G.I. Engineers
June 1968 Electronics World

June 1968 Electronics World Table of Contents  Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Electronics World, published May 1959 - December 1971. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

"Essayons," that's the motto of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It means "Let us try," in French. In 1968, when this "G.I. Engineers" editorial appeared in Electronics World magazine, it noted that about 38,000 engineers, or roughly roughly 6% of the nation's total, served in the U.S. Armed Forces, far more technically skilled than in World War II or Korea. Despite surpluses in bachelor's-degree holders, advanced-degree shortages persisted, with over 15 thousand master's and PhD positions unfilled - by fewer than 8,500 qualified personnel, forcing underqualified assignments. Utilization varied: Air Force effectively deployed 14,000 engineers in R&D and civil roles; Navy specialist programs covered ship, ordnance, aeronautical, and Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees); Marines had limited engineering specialists among 1,668 graduates. The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), with 7,000 officers (many engineering-degreed), directed military/civilian construction, river/harbor, and water-control projects. Founded in 1802 from Revolutionary War roots (1775), USACE's missions encompass combat engineering, military construction, civil works like navigation/flood control, and disaster response, employing 37,000 personnel today.

G.I. Engineers

About 6% of the nation's engineers form a technological corps without which the Armed Forces could not function.

Compared to World War II and Korea, the Armed Forces and the men in them are more technically skilled today. There are about 38,000 engineers serving in the military (excluding the Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Public Health Services). And while some have accused these engineers-in-uniform of doing second-rate engineering at best, new weapon technology and aerospace and undersea developments for war and peace are requiring more scientists with advanced technical degrees.

The status of the serviceman-engineer is equivocal because the manner in which he is utilized varies from service branch to service branch. The common denominator, however, is the identification of engineering requirements at the advanced degree level only.

According to a report by the Engineering Manpower Commission of the Engineers Joint Council, a Bachelor's degree is a preferred qualification for all commissioned officers, and all three branches of the service expect to use engineering students from the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Thus, with many engineers serving in general line posts, there is an apparent surplus of engineers when compared to published requirements. The Army says it has 1700 (advanced degree) engineering positions with more than 9000 engineers in service. The Navy lists requirements for 10,900 engineers and scientists, but has nearly 9000 engineers and 11,000 science graduates available to fill them. The Air Force reports that most of its 14,000 engineers are assigned to jobs that make use of their knowledge, but lists only 5000 advanced degree requirements in these areas. Only 171 of the 1668 engineering graduates in the Marine Corps have engineering as a primary occupational specialty.

With all this available brainpower, the services are still short-handed. There are more than 15,500 Master and Doctorate positions open, but fewer than 8500 men with these qualifications are on active duty. This means that half of the jobs must be filled by people with less than a Master's degree.

This poses something of a problem for the engineer with a Bachelor's degree. He has the alternative of filling a specialists job that normally requires an advanced degree or serving in a general line position with little or no engineering responsibilities.

Of the 14,000 engineering graduates serving as Air Force officers, most are used in research and development management, development engineering, system program management, and civil engineering. There are also a good number of them assigned to the electronics and maintenance engineering centers. This year the Air Force will attempt to recruit at least 1241 new development and civil engineers. About half will come from ROTC programs in civilian colleges and the remainder from Air Force officer training schools.

By 1971, the Air Force says it will need about 9200 engineers with Master's degrees and about 800 PhD's.

The Army Corps of Engineers has about 7000 officers, many of whom hold engineering degrees. Many of these officers direct construction projects, both military and civilian as well as river, harbor, and water-control projects.

Advanced degrees in engineering or related disciplines are required by the Army Officer Special Career Programs for service as an atomic energy, research and development, operations research and systems analysis, and automatic data-processing specialists. In 1967, 1116 men were employed in these posts.

Although engineering degrees are not specifically required, they are considered a "must" for officers in the Signal Corps, Ordnance, Chemical, Transportation, and Artillery branches.

Engineers who are drafted into the Army as enlisted men have limited opportunities for serving in engineering-related capacities unless they go to officer candidate school.

The Navy has a number of "specialist" programs in which degree officers can expect to serve throughout their naval careers. Ship engineering officers or "restricted line" specialists work for the Naval Ship Systems Command or the Naval Electronics Systems Command. This group encompasses the broadest range of engineering disciplines. Ordnance and Aeronautical Engineering specialists are responsible for Navy weapons systems and aircraft. The Civil Engineer Corps, which includes the Seabees, is responsible for the design and construction of Navy shore bases at home and abroad.

Marine Corps engineers are also eligible for assignment to specialized career fields; these include engineering, communications, and others. About 532 of the 1668 engineers in the Marine Corps work in naval aviation and in air control anti-aircraft operations.