COMPARATIVE SAFETY RECORDS, HELICOPTERS VERSUS FIXED WING AIRCRAFT

Mr. MAHON. I would like to ask a question at this point: The helicopter is not as safe as the normal aircraft; I believe the accident record, et cetera, establishes that; is that right?

Admiral PIRIE. It is a little more hazardous than fixed wing. Mr. MAHON. Establish that for the record, if you will.

Admiral PIRIE. I will put that in the record. I think it is improving, that we are improving in the helicopter field.

Mr. MAHON. Still, the helicopter is more unsafe than other planes. Admiral HIRSCH. If I might add, a helicopter is rather reliable but it is flown under some very difficult circumstances. If you flew an airplane under the same circumstances you might have higher accident rates, too, as we did in the old days.

Mr. MAHON. You would not try to land on a mountain peak with an airplane.

Admiral HIRSCH. Helicopters are subject to very difficult flying conditions.

Mr. MAHON. Using a helicopter for what it is supposed to be used for and an airplane, particularly a transport type, for what it is supposed to be used for, the helicopter is less safe.

Admiral PIRIE. We will supply that information for the record. (The information requested follows:)

Comparison: Helicopter versus fixed wing aircraft accident rates in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, both aboard ship and shore based.

Purpose: To illustrate the comparative aviation accident records of rotary wing versus propeller driven fixed wing aircraft in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps over the 2-year period, fiscal years 1959 and 1960.

Definitions: An aircraft accident, according to Navy reporting procedures, is a mishap which results in substantial damage or greater to the aircraft, requiring more than 150 man-hours to repair or which requires replacement of a major component such as the powerplant, fuselage, any wing panel, tail structure, or helicopter main rotor head.

The transport aireraft (VR) accident rates were 0.3 for fiscal year 1959 and 0.5 for fiscal year 1960 per 10,000 flight hours. This category includes the R4D, R4Q, R4Y, R5D, R6D, R7V, and TF aircraft.

The overall Navy helicopter accident rate trend for each 10,000 flight hours was as follows:

Mr. SIKES. Mr. Ostertag?

Mr. OSTERTAG. Admiral Pirie, in connection with your overall budget request, namely, the activity "Weapons and facilities," you have a number of activities, such as flight operation, weapons rework and maintenance, station operations and maintenance, supporting programs, departmental expense for administration and NATO infra

structures.

In looking over the picture generally, there is a slight increase as compared with fiscal 1961, an increase of about $11,600,000. That increase is brought about by increased costs of $6,300,000 in flight operations and $11,100,000 in weapons rework and maintenance, otherwise, you are requiring less in this budget than you have in previous years. Is that substantially correct?

Admiral PIRIE. Yes, sir. I think we explained in the weapons and rework area, POLARIS was actually costing us $20 million more. That is one cost.

Basically in the weapons rework and maintenance we are $9 million shorter this year than we were last year for the rework of the aircraft and missiles.

Mr. OSTERTAG. In other words, your overall cost would be actually less if it were not for the rework and the POLARIS in the system? Admiral PIRIE. Yes, sir. I would like also to call the attention of the committee to the fact that we have got an $85 million backlog in station operation and maintenance preventative maintenance, deferred maintenance, and while we try to do the best we can in every year it is funded at approximately $23 million this year but we are losing ground in this field of preventative maintenance.

This comes under the "Station operation and maintenance" budget. This is not common to aviation facilities. This is across the board. Admiral Sylvester will, I am sure, have more to say about that.

NATO INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

Mr. OSTERTAG. $800,000 for your infrastructure is set forth here. That is our share, is it not, for NATO, according to any treaty with regard to infrastructure?

Admiral PIRIE. Yes, sir. As we explained yesterday the largest portion of this cost that shows an increase in this area was for fully operating our naval air facility at Sigonella on the island of Sicily. We were in a field in Malta with our - planes and we shifted to Sigonella and the cost of operating that one field is something over $500,000.

Our area command makes, as a representative of the Government, an individual agreement with the country on what our costs are versus what the other nation's costs are.

Mr. OSTERTAG. That is all I have.

Mr. SIKES. Mr. Weaver?

STATUS OF NAVAL AMMUNITION DEPOT, HASTINGS, NEBR.

Mr. WEAVER. Admiral Stroop, as you recall, the Naval Ammunition Depot at Hastings, Nebr., has been declared surplus to the Navy needs.

Admiral STROOP. Yes, sir.

Mr. WEAVER. I wonder if you could place in the record as you did last year I believe sort of a status report of the phaseout activities that are going on now?

Admiral STROOP. Yes, sir.

Mr. WEAVER. You could comment briefly now if you wish but I thought perhaps you could provide something for the record similar to what you included last year.

Admiral STROOP. We will put a statement in the record. We are going ahead with our plan of phasing out which still has a few years to go.

The ammunition being stored there is being shipped out and utilized, or as it becomes obsolete, it is disposed of.

(Information to be supplied follows:)

NAVAL AMMUNITION DEPOT, HASTINGS, NEBR. STATUS OF PROPERTY DISPOSAL

1. The closing date for disestablishing the station remains June 30, 1966, under the planned phaseout procedure.

2. To date three portions of excess areas at the depot have been processed for approval. The three portions are as follows:

(a) 194.86 acres was approved by DOD on December 20, 1960.

(b) 10,566 acres was approved by DOD on December 21, 1960.

(c) 86 acres was transferred to U.S. Air Force A.C. & W. site with Navy approval as of February 21, 1961.

3. The previous plan to transfer part of the station to the Department of the Army has been suspended. At this time the plan is to turn the property over to the General Services Administration for disposal.

Mr. WEAVER. What is the value of the ammunition you have there? Admiral STROOP. It is $254.8 million. This is one of the things that makes it a difficult problem. There is lots of ammunition there. It is really cheaper to take a long phasing out period than it is to move it all out at one time.

Mr. WEAVER. That is what you had written me by letter.
Admiral STROOP. That still holds.

Mr. WEAVER. If you would go into that particular phase of it, I am sure that that would be of especial interest to the people of that area and of Hastings.

May I call to the attention of the chairman and members of the committee that Admiral Pirie is one of my well-known constituents from the First Congressional District of Nebraska, which I represent, and I know that the air naval operations are always in good hands as long as Admiral Pirie is on the job.

Admiral PIRIE. Thank you, Mr. Weaver.

Mr. WEAVER. That is all I have.

Mr. SIKES. Mr. Minshall.

Mr. MINSHALL. I have no questions, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. SIKES. Thank you very much, gentlemen.

I believe we will have time for the opening statement on medical care of the Navy.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1961.

MEDICAL CARE

WITNESSES

REAR ADM. E. C. KENNEY, USN, CHIEF, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY

VICE ADM. JOHN SYLVESTER, USN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (LOGISTICS)

T. J. HICKEY, COMPTROLLER, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY REAR ADM. M. A. HIRSCH, USN, ASSISTANT COMPTROLLER, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND REPORTS

GENERAL STATEMENT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY REAR ADM. EDWARD C. KENNEY, MEDICAL CORPS, U.S. NAVY, CHIEF, BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY

Edward Christopher Kenney was born in Corning, Ohio, on February 19, 1904, son of Mrs. James (Carrie Heckenhaner) Kenney and the late Mr. Kenney. He received his early education from public schools in Bucyrus, Ohio, and was graduated from Denison University, Granville, Ohio, with a bachelor of science degree in 1926. He then studied medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he received the degree of doctor of medicine in 1929.

Read Admiral Kenney has served at continental and extracontinental Naval Medical Department activities, aboard combatant ships of the fleet, and with the U.S. Marine Corps. His duties at various naval hospitals have included service as chief of medicine, executive officer, and commanding officer.

On August 9, 1957, his selection for the rank of rear admiral was approved by the President and in March 1958 he reported as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for Personnel and Professional Operations, Department of the Navy. In May 1959 he was designated Deputy and Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. On February 14, 1961, Admiral Kenney took the oath of office as Surgeon General of the Navy to serve for a period of 4 years.

Among the medals and decorations awarded him are the Navy Cross; the Bronze Star medal with Combat "V"; the China Service Medal; the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three engagement stars; the World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp; the National Defense Service Medal; and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, with two stars.

Professional associations: Rear Admiral Kenney is a member of the American Medical Association, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Alpha Kappa Kappa fraternities.

Rear Admiral Kenney and his wife, the former Helen Ruth Dern of Washington Court House, Ohio, have two children: Joan Barbara and James Warren Kenney. The official residence of the Kenneys is 559 Roger Street, Bucyrus, Ohio. Admiral KENNY. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, it is a pleasure for me to be here before you today.

This is my first appearance before this committee as Surgeon General of the Navy. I have a statement in regard to the fiscal requirements in 1962 for funds for the medical services which we provide.

It is a pleasure to appear before you to report on the medical care program of the Navy, and to explain our financial requirements in carrying out our program responsibilities. Our programs conform to and support the overall planning objectives and policies which have been presented to you by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

During the past year, emphasis on improvement in all facets of medical care has been continued and the results have been rewarding. Patient care, naturally, continues to be our primary consideration and received a preponderance of Medical Department efforts.

The health of the Navy is excellent. There were no major epidemics in Navy and Marine Corps personnel despite their deployment to every corner of the world. In fiscal year 1959, approximately 12 out of every 1,000 active duty personnel were on the sicklist each day of the year. In this past year, in spite of a slightly higher admission rate, the number of naval personnel off duty due to illness was 11 per 1,000. This favorable influence on the noneffective rate was the result of a program in all medical facilities designed to reduce the length of patient stay without prejudice to a high level of professional care. The maximum use of outpatient services played a part in keeping personnel at their duty stations.

Dependent care in naval hospitals increased substantially in 1960. Dependent admissions increased from 87,211 to 101,748 or about 17 percent. Outpatient work units increased from 1,868,107 to 2, 134,577 or over 14 percent. There was more than a 36 percent increase in births over the previous year-from 26,033 to 35,534. It is interesting to note that despite the gradual reduction from 1956 of active duty strength of the Navy and Marine Corps, there has been a steady increase in the dependent population. During this period, the average number of dependents per active duty man has increased from 0.87 to 1.15 or over 32 percent. These figures do not include dependents of retired or deceased personnel who, of course, are eligible for treatment in our medical facilities.

The Dental Division found the dental health of recruits to be continuously poor and a high percentage of dental personnel had to be assigned to the correction of their defects. Over 6 percent of all recruits required extensive dental treatment and had to be placed in a holding company to complete their treatment prior to commencing training and reassignment to permanent stations.

While the traditional clinical phases of medicine which are concerned with patient care remained of paramount importance, there was continuing and increasing emphasis on the military medical specialties of submarine medicine, aviation medicine, preventive medicine, amphibious and field medicine, and the medical aspects of special weapons defense. The Navy cooperated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the medical aspects of its program.

Significant accomplishments in aviation medicine were also made in the last year. The Mark IV full pressure suit, which was designed at the Naval Air Crew Equipment Laboratory in Philadelphia, has been selected as the one to be worn by the astronauts in Project Mercury. Delivery and testing of the new Mark V exposure suit by personnel at operation units is underway. The Mark V is an improved cold immersion protective suit.

A program of hearing conservation has been under study aboard carriers and at air stations and an evaluation of protective devices is in progress.

The accelerated building of nuclear powered ships has placed an unanticipated workload upon the Medical Department. A medical of