US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Bragg, NC)

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Reception Station Officers, Left to right, standing: Lt. S. M. Holme, Lt. E. E. Barwiclr, Lt J. T. Carter, Lt. J. L. Burden .... Sitting: Capt. M. F. Mathews, Capt. C. E. Carson, Major C B Vaughan, Major S. N. Graham C. O., Capt. N. R. Carter, Lt. S. A. Ashmore, . NO' ron st-wo' X new ak . Koons . we eiucz S XS9ftn'5 J. W. Parlrer. HEEEPTIU TAT IJ Since October 23. 191-3, Reception Station No. 11, one of the more recently organized units of the Fort Bragg Per- sonnel Center, located in the Reception Center area, has been performing one of the most varied and colorful ad- ministrative jobs in the Army. Through this unit are pro- cessed the men and women of every rank from every branch of the Army, who have returned from the various battlefronts of the world. Included among these people have been many outstanding soldiers of this war, repre- sentatives of every major engagement. lipon reaching home ports from overseas, the ureturneesii are sent directly to the Reception Station. Here they re- main for approximately 2-1 hours, during this period, is determined which of the many dispositions will be made of the returned personnel. The processing includes an interview, a brief reorientation talk, and a physical exam- ination. Clothing, back pay, campaign ribbons, and shoe ration certificates are distributed. Government transporta- tion requests are executed, and baggage is cleared. They are then sent to their new stations, usually with a three week delay en route for the purpose of visiting their homes. ln addition to the overseas returnees, the Reception Sta- tion also processes overseas and domestic recovered enlisted personnel, overseas recovered commissioned casualties, re- turnees for reassignment, returnees for 30-day furlough and return overseas, returnees for discharge or transfer to the Enlisted Reserve Corps, returnees for Officer Candidate School, and surplus ex-Aviation Cadets transferred from the Army Air Forces to other Arms and Services. ln order to accomplish certain functions peculiar to their own needs, the Army Air Forces and the Army Ground Forces have established Liaison Oflicers at the Reception Station to advise and assist i11 the processing of their re- turnees. Naturally enough, many unusual incidents have been related by the men and women who have been processed by the Reception Station at Fort Bragg. Many of these re- turnees are survivors of very spectacular and harrowing experiences. There was the sergeant, for example, who fell 20,000 feet in a crippled airplane into the ocean, but man- aged to escape with minor injuries. Another sergeant, lead- ing a greatly outnumbered but highly bold and expert force, concentrated his fire upon the enemy with such deadly effect that he caused a vastly superior force to withdraw. On l September, 19-14 the Reception Station No. -1 be- came a component part of the War Department Personnel Center at Fort Bragg. On that day Captain Numa lt. Car- ter was designated Commanding Officer of the Station. In November, 1944, Major Simon N. Graham, formerly Com- manding Officer of the Special Training Unit, assumed com- mand of the Reception Station. Reception Station No. ll, with its intricate and greatly varied functions, has been a monument of home front economy in the use of manpower. Despite the long and intense hours, including inevitable night and Sunday Work with the tired, nervous, and hurried returnees, the personnel of this unit are sustained by their rare op- portunity to give vital and speedy service to those who have risked everything and have endured unimaginable hard- ships for their country. Approximately 15,000 returnees have been processed through Reception Station No. -L since its activation.

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Officers of 'che Separation Center. SEPAH TIU uDischarge,,' that magic word that means homey to millions of embattled soldiers of the widespread fighting forces of the United States, became a reality at Fort Braggis Separation Center on November 6, 19-14, as this Wzir Department Personnel Center ollicially hcgan its func- tions. unit of the The Separation Center, Fort Bragg, is one of the seventeen Army installations set up in the nation to handle the discharging of military personnel. The administrative machinery of the Separation Center is expected to take care of hundreds ol' separatees sent here daily. Men and women report here for discharfr f h ge or t e convenience of the Government, or other military reasons, and are homeward bound civilians within 48 hours after arrival. The Center handl l es mae personnel, officer and enlisted from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia and 7 female personnel from the seven southeastern states of the Fourth Service Command, plus the- states, Virginia and Louisiana. Wheri the separatee Hrst arriwes t h , - c ' f a t c Separation Center, he delivers his papers and surplus clothing, after which he is billeted. His records are then initiated for the processing to follow. While items of his past civilian and military activities are being checked, he is given a thorough physical examination. In the event any contagious disease is present he receives 'I ,d' IHITIP lal1S COI'I'0CllV6 tI'CillI'I1CI'll to ll1C extent necessary. Having passed the physical examination the separatee is given orientation lectures explaining Separation Center processing, classification procedure, in- surance, the C. I. Bill of Rights, and what is expected of him when he arrives home. The-se lectures are given by officers of the Counselling Branch. Center: General Kennedy hands out 'First discharge. Bottom: Officer Separation Section.