It's always interesting in hearing about military "Radio Men".
I served during the Korean conflict when cw and radio teletype were the main
modes at that time. Most transmissions were encrypted. I was an intercept
operator with the Army Security Agency and was stationed in Germany during the
Berlin blockade. My MOS was 1766 and I still have my graduation diploma from
the Southeastern Signal School which is located at Ft. Gordon, Georgia. My
certificate reads: "High Speed Radio Operation Course (1766)" The following
courses composed the curriculum:
Signal Corps Orientation: 6 hrs
International Morse Code 702 hrs
Radio Procedure 64 hrs
Field Radio Sets 104 hrs
RTTY 44 hrs
Tape Relay (RTTY) procedure 32 hrs
Communications Center Operation 104 hrs
Total 1056 hrs About 6 months in
duration.
We were taught typing and used Underwood upright typewriters (Mills) to copy
code. Our standard receivers were
Hammarlund Super Pros. To attain this certificate,we had to pass 25 wpm in the
allotted time. (5 letter encrypted groups)
Those that couldn't, either got a an 18 wpm medium speed certificate or washed
out. A few washed out... but not many.
When I went overseas, we continued to use the Super Pro receivers, and our
standard transmitter was the BC-610.
As you can see, when you run a soldier through basic training (varies from 8 to
16 weeks) and train him to be a top cw operator, it is very costly and time
consuming. For this reason I think the military abandoned cw. It is not
because of efficiency... in my humble opinion. A properly trained cw net is a
beautiful thing to behold.... kind of like a symphonic orchestra!! In fact,
some of the best operators are also excellent musicians... they usually have
perfect timing, rhythm and balance.
During my 3 year enlistment, I made friends with some of the greatest guys one
could imagine. It was an honor to serve my country as a "Radio Man"...... and
it was that experience that led me into this wonderful hobby that we all enjoy.
73
Walt K5VV
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