SAM DOLGOFF The Youth Army of Work (EJT) is a branch of the regular army, commanded by Commandante (equivalent to Major General) Oscar Fernândez Mell. Mell is also Vice Minister of the Revolutionary Army and a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The EJT was founded August 3, 1973 in the Province of Camagüey. On lts first annlversary, a message of congratulations grandiloquently slgned, «Fidel Castro, First Secretary of the Communlst Party and First Prime Minister of the Revolutionary Governmenb, thanks the EJT for: « ... your decislve help ln the sugar harvests of 1974. Your formidable work ln fulfilllng agricultural plans, in the construction of schools, factories, housing and ferries surpasses even the extraordinary achlevements of preceeding organizations ... , And Castro's brother, who signs himself, «Raul Castro Ruz, Commander of Division and Mlnister of the Armed Forces,: « ... sends our most fraternal greetings to nll soldiers, officers, under officers [non-commissloned sergeants, corporals, etc.] and political commissars of the Youth Army of Work, and exorts them to perfect themselves politically, and ideologically for combat ... as we have already sald on other occasions, we are certain that this army will become a true bastion of production and defense of the Revolutlon ... , (36). K. S. Karol commenting on the massive militarization of Iabor whlch reached a hlgh point ln the 1968 «Revolutionary Offensive, tells how « ... the whole country, was, in tact, reorganized on the mode of the army. . . Command Posts were set up. . . in every province . . . Labor Brigades were turned into batalllons, each dlvided into three squads, Ied by a Major and a Chief of Operations ... the Che Guevara Brigade [on the agricultural production front] ... was under the direct control of the army ... , (37). The Armed Forces A T THE INCEPTION of the Revolution Castro was acclaimed by the people when he vowed to curb the power of the mmtary, reduced the highest rank in the rebel army to Major and eventually abolish the army entirely ln favor of the People's Mllitias. 60 (36) Granma., August, 18, 1974. (37) Karol, ibid., p. 444-445.
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