OFFICE OF FIELD SERVICE I47 



from the theater commander); extra-hazardous insurance to provide broad 

 coverage geographically and to include possible injuries or death resulting 

 from w^ar conditions; an official appointment to and identification with a 

 branch of the armed forces; appropriate military or naval uniforms and 

 equipment as prescribed by the sponsoring Service agency for the theater 

 and season; official military travel orders; and arrangements for transpor- 

 tation to and within the theater. Altogether the processing unit of OFS 

 listed nearly a hundred separate items on which some action would be 

 necessary in the case of every Field Service Consultant who was to be sent 

 overseas. It was exclusively a responsibility of OFS to act on many of these. 

 Always there was pressure for speed to accomplish the processing. When 

 the military decided that an individual was wanted, he was usually wanted 

 post haste. The relationship between some of the processing steps was so 

 close that a delay in the handling of one might start a chain of cumulative 

 delays. For example, a holdup on security investigation would not permit 

 issuance of military credentials, which in turn would delay the time-con- 

 suming process of procuring a properly fitted uniform. In view of wartime 

 travel restrictions it was highly important that the consecutive items in such 

 a sequence be handled systematically and efficiendy. 



Even with the highest priority from the military and great pressure from 

 top echelons in OSRD, it was rarely possible to prepare a man for assign- 

 ment overseas and get him on a plane within less than a week. Commonly 

 the interval that elapsed between the first contact with him in response to a 

 theater request and his departure from the country was at least a month. 

 This was a source of much distress to the military sponsors, to the central 

 staff, to the NDRC divisions, and to the individual, although it did permit 

 him a bit more time to arrange his personal affairs and acquire greater 

 familiarity with military protocol and etiquette. 



Field Service Consultants who were assigned for duty within the United 

 States or in England could serve in civilian clothing. For duty in a combat 

 theater it was necessary, however, to wear the uniform of the branch of the 

 armed forces to which assignment was made. This was like the uniform 

 of an officer, without special insignia of rank, but it did carry identifying 

 shoulder patches. In order to procure the uniform an official appointment 

 by the Army or Navy was necessary. This was made on recommendation 

 from OFS and involved submission of a series of documents regarding the 

 man's security clearance, personal health, immunizations, police record, 

 draft release and the nature of his proposed assignment with the military 

 Service. 



Men assigned to the Navy were issued a Certificate of Identification 

 which authorized them to take passage on naval vessels and to visit naval 

 establishments and were given appointments as U. S. Navy Technicians and 

 a Letter of Credentials outlining their status and the purpose of their as- 



