design Criteria). 41
42. The Army Sports Office set out to develop definitive designs for every facility authorized by the construction criteria manual. Designs were developed the 15,000 sq. ft., 21000 sq. ft., 52,000 sq. ft. and the 62,000 sq. ft. facility with natatorium. This design guide was developed and released to the field in 1976 and reissued in June, 1985.The only problem with design guides was the field didn’t have to use them if they did not want to. Therefore what the sports office found even thought we had definitive designs, our facilities were still being misdesigned.42
43. In 1983, General Maxwell Thurman became Vice Chief of Staff, Army. General Thurman foresaw that in the outyears, MCA funds were going to become scarce and he directed that the Army should try to standardize designs for as many facilities as possible. Physical fitness centers were one of the facilities designated to develop standard designs.43
44. A sub-committee was formed by the standardization office at the Corps of Engineers and the Army Sports Office chaired and still chair this sub-committee. Representatives from members of the Army Staff, all Corps of Engineer districts and the MACOM’s were members of this sub-committee. To start out, selected members of the sub-committee visited several outstanding civilian physical fitness centers including the University of St. Louis and the University of Florida and several Army installations including Forts Hood and Rucker and USMA.. The sub-committee then reconvened at Corps headquarters and selected an architectural engineer to develop the designs. After each rendering from the AE, the sub-committee would distribute to the field for comments and convene at the AE’s office to incorporate the field’s comments. This process continued until February, 1990 when the standards were approved. The standards take an installation instantly to 15 to 20% design. The only way an installation can avoid using the standards is to obtain a waiver from CFSC and the Corps. Standards have been built at Fort Belvoir, Fort Lee and Fort Leonard Wood. The key elements of these seven designs are a series of standard classroom modules and outdoor play areas. The packages includes various revisions to support new functional and mission requirements of the proponent, lessons-learned from the design and construction of recent physical fitness centers and were developed using the metric system of measurement. Also, the design packages contains an additional size facility (5500 square meters/59,180 square feet), that was required to meet the needs of the user. the revised design packages contain six sizes of physical fitness facilities (1600, 3000, 3300, 5500, 7400, and 8750 square meters).These six designs give today’s soldiers access to physical fitness facilities that are equal, if not superior, to those available in the private sector. The major elements of these six designs are the gymnasium, exercise room, weight room, handball/racquetball courts, locker rooms, lobby and staff/administration space. The larger physical fitness facilities (5500, 7400 and 8750 square meters) also include a secondary gymnasium and/or natatorium and indoor jogging track. These packages replaced the existing DA Standard Design Packages for Physical Fitness Facilities which was originally implemented in February, 1990.
Copies of the standards can be obtained from the Huntsville Engineer District. The address and telephone are as follows:
US Army Engineer Division
Huntsville
ATTN: CEHND-ED-ES-1
P.O. Box 1600
Huntsville, AL 35807-4807
(205) 895-480144
45. The district has also developed a document which will assist in the placement of weight equipment to include giving the placement a piece would require and a recommended list of individual pieces (examples of restive equipment layouts). This document can also be obtained by writing or calling Huntsville.45
46. The early seventies revealed a problem in the procurement of equipment to run the sports program Army-wide. The Morale Support Activities Program have a dedicated common table of allowances (CTA) to procure equipment essential in running the program. Sports directors Army-wide were at the mercy of supply personnel who had to search many CTA’s to locate needed equipment. Most sports personnel across the field had not been trained to add or delete items from the CTA.46
47. At that time, there were seven core programs that made up the Morale Support Activities Program. Army sports was one of those core programs. Each program at HQDA had at least two program managers. The managers were well aware of the difficulty sports directors in the field were in trying to procure essential equipment. At its annual workshop held in September, 1975 called Management 76, sports directors were directed to bring 3x5 cards to the workshop so a dedicated CTA could be completed for the Army Sports Program. On November 1979, chapter 17 was included in CTA 50-909 giving Morale Support Activities its first ever dedicated chapter in a CTA. The addition of the chapter to CTA 50-909 greatly assisted installation sports directors in procuring equipment. In fact, the publication of this chapter in the CTA is considered a milestone at HQDA in assisting the installation sports directors in doing their jobs.47
48. During the tenure of General Thurman, he thought the game of soccer resembled the Army’s War Plan 2000 Air, Land and Sea. Subsequent to coming to the vice chief’s job, General Thurman had been the CG of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and was well familiar with the war plan. In 1981, soccer was added to the Armed Forces Sports calendar and the Army won the first Armed Forces Soccer Championship. At that time, The All Army coach was the only active duty military person to have an A level license from the US Soccer Federation(this is the highest level license the USSF awards).48
49. At this particular time, licensed soccer coaches in the Army were hard to find. Upon the retirement of the All Army coach, he submitted a proposal to General Thurman to write programs of instructions to assist in licensing Army personnel who would then go Army-wide to teach Army personnel how to coach soccer . This exercise took on a life of its own because a lot of sports directors in the field were not keen on soccer being adopted as the Army’s sport. Sports directors across the Army started asking why not softball, why not basketball and why not anything but soccer. The programs of instructions the D,E and F level licenses were delivered prior to the retirement of the Vice Chief, but were never distributed to the field for implementation of soccer as the Army’s sport. Those programs of instruction are still available and can be obtained by any Army Sports Director by writing to the following:
Army Sports Office
The Summit Center
4700 King St., 4th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22302-4413
Because of the potential numerous requests for these programs, their availability will be restricted to Army Sports Offices.49
50. In the 1976 Olympics, there were 31 military athletes who won 5 gold and 4 silver medals. At the Army Sports Office, there was a feeling that we could have done better, but our guys were are not allowed to train properly. Subsequent to the abolition of the draft, the military would routinely have sixty plus members on the US Olympic Teams (summer and winter) and bring home 15 or more medals. But there was no more draft and if the military was to do better, something had to be done. The Army came up with a solution.
51. There was a problem within the Army Sports program that was eating away at soldier athletes’ desire to reach the highest levels of amateur athletics. Our officer and enlisted as well but more so officers started to feel the pinch when the Olympic glory was over and they returned to their duty stations. They found they had fallen behind their peers and the only option for them was to leave the service. Only the second American in history to make two Olympic Teams in the same year became caught in this dilemma. Something had to be done.50
52. To address the problem, the Army Sports Office developed the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) in 1978. This program would provide assistance to the aspiring and qualified soldier athlete. It provided the soldier athlete the opportunity to train and compete in national and international sports events leading to the Olympic Games. Although the WCAP had been approved, it was conducted without additional funding. Therefore the Army Sports Staff had to be very selective in the soldiers chosen for the program. The number of selectees was few in the beginning because funds had to come from the annual Army Sports budget. Once selected for the WCAP, the soldier was authorized to begin training two years prior to the Olympic Games on a full time basis with the Army Sports Office providing funds, equipment, coaches and technical training. This then was the basic or beginning of the WCAP. In 1989 after the Olympics in Seoul, Korea in 1988, we found the same things that happened to our solder athletes in 1985 were happening in 1989. The problem still existed and soldier athletes knew it existed. The medal counts for 1988 was 3 gold and I silver, a sharp decline from 1984. The soldier athletes returned from Barcelona, Spain and met in the office Chief of Staff, Army. On this occasion, the chief, vice-chief and the Sergeant Major of the Army were all present to welcome the athletes back. Only one medal (bronze) was won by the soldier athletes. The chief, recognizing that the 1996 Olympics would held in the USA , said we will do better at home. The Army was energized to come up with a better way to support our soldier athletes. 51
53. With the help of the Army Sports Office, a former Olympian, soldier athlete, athletic administrator and officer in the US Army developed a paper that would include national guard personnel, reservist and active duty personnel participating in the WCAP, but with safe guards that would allow them to keep up with their peers as they trained for the Olympics. A formal WCAP office separate from the Army Sports Office, was created, staffed and funded. The first Olympics for the WCAP office was the 1996 Olympics. The WCAP remains to this day a necessary and highly viable program for the Army’s male and female soldier athletes. The results were mixed but everything is pointing to 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Army personnel interested in this need only to drop by and see their local sports director.52
54. By helping to insure the physical well-being of all soldiers, by inspiring the ideals of sportsmanship and the team spirit of competitive sports, the Army Sports Program continues as a constructive force in the lives of soldiers everywhere. As the people of the US Army approach the third millennium, war and sports remain tied together in popular conscious as they first were at the end of the 19th century. 53
Introduction | History | Footnotes | Bibliography
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