US Army Training Center - Yearbook (Fort Eustis, VA)

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HAROLD R. DUFFIE BRIGADIER GENERAL, USA Commanding General Transpor+a+ior1 Cen+er P+. Eusfis, Virginia

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By December 7th, 1911-1 the modern army had become more and more dependent upon the motor vehicle. Approximately 3,11-00,000 motor vehicles were produced for military use during World War II and over one thousand truck companies were formed and served in every theatre of operations and participated in every major campaign. On July 31st, 1942 the Transportation Corps was established as a new technical serv- ice of the American Army with the mission of operating the Military Railways, the Army Transports, and the Ports of Embarkation as well as all overseas ports. Although the Trans- portation Corps was responsible for planning the operation of all highway transport units, it was not until August 1946 that the truck battalions, and the truck and car companies actually became a part of the young corps. The trends in modern warfare and exper- ience in Korea clearly indicate that the fight- ing man of today requires more supplies than ever before. To move these vast tonnages and still conserve manpower, bigger and bigger vehicles have been developed, trucks that can carry more and travel faster, trucks that can ford rivers, move across country and that defy mud and sand. No longer can the Army be satisfied with a man who only knows where to find the gas pedal and the horn button. Today an Army truck driver must possess skill, stamina, and intelligence. Weeks of training are required to produce a qualified driverg a soldier who knows how to operate and take care of his vehicle, who can read a map, fight off a guer- rilla attack, and deliver the goods. The truck driver stands side by side with the other tech- nicians of our modern army who are so es- sential to victory.

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OUR HISTORY The Transportation Highway Unit Training Center was activated on March 6th, 1952 by direction of Major General Frank A. Heile- man, the former Chief of Transportation, It was the first organization of its type ever to be formed in the Transportation Corps. While there have been numerous other headquarters established to command units of the Trans- portation Corps, the Highway Unit Training Center was unique because it was designed to command and direct the training of one spe- cific type of organization, namely the general reserve units of the Highway Transport Service. The Transportation Corps is responsible for the activation and training of all of the high- way transport units required to support the Army of the United States in peace or war. Within the organizational structure of an army operating actively in the field there are approximately forty light truck companies which are organized into battalions and groups. These companies are employed pri- marily in the movement of the combat per- INTERIOR, FIRST HUTC HEADQUARTERS EXTERIOR, FIRST HUTC HEADQUARTERS sonnel of the field army and the shuttling of all types of supplies to the forward areas. Many scores of additional truck companies, equipped with truck tractors and cargo trail- ers, gasoline tankers, and refrigerator vans, are required in an active theatre of operations for the efficient movement of tools of war. While the immediate mission of the High- way Unit Training Center is to activate and train truck battalions and truck companies, the long range goal is the development of sound procedures and techniques for the acti- vation, equipping, training and finally testing of all types of highway transport units which will serve as a guide throughout the Army and which will facilitate the immediate es- tablishment and operation of similar training centers in the event of a national emergency. Initially, the headquarters of the new train- ing center occupied a chapel building which up until that time had been used as a class- room. The entire strength on the date of ac- tivation was five officers. As the weeks passed, additional officers and enlisted men were assigned to the command. The first unit to be placed under the com- mand jurisdiction of the new training .center was the 32nd Transportation Heavy Truck Company. Shortly thereafter, the Head- quarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Transportation Battalion fTruckj arrived f 13-1 8.3 A gs.: , I . ----M on