Politicians who visit Camp Atterbury and see what makes this big Hoosier Army camp tick often leave with the comment that it's just like a good-sized city. At times Atterbury's population reached a 35,000 mark. To take rare of this number of men. it has a laundry, theatres, it bakery, roll storage plants, recreation clubs, a 1,600 bed Hospital and just about any modern facility you can think of.

Recently, a professor from a Northern Indiana college visited a soldier friend here who took him on a tour of the camp. One of their stops was Building 1294-a barracks-type structure that houses Camp Atterbury's Education Center. They had intended to spend only a few minutes but the college professor became so interested in the Center's activities they stayed all afternoon.

Largest College

Afterwards. he commented that "Atterbury is Indiana's largest college." "I'm afraid the professor was a little over-enthusiastic." 1st Lt. Lloyd M. Dull, Atterbury's Information and Education Officer, said. "We aren't by any means the largest Hoosier college but we do have the biggest campus-more than 40,000 acres in all."

The Information and Education Center's job is a big one. It supervises Command Conferences, Officers' Calls, and Information Centers that are maintained in each unit on the post.

Command Conference, every soldier will tell you, is a one-hour period held each week during which time current affairs are reviewed by the unit's I and E specialist. The final portion of the class is devoted entirely to one subject, such as voting, communism, democracy and other subjects.

Each Monday. the Education Center holds a Command Conference briefing for all unit I an E specialists who will conduct the discussion in his company. Along this same line. the Education Center periodically conducts 40-hour Discussion Leaders' courses to train new discussion leaders.

Makes Progress

Education-wise, the I and E Center has hundreds of facts and figures to show the job it has done to raise the educational level of Atterbury soldiers. Its biggest strides have been made in its broad education program.

Basically, the I and E Center's mission is to provide general education necessary for a soldier to properly perform his duties and to help him raise his educational qualifications It does just that.

To do this job it has a full staff of teachers and education advisors, both civilian and military. Headed by Lt. Dull. who in civilian life taught social studies at Findley, Ohio, High School and holds a Masters degree in Political Science, a staff of 15 full and part-time professional teachers, including several from Franklin, are on hand to accomplish the big task. Lt. Dull is assisted by 1st Lt. Robert Massaro, who taught Political Science at the University of New Mexico before he entered the Army.

Seek Advice

An average of 50 soldiers visit the I and E Center every day seeking educational advice. Others visit the I and E offices at Atterbury's U. S. Army Hospital and at the 31st Division Education Center. both of which are supervised by Lt. Dull and his aides. Soldiers seeking guidance learn, much to their surprise, that more than 6.000 high school and college level courses are available to them at low cost.

One of the Army's largest education programs in the United States Armed Forces Institute of Madison. Wis. More than 300 correspondence and self-teaching courses, including 21 languages, are offered by USAF. The only cost is a $2.00 enrollment fee paid just once. A serviceman can take as many courses (but only two at a time), as he wishes. Thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen have completed grade and high school through USAFI.

Atterbury soldiers, if they wish can take any one of 6,000 high school and college correspondence courses direct from universities but at a slightly higher cost.

1,000 Enrolled

Nearly 1,000 Atterbury soldiers have enrolled in these courses during the last six months. In addition, Atterbury's I and E Center offers Group-Study classes in a variety of subjects typing, mechanical drawing, reading acceleration, college-level psychology. practical art, Russian and others. Nearly 300 men are enrolled in Group-Study classes.

The Army also pays three-fourths of tuition for any serviceman who wishes to attend colleges or universities near Atterbury. About 2() Atterbury soldiers now are attending evening courses at Indiana University's Extension Division at Indianapolis and nearby Columbus.

Another important phase is I and E's Basic Education courses. Army Regulations say every soldier will have at least a fourth grade education. If a man enters the Army without at least four grades under his belt. he gets it promptly. Upon completion. he is given a certificate. that goes into his records. An average of 100 men are enrolled in Basic Education classes daily.

I and E also gives hundreds of tests each month-all types of examinations ranging from USAFI finals in such subjects as Greek, Russian or physics to basic education tests to determine if a soldier has a fourth-grade educational level.

"Our job is never finished." Lt. Dull said. "Just when we think we've got things running like clockwork, a group of soldiers come to us and announce they want to start a Group-Study class in Hindustani."