Army Specialized Training Program
Encyclopedia
The Army Specialized Training Program was a military training program instituted by the United States Army
during World War II
at a number of American universities to meet wartime demands for junior officer
s and soldiers with technical skills. The purpose of the program was "to provide the continuous and accelerated flow of high grade technicians and specialists needed by the Army."
After the attack on Pearl Harbor
sparked U.S. entry into the war, the Army apparently suspended at least certain advanced elements of Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(ROTC) training (around 1943). This was a particularly problematic situation for the numerous land-grant universities
around the country, which have in their constitution the agreement to train "militia
." In addition, far-sighted military plan
ners could look forward to a sudden and massive emergency requirement for junior officer replacements during an anticipated amphibious invasion of the Japanese mainland
. However ASTP differed from the V-12 Navy College Training Program
in that producing technically-trained personnel and not officers was its primary goal, though recruits were expected to become officers at the end of their training. Most young men were specifically trained in areas like engineering, foreign languages, and medicine. ASTP was approved in September 1942 and implemented in December.
-type IQ test. All new soldiers were required to complete 13 weeks of infantry basic training
before being assigned to a college campus. Col. Henry Beukema, a Professor of History at West Point, was named Director of the program. He was responsible for sending 200,000 soldiers to 227 colleges at cost of $127,000,000.
During the late part of the academic year 1942-1943, a national testing program was conducted among the male college student bodies. Selection was based upon approximately one standard deviation
above the mean, or above. Enlisted men already on active duty were also tested, and accepted only at the rank of private. Because so many men had graduated from ROTC and received commissions—93,000 by March 1942, outnumbering regular Army by three to one—men who wanted to advance had few choices. ASTP seemed like a promising alternative. Candidates for ASTP included all enlisted men who had completed basic training, or if under 22 years old and completed high school or its equivalent, or if older than 22 years old and with a mimimum of one year of college, and who met the IQ test.
around the country. These programs were accelerated; students were expected to complete the program in 18 months with a four-year degree and a commission. This included many volunteers from the civilian echelons who were at least 17 but less than 18 years of age.
While in academic training the soldiers were on active duty, in uniform, under military discipline, and received regular army pay. Recruits marched to class in groups, ate in mess halls located in the barracks, and trained in the fields around a campus. The soldiers week was made up of 59 hours of "supervised activity," including at least 24 hours of classroom and lab work, 24 hours of required study, six hours of physical instruction, and five hours of military instruction. At its height in December 1944, about 140,000 men were enrolled in the program.
By November 1943 the Army recognized that its replacement training centers were not producing nearly enough new soldiers for the Army Ground Forces, particularly in light of the impending invasion of France. In January 1944, Col. Beukema reported to a U. S. Congressional investigating committee that ASTP were more demanding than either West Point or the Naval Academy
.
to active-duty status and called up to infantry
Basic training
. After basic training, those who were willing were returned to the reduced number of land-grant schools still maintaining ASTP.
Henry Stimson, Secretary of War during World War II, and self-professed "father of the ASTP," wrote,
General Lesley J. McNair
felt ASTP took young men with leadership potential away from combat positions where they were most needed. "...with 300,000 men short, we are sending men to college." Manpower planners calculated that more infantrymen would be required in advance of the planned invasion of Europe. ASTP was not only one of the easiest programs to reduce or eliminate, it also provided a large pool of ready-trained soldiers. In February 1944, about 110,000 ASTP students were told they would be transferred to combat units.
Students who had been on active duty
were shortly terminated from their academic programs prematurely and returned to active duty. Those who had sacrificed non-commissioned
rank to qualify for the college training diversion were not necessarily reinstated, and often shortly went into combat as privates
.
From a wartime high of 150,000 students, ASTP was immediately reduced to approximately 60,000 members. The remainder, having already completed basic training, were sent to the Army Ground Forces. Even though they did not have the experience to qualify for non-commissioned officer
rank, the Army anticipated that their superior training and intelligence levels would result in advancement to leadership positions.
, which in March 1944 received an injection of about 3000 replacements from the ASTP program.
The new replacements, fresh out of college, often were given a harsh reception by their Sergeants, long-term regulars who considered them a bunch of college kids who wanted to steal their stripes. The former ASTP members tended to stick together, which made it worse for themselves. The Sergeants didn't know what to make of men who preferred to go to the base exchange to pick up ice cream and soda rather than go into town and get drunk on beer. One company commander said, "what kind of soldiers deal out bridge hands during their ten-minute training breaks?" The ASTP alumni were typically not impressed by the intellect of their new officers and non-commissioned leaders. However, once in combat, the ASTP soldiers rapidly proved their worth and any distinctions between the regular Army and the college soldiers were erased.
In the spring of 1944 ASTP levels were further reduced at the direction of the Army Chief of Staff
General
George Marshall
. The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps
' continued to experience serious shortfalls in producing casualty replacements, necessitating the use of divisional service troops and Army Service Forces troops as infantry replacements. When the defeat of Germany was in sight, and the testing of the new atomic bomb successful, the apparent need for potential junior officer replacements disappeared and the final ASTP groups were largely disbanded, although there were ASTP units for medicine and engineering still existing in August 1945.
Largely a failure, one secondary benefit of ASTP was a financial subsidy of land grant colleges whose male student bodies had been decimated by the diversion of about 14 million men into the various armed forces, and another was a softening of university resistance to lowering the draft age from twenty to eighteen. One positive contribution was the number of men exposed to college who might not have attended otherwise. After the war ended, four out of five surviving ASTP alumni retumed to college.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at a number of American universities to meet wartime demands for junior officer
Junior officer
The term junior officer is sometimes used to make clear that an officer in a military or paramilitary unit is not in overall command. The term senior officer is reserved for the officer in overall command....
s and soldiers with technical skills. The purpose of the program was "to provide the continuous and accelerated flow of high grade technicians and specialists needed by the Army."
Entry into World War II
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
sparked U.S. entry into the war, the Army apparently suspended at least certain advanced elements of Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) training (around 1943). This was a particularly problematic situation for the numerous land-grant universities
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
around the country, which have in their constitution the agreement to train "militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
." In addition, far-sighted military plan
Military plan
A military operation plan is a formal plan for military armed forces, their military organizations and units to conduct operations, as drawn up by commanders within the combat operations process in achieving objectives before or during a conflict...
ners could look forward to a sudden and massive emergency requirement for junior officer replacements during an anticipated amphibious invasion of the Japanese mainland
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
. However ASTP differed from the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
in that producing technically-trained personnel and not officers was its primary goal, though recruits were expected to become officers at the end of their training. Most young men were specifically trained in areas like engineering, foreign languages, and medicine. ASTP was approved in September 1942 and implemented in December.
Testing program initiated
High school graduates were offered a chance to apply, though the majority of participants were already active duty. Entry requirements were high; minimum IQ was 115 (later 120) compared to 110 for Officers Candidate School candidates. The test instrument used at some, if not all schools, was the Army OCT-X3 Examination for Officers Candidate School, a Stanford-BinetStanford-Binet IQ test
The development of the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales initiated the modern field of intelligence testing and was one of the first examples of an adaptive test. The test originated in France, then was revised in the United States...
-type IQ test. All new soldiers were required to complete 13 weeks of infantry basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
before being assigned to a college campus. Col. Henry Beukema, a Professor of History at West Point, was named Director of the program. He was responsible for sending 200,000 soldiers to 227 colleges at cost of $127,000,000.
During the late part of the academic year 1942-1943, a national testing program was conducted among the male college student bodies. Selection was based upon approximately one standard deviation
Standard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
above the mean, or above. Enlisted men already on active duty were also tested, and accepted only at the rank of private. Because so many men had graduated from ROTC and received commissions—93,000 by March 1942, outnumbering regular Army by three to one—men who wanted to advance had few choices. ASTP seemed like a promising alternative. Candidates for ASTP included all enlisted men who had completed basic training, or if under 22 years old and completed high school or its equivalent, or if older than 22 years old and with a mimimum of one year of college, and who met the IQ test.
Academic education
Individuals who passed above the acceptable level were sent to an Army Specialized Training Program, which included intensive courses, approximately 25 class-time hours per quarter, in engineering, science, medicine, dentistry, personnel psychology, and 34 different foreign language at 227 land-grant universitiesLand-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
around the country. These programs were accelerated; students were expected to complete the program in 18 months with a four-year degree and a commission. This included many volunteers from the civilian echelons who were at least 17 but less than 18 years of age.
While in academic training the soldiers were on active duty, in uniform, under military discipline, and received regular army pay. Recruits marched to class in groups, ate in mess halls located in the barracks, and trained in the fields around a campus. The soldiers week was made up of 59 hours of "supervised activity," including at least 24 hours of classroom and lab work, 24 hours of required study, six hours of physical instruction, and five hours of military instruction. At its height in December 1944, about 140,000 men were enrolled in the program.
By November 1943 the Army recognized that its replacement training centers were not producing nearly enough new soldiers for the Army Ground Forces, particularly in light of the impending invasion of France. In January 1944, Col. Beukema reported to a U. S. Congressional investigating committee that ASTP were more demanding than either West Point or the Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
.
Program reduced
The 17-year olds were continued in school until 18, at which time they were transferred from Army ReserveUnited States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
to active-duty status and called up to infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
. After basic training, those who were willing were returned to the reduced number of land-grant schools still maintaining ASTP.
Henry Stimson, Secretary of War during World War II, and self-professed "father of the ASTP," wrote,
General Lesley J. McNair
Lesley J. McNair
General Lesley James McNair was an American Army officer who served during World War I and World War II. He was killed by friendly fire when a USAAF Eighth Air Force bomb landed in his foxhole near Saint-Lô during Operation Cobra as part of the Battle of Normandy.McNair, Frank Maxwell Andrews and...
felt ASTP took young men with leadership potential away from combat positions where they were most needed. "...with 300,000 men short, we are sending men to college." Manpower planners calculated that more infantrymen would be required in advance of the planned invasion of Europe. ASTP was not only one of the easiest programs to reduce or eliminate, it also provided a large pool of ready-trained soldiers. In February 1944, about 110,000 ASTP students were told they would be transferred to combat units.
Students who had been on active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
were shortly terminated from their academic programs prematurely and returned to active duty. Those who had sacrificed non-commissioned
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
rank to qualify for the college training diversion were not necessarily reinstated, and often shortly went into combat as privates
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
.
From a wartime high of 150,000 students, ASTP was immediately reduced to approximately 60,000 members. The remainder, having already completed basic training, were sent to the Army Ground Forces. Even though they did not have the experience to qualify for non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
rank, the Army anticipated that their superior training and intelligence levels would result in advancement to leadership positions.
Alumni used as replacements
About 35 U.S. divisions received an average of 1,500 men each, though some got considerably more, like the 395th Infantry Regiment395th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. During the Battle of the Bulge, the Regiment—at times virtually surrounded by Germans—was one of the few units that did...
, which in March 1944 received an injection of about 3000 replacements from the ASTP program.
The new replacements, fresh out of college, often were given a harsh reception by their Sergeants, long-term regulars who considered them a bunch of college kids who wanted to steal their stripes. The former ASTP members tended to stick together, which made it worse for themselves. The Sergeants didn't know what to make of men who preferred to go to the base exchange to pick up ice cream and soda rather than go into town and get drunk on beer. One company commander said, "what kind of soldiers deal out bridge hands during their ten-minute training breaks?" The ASTP alumni were typically not impressed by the intellect of their new officers and non-commissioned leaders. However, once in combat, the ASTP soldiers rapidly proved their worth and any distinctions between the regular Army and the college soldiers were erased.
In the spring of 1944 ASTP levels were further reduced at the direction of the Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
. The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
' continued to experience serious shortfalls in producing casualty replacements, necessitating the use of divisional service troops and Army Service Forces troops as infantry replacements. When the defeat of Germany was in sight, and the testing of the new atomic bomb successful, the apparent need for potential junior officer replacements disappeared and the final ASTP groups were largely disbanded, although there were ASTP units for medicine and engineering still existing in August 1945.
Legacy
Major General Henry Twaddle wrote, "The underlying reason for institution of the ASP program was to prevent some colleges and universities from going into bankruptcy. From a strictly mobilization viewpoint, the value of the program was nil."Largely a failure, one secondary benefit of ASTP was a financial subsidy of land grant colleges whose male student bodies had been decimated by the diversion of about 14 million men into the various armed forces, and another was a softening of university resistance to lowering the draft age from twenty to eighteen. One positive contribution was the number of men exposed to college who might not have attended otherwise. After the war ended, four out of five surviving ASTP alumni retumed to college.
Notable alumni
Known alumni include the following:- Robert DoleBob DoleRobert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader - Edward KochEd KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
, U.S. Congressman, New York City Mayor - Henry KissingerHenry KissingerHeinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
, U.S. Secretary of State, Nobel Prize winner - Gore VidalGore VidalGore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
, author and politician - Andy Rooney, radio and television commentator
- Arch MooreArch A. Moore, Jr.Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. was the 28th and 30th Governor of West Virginia from 1969 until 1977 and from 1985 until 1989. He was a Congressman from 1957 until entering the governor's office. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. He ran for reelection in 1988, but was defeated by...
, former Governor of West Virginia - Frank ChurchFrank ChurchFrank Forrester Church III was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Idaho from 1957 to 1981....
, U.S. Senator - Herman KahnHerman KahnHerman Kahn was one of the preeminent futurists of the latter third of the twentieth century. In the early 1970s he predicted the rise of Japan as a major world power. He was a founder of the Hudson Institute think tank and originally came to prominence as a military strategist and systems...
, futurist and theorist - Roger MuddRoger MuddRoger Mudd is a U.S. television journalist and broadcaster, most recently as the primary anchor for The History Channel. Previously, Mudd was weekend and weekday substitute anchor of CBS Evening News, co-anchor of the weekday NBC Nightly News, and hosted NBC's Meet the Press, and NBC's American...
, TV newscaster - Heywood Hale BrounHeywood Hale BrounHeywood Hale Broun was an American an author, sportswriter, commentator and actor. He was born and raised in New York City, the son of writer and activist Ruth Hale and columnist Heywood Broun. He was educated at private schools and Swarthmore College....
, sports commentator - Mel BrooksMel BrooksMel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
, movie actor - George Koval, Russian spy in Manhattan Project World War II