Sport: The Army Racquet

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Today's Army values athletes . . .

And today's athlete can develop in the Army. Because we have every sport imaginable. For every level of talent. In the finest playing facilities . . .

Today's athlete will like other things about the Army. The opportunity to learn a skill. A starting salary of $288 a month. All meals, housing, clothing, medical and dental care free. And 30 days' paid vacation a year.

So reads, in part, the text of a current U.S. Army recruitment advertisement, which also includes color photographs of nine contented young men clad in sports attire ranging from a fencing suit to boxing trunks. Altogether, it is an alluring ad, the sort of thing that might well tempt a young jock to join up. But if the Army really wants to jam its recruiting offices, it might do better to focus its advertising on an actual case history: specifically, that of Tennis Player First Class (and Specialist Fourth Class) Stanley Roger Smith.

Sometimes known as "Steamer" because of his hot serve, Smith was drafted in December 1970; since then he has become a living testimonial to the veracity of the Army's ad. He has, for instance, developed into perhaps the nation's—if not the world's —best tennis player; and he certainly has made use of the finest playing facilities, such as center court at Wimbledon and Forest Hills.

Smith, 25, has even learned a new skill: journalism. He writes a tennis column for the Washington Evening Star Syndicate. But even before his military service, he had another nontennis talent that will stand him in good stead when his Army tour ends this December: he is a business and finance graduate of the University of Southern California. At least one big businessman already keen to hire him is PepsiCo's Chairman Don Kendall, with whom Smith signed an endorsement contract last year.

Various endorsements, in fact, helped boost Smith's earnings last year by about $60,000, which is considerably more than General William Westmoreland made as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ($36,000). Smith picked up about $25,000 more playing on Army time in tennis matches across the U.S. and in Europe.* He also won an undisclosed amount playing on his own time on vacations, special leave, weekends and after 5 p.m. on weekdays. And he earned $4,200 as an Army specialist fourth class.

As for free meals, Smith gets plenty of them, if not from the Army, then from tennis promoters or other well-wishers. Housing? He travels so much that he spends little time either on Army bases, or at the "Spanish" villa he bought last year on the grounds of the South Carolina private resort that lists him as its touring pro. Free clothes are no problem. Apart from Army issue, he gets a good supply of civilian garb from manufacturers whose clothing he endorses.

Exploitation. The Army, as advertised, provides Smith with medical and dental care, as well as 30 days of paid vacation. Last year he also enjoyed an extra nine days of special leave, plus seven months on temporary duty, during which he played in 14 tennis tournaments.