HistoryFull.pub - United States Transportation Command

tial backing were instrumental in forcing a reinstatement of the courier service two years later. Butthis rebirth was very inauspicious with only a relative handful of couriers being funded.Prior to World War II, and for a brief period thereafter,War Department classified material was sent throughregistered mail channels and, within the continentalUnited States (CONUS), by military message centers.Any classified material destined to overseas areas wasentered into the State Department’s Diplomatic CourierService. Under the provisions of an Act of Congress,24 Army officers were detailed to the State Departmentto serve as diplomatic couriers for six months.Prior to the commencement of WWII, the Army usedcouriers for the express purpose of moving material andcommunications between War Department offices andgeneral headquarters of separate theaters of operations,and between the theater headquarters and major tacticalunits within the theater. This service provided securemovement of Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential communications. This need for rapid and reliablecommunications grew as war clouds began to form over Europe and Asia. Interest in a viable courierservice grew accordingly.World War IIOfficers Detailed to the Department ofStateBy War Department Directive G-1/16396-121, 24 December 1941, subject: Constitutionand Activation of the Army Courier Service, the Adjutant General (TAG) of theArmy was directed to activate the Army Courier Service. It was formally activated on9 March 1942 and performed wide-ranging courier missions. Shortly thereafter, effective20 March, the Army Postal Division was established, and charged with administrativesupervision of both the Army Postal Service and Army Courier Service.When activated, the Army Courier Service was comprised only of officer personnel. They providedservice within the continental United States (CONUS) and between CONUS and Hawaii, Australia,Africa, and the Middle East for important official military communications. This officer courier serviceinitially operated only “on call,” and was used to transmit communications, both classified andunclassified, marked “For Transmission by Hand of Officer Couriers Only,” or to serve addresseeslocated at points other than those served by the Enlisted Courier Service (see below). Couriers traveledprimarily by air and each article was personally escorted to its destination. Later, the list of materialto be moved was expanded.Shortly thereafter, on 2 May, an Enlisted Courier Service, composed of two officers and 52 enlistedmen, was also inaugurated. This organization was tasked to transmit Secret and Confidential matterbetween the War Department and principal Army and other U.S. government agencies located withinWashington, D.C., or in the local vicinity. Initially, a total of 27 organizations was involved, but thisnumber grew to more than 300 activities. The Enlisted Courier Service operated 7 days per week betweenthe hours of 0800 and 2400.Faced with difficulties in securing priority for air travel for couriers, the decision was made aboutthis point in time to establish “courier transfer stations” (CTS) at principal points in CONUS andoverseas theaters. This permitted the selection and “designation” as couriers of officers who alreadyhad travel priorities and were destined for locations to which courier pouches were addressed. ThisPAGE ~ 7