ing in-country were often assigned in their secondary military occupational specialty. Until this deficiency was corrected, records of incoming personnel were carefully screened and qualified individuals were diverted to medical facilities where their specialized training and experience could be better utilized.

The primary treatment goal of physical therapy was the rehabilitation of patients who were capable of being returned to duty. For patients requiring evacuation, treatment was aimed toward starting basic rehabilitation, procedures which could be continued throughout the evacuation, process. Because of the relatively short periods of hospitalization of patients in Vietnam, physical therapy during the initial years, was largely limited to ward-treatment programs, although a number of outpatients were treated in some hospitals. Because, commanding officers were so pleased to have the services of physical therapists, they were most co-operative in providing space for clinics and helping to procure equipment. As facilities and equipment were improved, the types of treatment available in physical therapy clinics were also expanded. More long-term treatment programs, particularly for Vietnamese patients, were initiated, and a great deal of emphasis was placed on training Vietnamese technicians in physical therapy techniques and procedures. Physical therapists volunteered their services to civilian hospitals and rehabilitation centers to assist in treatment of civilian casualties. In May 1970, at the request of the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, a physical therapist was assigned to that command to participate in rehabilitation programs being established in ARVN hospitals. Her primary responsibility was training Vietnamese to conduct these programs.