Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-11-21
National Guard

The following memorandum, under
! date of Nov. 20 has been issued from
J the Office of Adjutant General George
Mel. Presson:
| Subject: Pay Of enlisted men under
Section 10, Act of June 8, 1916.
| 1. Inquiry having been made with
regard to pay of enlisted men under
! Section 10 of the Act of June 8, 1916
it is the opinion of the War Depart
ment that the pay provided for by this
| section is for periods of service and
that the requirements of the act with
reference to attendance at drills is not
the actual basis of such payment, but
only marks their qualification for the
period payment.
| 2. Section 40 of the Act of June 3
| 1916, provides for the payment of each
enlisted man of the National Guard al
rate equal to Is per cent. of the in
| itial pay of enlisted men in CORE
spending grades of the regular army
except during periods of service for
which he may become lawfully en-
| titled to the same pay as an enlisted
man of corresponding grade in the reg
ular army" subject to specified condi-
tons respecting attendance at drills.
| These conditions may be set forth
briefly as follows:
(a) In order to receive the total au-
thorized amount of pay for any one
year an enlisted man must have at
tended a minimum number Of AZ reg
ular drills during the year. For at
tendance at a lesser number during the
year, but not less than "a, he is entitled
to receive a proportionate amount.
CO Compensation is to be COM
puted for semi annual periods, begin
ming Jan. l and July l of each year
"in proportion to the number of drills
attended," within the limitations men,
toned in (a). If a soldier attends few
err than "A regular drills during the
first semi annual period, no pay be-
comes due for that period, but the
number of drills which he attended
during such first period shall be reck-
, oned with the drills attended during
the second semi -annual period in COM
putting compensation, if any, due him
| for the whole year.
| (c) When any man enters an en-
listment other than an immediate re-
, enlistment he shall be entitled to pro-
portional compensation for that year,
if during the remainder of the year he
shall attend a number of drills whose
ratio to % is not less than the ratio
of the part of the year SO served to
the whole year, and when any mans
enlistment shall expire the compensa-
ton, if any, to which he may be en-
titled shall be determined in like man.
ner.
3. In addition to the foregoing, I'M
der Section 70, Act of June 3, 1916,
each enlisted man must qualify as a
member of the National Guard by
signing the enlistment contract and
taking and subscribing to the oath of
enlistment as prescribed by that sec
ton, and further, under Section 81 of
the Act of June g. 1916. the minimum
attendance and duration of drill of an
organization to which the enlisted
man belongs, in order that credit for
drill may be given, must be that pre-
scribed by the President as set forth
in circular letter of this bureau dated
Oct. 10, 1915, (325.1D, and which Will
appear shortly in Circular No. 20. Mil
tia Bureau, 1916. See General Orders
No. 10. A. G. O., Oct. y, 1915.
4. The periods of service constitute
the actual and primary basis of COM
putinp payments under Section 10.
The compensation is payable, except
':during periods of service" for which
the soldier becomes entitled to full pay.
For fractional periods, at the begin
ming or termination of an enlistment
period, the service period is the basis
of computations; that is. the soldier IS
entitled to proportional compensation
for that year provided he attends a
number of drills whose ratio to "A is
not less than the ratio of the part of
the wear so served to the whole year.
s. Qualification under Section 20,
Act of June 3, 1915. will be regarded
as an original enlistment respecting
pay as provided in third provlso OF
Section 10 of the act.
6. The pay provided in Section ITO,
Act of June 8. 1916, for semi annual
periods beginning July 1, 1916. will be
computed on the fractional computa-
ton stated above as follows:
(a) For enlisted men of the Nation
al Guard in, or who have been in, the
service of the United States. from the
day after they have been mustered out
of the service Of the United States.
(b) For enlisted men of the Ma
tional Guard who were not called into
the service from the date of recogni-
ton as National Guard of the organ
ization to which they belong.
(c) The classes under (a) and (b)
in addition must be qualified and must
have complied with all the conditions
enumerated in this letter.
Z. With regard to computing the
number of drills or periods of instruc-
tion which will entitle officers and en-
listed men to pay under the provisions
Of Section 10. Act of June 3, 1916, it
is the opinion of the war department
that the assembly at the armory for
regular drill and instruction, including
indoor target practice during a single
day shall constitute one drill only even
though the. period of actual military
duty and instruction participated in by
each officer and enlisted man should he
more than twice the minimum REQUIRE.
ment of at least one and one-half
hours duration.
g. An assembly for armory drill and
instruction may be held out of doors
However, the character Of the instruc.
ton must be that prescribed by the
war department for armory instruction
9. Practice marches, tactical and
combat exercise, other field exercises