because of a developing shortage, the Medical, Surgical and neuropsychiatric consultants were granted authority to assign in oncoming MC officers (except MOS 3100—General Medical Officer) directly to hospitals and to monitor and control all reassignments of MC officers. A severe shortage existed throughout the year in MOS 3131 (Neurosurgeon). In March 1969, the information office began publication of a unit newspaper, "The 44th Brigadier." The paper was printed by the 222d Personnel Services Company. It was in multilith format, and is length varied from 10 to 14 pages. The primary purpose of this newspaper was to provide a means of exchanging information about brigade units located throughout RVN, from the DMZ to the delta. It also included the important function of providing command information. Also published by the information office during the year were two handbooks, "Guide for Information Officers" and "Guide to the Army Hometown News Release Program. The purpose of these publications was to provide necessary guidance to individuals who performed the information function as an additional duty within their particular units, but who have little background training in the information field. During the last two months of 1969, the information office began more extensive work in the area of television news coverage. One Command Information show was made by AFVN concerning the CHAMPUS program. Others were planned in the areas of mental hygiene consultation service, rabies, and accident prevention. On December 24, 1969, representatives from United Press International made a film of a Christmas party held at an orphanage in Tan Heip, Vietnam. This party was sponsored by the staff of the 93d Evacuation Hospital. The film was to be shown nationwide in the United States. During 1969, the morale and welfare branch continued to supervise and administer the following brigade programs: Awards Non-appropriated Funds Safety Special Services Savings General Educational Development The awards program underwent considerable revision during 1969. In 1968 the average time elapsed from the date of receipt of a recommendation for a meritorious service award to the date the award element were forwarded to the individual concerned had been five to six weeks. By streamlining all phases of awards processing this time has been reduced to an average of ten to fourteen days, without sacrificing a high degree of evaluation and without additional personnel. Only those awards which had to be forwarded to Headquarters, USARV for approval required longer than two weeks for