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ent to outline to you and the committee the Marine Corps requirements for military construction.

Senator STENNIS. All right, General, let us take advantage of this extra time we have here. You proceed in your own way. We are glad to have you here, sir.

TESTIMONY OF MAJ. GEN. CHESTER R. ALLEN, U.S. MARINE CORPS, QUARTERMASTER GENERAL OF THE MARINE CORPS

General ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I have a short statement that I believe can just be inserted into the record.

Senator STENNIS. All right. Thank you, General.
Mr. Reporter, put the statement into the record.
General ALLEN. Our total program is $5,011,000.

(The prepared statement submitted by General Allen follows:)

U.S. MARINE CORPS CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, FISCAL YEAR 1961

The Marine Corps construction program for fiscal year 1961 is designed to provide only the necessary minimum facilities to properly house the Marine Corps and to provide only those facilities that are absolutely essential to support the training program of the Marine Corps. This construction program is composed of 14 line items at 8 continental activities, with a total valuation of $5,011,000. It has been developed from guidelines established by the Department of Defense, and represents only the most urgent requirements.

The Marine Corps is still utilizing many temporary structures which were originally designed with a 5-year life expectancy and built during the early stages of World War II. Materials used in the construction of these facilities consist basically of second-grade lumber, canvas, or quonset huts. The maintenance costs required to keep these temporary facilities in the minimum state of repair and serviceability are guarded. Expenditure of maintenance funds on a high rate on such structures places them in the program for replacement. The Marine Corps believes that readiness is related to men, material, and facilities in equal proportions. Our program is based on a proper balance of these factors.

MARINE CORPS FACILITIES

MARINE CORPS SUPPLY CENTER, ALBANY, GA.

General ALLEN. The first line item is for the installation of a ventilation system in the repair shop at Marine Corps Supply Center, Albany, Ga., at an estimated cost of $65,000. This supply center provides facilities for the storage, preservation, repair, issue and procurement of material required for the logistical support of Marine Corps units east of the Mississippi River and in the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas. In the course of major overhaul work on combat vehicles and equipment at the repair shop of this activity, hot caustic acids are used for cleaning assemblies, components and parts. The present ventilation system on these cleaning tanks does not sufficiently exhaust the acid fumes. The resulting high concentration of caustic acid fumes creates extremely adverse and unhealthy working conditions. This item will provide an adequate ventilation system which will alleviate the present health hazard and substantially improve working conditions in this repair facility.

Senator STENNIS. All right, sir. The next item.

54781-60-19

MARINE CORPS SUPPLY CENTER, BARSTOW, CALIF. General ALLEN. The next item, Mr. Chairman, is for the construction of a concrete paved loading and unloading area at the Yermo area, Marine Corps Supply Center, Barstow, Calif. at an estimated cost of $82,000. This supply center is the counterpart of the installation at Albany, Ga., and has the mission of furnishing logistical support for Marine Corps units west of the Mississippi River and in the Pacific Ocean area. In furtherance of this mission, the construction of a central repair facility at the Yermo area of this supply center was approved by Congress in fiscal year 1958 at a cost of $6,069,000. This shop is now under construction and scheduled for completion in June 1960. When it is put into service sometime this summer, all heavy equipment such as tanks, LVT's, tracked construction equipment, trucks and other vehicles, being returned to this supply center for repair, modification or other work, will be delivered directly to the Yermo area. Since most such equipment is shipped by rail, mobile cranes will be used to lift the equipment from the railcars. Similarly, outgoing shipments must be lifted onto railcars. No pavement exists in the present railroad yard, and operation of the mobile cranes on the native sandy soil has proven impossible. This line item will provide the firm, level base required for the operation of such cranes and is considered the most economical and feasible method of meeting this urgent requirement.

Senator STENNIS. Just something overlooked before?

General ALLEN. This is part of the continuing program. We cannot construct it all in the same year because of the construction work that was going on in the new shop, and these are small items that will fall in, in successive years.

Senator STENNIS. All right. Next item.

MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.

General ALLEN. The next item, Mr. Chairman, is for the construction of bachelor officers' quarters at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C., at an estimated cost of $433,000. The mission of this base (the home of the 2d Marine Division) is to provide housing, training facilities, and certain administrative and logistical support for Fleet Marine Force units assigned to this installation. In addition, this base conducts specialized schools and advanced combat training as directed. To do their jobs properly, people need decent places to live. There are at present 674 rooms available for occupancy by bachelor officers at Camp Lejeune. But only 72 of the rooms are adequate for assignment to officers of junior and intermediate grades. The remainder are considered inadequate because of small rooms and inadequate toilet facilities. Not only are most of the rooms too small for the needs of an officer, but it is necessary to assign two officers to many of them because of the demand for

rooms.

Although it is intended to improve some of the existing BOQ's as funds may become available in the future, a requirement for additional BOQ rooms will still exist as personnel loads indicate a total requirement in excess of 800. This line item is designed to provide a standard BOQ with adequate accommodations for 52 junior officers.

Failure to obtain this item will further aggravate an already serious morale problem generated by the small inadequate bedrooms and community toilet facilities now existing in the BOQ's at this station. Senator STENNIS. All right, sir.

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.

General ALLEN. The next two line items provide for a barracks and a religious activities center at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. at a total estimated cost of $1,455,000. This recruit depot provides for the reception and recruit training of enlisted men upon their first entry into the Marine Corps. This depot also conducts schools to train personnel in the administrative field, and also to train recruiters and field musics.

The first of these items is for a 675-man barracks building at an estimated cost of $1,203,000. This item is the second and final increment of permanent and adequate facilities for billeting recruits in the weapons training area of this depot. The first increment approved by Congress in fiscal year 1958 for $1,707,000 provided for construction of five 180-man barracks and necessary alterations to the existing messhall which will be completed in 1960.

The quonset huts being replaced by these permanent barracks are temporary, corrugated-metal structures, 15 years old, which have outlived their expected service life. They have been dismantled, stored in the open, and then reassembled twice. This moving has reduced the structural soundness and weatherproofness of the huts and excessive maintenance is required to maintain them in a very minimum livable condition. Congress fully recognized these unsatisfactory conditions in fiscal year 1958 and approved the first increment. Since this approval, the living conditions and requirements have not changed in any respect. This item is still urgently required and will replace all the remaining hutments.

The second item for this depot provides for the construction of a religious activity center at an estimated cost of $252,000. Religion and religious training facilities play an important role in establishing a high morale among the recruits. Good morale is imperative for good, efficient training. The various buildings now used for religious activities are inadequate in design, facilities, and construction. In addition, they are located away from the recruit area. The inability to create a religious atmosphere in these buildings, plus their distance from the recruit area, is not conducive to a large attendance. This item will provide an adequate religious activities building so necessary to carry out a program for the religious and spiritual welfare of the permanent military personnel of this station, their dependents, and recruits undergoing training.

MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP PENDLETON, CALIF.

The next four line items, Mr. Chairman, provide for improvements to training, administrative, and housing facilities at Marine Corps Base. Camp Pendleton, at a cost of $1,973,000. The mission of this base is similar to that of Camp Lejeune. It is the home of the 1st Marine Division. The facilities situation at Camp Pendleton is be

coming acute. The base was established in 1942 and all construction accomplished at that time was temporary wartime and emergency construction. The facilities have deteriorated to a point where they are no longer economical to maintain.

The first of these four items is for the construction of a combat training school at Camp Kraus for an estimated cost of $460,000. At present, there are eight formal schools conducted at this station. The existing school building is a temporary, World War II, wooden structure which is rapidly approaching complete unserviceability. This item will provide a permanent school building for the classroom training necessary to meet the academic requirements of the formal schools conducted at this base.

The second item for this base provides for the construction of two administration buildings at Camp Kraus at an estimated cost of $470,000 to replace the existing unserviceable, temporary, World War II structures now being used. One administration building will be built in each of the battalion areas for which permanent barracks and utilities have already been authorized.

The third item for Camp Pendleton is for construction of two permanent messhalls, also in the Camp Kraus area. The estimated cost of the item is $845,000. These messhalls will replace existing messhalls which have become completely unserviceable and so badly deteriorated as to create a sanitation problem. The item will provide messing facilities for the two battalion areas already authorized permanent facilities.

The fourth and last item for Camp Pendleton provides for the installation of an adequate heating system for buildings located in the Camp Phillips area of the base. The estimated cost of this line item is $198,000. It will replace the existing direct-fired domestic water. boilers and household-type oil-burning space heaters which have passed their life's usefulness. This item will provide all necessary equipment within the buildings and the supply and return lines to connect them to the central heating system now under construction. There is also a 400 Capehart housing unit program for Camp Pendleton.

MARINE CORPS SCHOOLS, QUANTICO, VA.

The next two line items, Mr. Chairman, provide for a research library and a combat conditioning facility at Marine Corps schools, Quantico, Va., for a total cost of $715,000. The Marine Corps schools train officers in the tactics and techniques of warfare with particular emphasis on amphibious operations. In addition, this activity develops, in coordination with other services, the tactics, techniques, and equipment employed by landing forces in amphibious warfare. The first of these two line items is for the construction of a research library at Breckinridge Hall, Marine Corps Educational Center, at a cost of $210,000. The operation of schools is the principal mission of this activity. The present library is completely inadequate in size to provide the research facilities required. Overloading of the available space has resulted in the destruction of material that otherwise would be retained for research purposes, has severely limited stock and catalog space, and has caused refusal and

reduction in new acquisitions for this library. Adequate space does not exist in the existing building nor in any other buildings at this station to provdie the desired library facility. This line item will provide adequate space for the classified and technical sections of the research library, while the general library research section will continue to utilize the present library space in Breckinridge Hall.

The second of these two line items for Quantico is for construction of a combat conditioning facility at the basic school at an estimated cost of $505,000. The mission of the basic school is to educate newly commissioned officers in the high standards of knowledge, esprit de corps, and leadership traditional in the Marine Corps. An urgent need exists at this school for an indoor, all-weather, combat training tank complete with facilities for the use and storage of related training aids, locker rooms, showers and toilet facilities. This tank is required to provide year-round instruction in combat swimming procedures and lifesaving techniques required in the training of a combat-ready Marine officer. The locker room facility is designed to serve the gymnasium-drill hall as well as the tank. This item is required to provide adequate centralized facilities for the operation of the Marine Corps basic school.

Senator STENNIS. When are you going to have the exhibition down there, General, that you have at Quantico along about this time of the year, the special exercises?

General ALLEN. I believe that is scheduled for next month, Mr. Chairman. I am not sure right now of the date. I will have that date checked.

Senator STENNIS. I would like to come down there again. I wish you would send me a little note. I went one time and had such bad rain

General ALLEN. I will make a note of it.

Senator STENNIS. I was very much impressed with what I saw down there.

General ALLEN. Thank you, sir.
Senator STENNIS. All right.

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

General ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, the next line item is for the construction of a communication-electronics school building at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif., at an estimated cost of $73,000. The mission of this recruit depot is similar to that of Parris Island; that is, the training of recruits and conducting specialist schools. The electronics school, the only existing Marine Corps school for this type of training, is located at this station. This school has the mission of training Marine Corps personnel on radar and electronic equipment organic to the Fleet Marine Force. At present, this school is using some existing temporary structures, not designed for this type of specialized training. These facilities consist of three corrugated-metal storage buildings, completely unsuitable for either laboratory or classroom instruction, and located some 4,000 feet from the remainder of the school facilities. This item will provide one permanent-type school building with adequate laboratory and classroom space. This new building will house a portion of the school

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