U.S.A.I.C.S.
is the Army’s big intelligence center and school located at Ft. Hauchuca,
Arizona outside Tucson and not far from the Mexican border. I was sent there to train on the divisional
level for Intelligence Analyst; the Marine Corps had no such facility. I used to think southern California was arid
and devoid of real trees until I saw Hauchuca: Dust Devils, tumble weeds, sand,
rocks and dirt – all out in the middle of nowhere like Area 51. On the other hand, it was February and
reasonably cool at night. In some places
there was snow in shaded places up in the mountains overlooking the base. To put 1976 in perspective for most people, the
radio was playing or would play Barry Manilow songs like Mandy, Shake You Booty by
K.C. and the Sunshine Band, and Afternoon
Delight by the Starland Vocal Band.
Towards
evening I reported to the receiving barracks strewn with broken and dilapidated
tables and chairs. By this time in my
life, I felt like the Army Captain who gave me a ride to the fort. People like him seem to be always on the
move and reporting to strange places and living in dorms and barracks. You never know what to expect. In the morning I took my Service Record Book
(SRB), had breakfast at the chow hall (all I could eat and without being beaten by drill instructors),
and reported to a Major Lamb, the Marine Corps liaison. His office was among several set in two
parallel lines of one story buildings like those in TV westerns. He told me what I was there for and warned me
that if I got into a fight – no matter who started it – I would end up in the
brig (jail) several yards from his office.
Ft. Hauchuca was a dangerous place before the military clamped down on
the pot heads and began drug testing.
When I was there MPs and dogs would sweep the barracks for drugs – to no
avail. Race was also a big problem.
After
the interview, the routine began. I
quickly signed up for the next Intelligence Analyst course (0231) and I learned
Ft. Hauchuca was a popular place. In
fact, it was international. There were
people from all over the world coming here and not just for my
course. There were olive drab trailers with co-axial
cable running to and fro and satellite dishes too. There were advanced courses in Order of
Battle, Photo Interpretation, and Counter Intelligence (CI). Vietnam era field sensors like PISIDS (listening devices)
were popular. Then there was the vehicle
familiarization area where we got to explore an M-60 tank and manually crank
its turret. Aberdeen Proving Grounds
back east is a wonderful place for intelligence specialists on the officer
level, but Hauchuca offered the basics and more for both officers and enlistees.
Officers
presented a problem for me right off the bat because there were so many there
and so many varieties. (I hardly saw any
in basic training in San Diego except for a rare lieutenant or captain.) One morning a Marine Corps Warrant Officer walked by me and I failed to salute. I can still hear
it, “Do you know who I am?” My turn: “No
sir.” His turn: I am a Marine Corps
warrant officer.” My turn: “I’ve never
seen a warrant officer before.” He let
me go with a warning. I ran into more
people I’d never seen before like the German officer with the storm trooper
boots. They were everywhere and from all
sorts of countries – lots of brass and medals. Even to the army private friend who took my
first picture in the barracks the problem was universal and unwinnable. His simple advice - “If it shines, salute
it.”
