Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
Civilian Army News

AS was anticipated in this column
last week, the board of Reserve officers
that concluded its deliberations In
! the War Department last week recon-
mended that the affairs of the Ofil-
GERS Reserve Corps of the Army of the
/ United States should be solely and en-
! tirely committed to the War Depart
ment under the chief of staff" The
/ board felt that as the Reserve Corps
/ is q part of the Army of the United
| States and Is a strictly Federal force, its
affairs should be handled as are those
of the Regular Army, the policies made
by the general staff. and the operations
conducted by the adjutant generalS
office This will be read by Washing
ton Reserve officers with great deal
of interest, as the action of the board III
voting down the proposal to establish a
separate Reserve bureau in the War
Department which has been an ami
mated topic. subject of discussion for
some time. diSmisSeS, at least for some
time to come. the reconsideration of the
proposal.
Three hundred hours credit, in the
opinion of the board. is not a proper or
sufficient qualification for promotion,
and it was recommended that this pro-
vision be stricken from the regulations.
Il
dual status--that is. holding both Re-
serve and National Guard commission
it was recommended that the national
defense act should be so amended as
to create an additional corps of officers,
to be designated the Guard Corps" or
by some other appropriate name other
than the officers Reserve Corps, and
in which all officers holding commits
Sions in the National Guard may be
commissioned. Upon being so COM
miSsioned they would have all the
rights and privileges and status that
National Guard officers now have in the
officers Reserve Corps, but such rights
and privileges and status would be in
the new corps and not in the officers
Reserve Corps as now constituted.
Another recommendation made by
the board in which widespread interest
is being taken is that it should be pos
sibie for a Reserve officer to transfer
to or from an unassigned status. or the
S0-Called inactive list upon his own
request at any time and without re-
gard to the date of expiration of his
commission If or when such applica-
ton for transfer shall have been ap-
proved by the corps area commander.
The beard felt that an officer should
not be placed on the inactive list by
action of any authority outside of his
own voluntary action or automatic ac-
ton by failure to earn his 200 hours
credit or a certificate OF capacity
within the five years
It was also recommended by the
board that Reserve officers who are
asked to serve on boards on an active
duty status should not be deprived of
the opportunity to serve with their units
the same fiscal year on an active-duty
status.
An instructive schedule of training
has been arranged for the 428th Infan-
try, Washington's lone colored regi-
ment. commanded by Lieut.. Col. West
A. Hamilton, that will undergo its IA
days of active duty training at Camp
Albert c. Ritchie. Cascade, Md. The
instruction of the regiment during the
training at Camp Richie will be under
the supervision of Maj. william A.
Jones, Infantry, assistant unit instruc-
tor at Washington Reserve headquar-
tiers. The camp training viii begin
August - and will conclude August IS
The subjects taken up during the first
week of the camp include the follow
ing Observation drill instruction, lee
ture on camp sanitation and first aid,
close order drill-combat practice; lee
ture and problem on company mobi-
lization and organization. battalion and
company march order and advanced
guard orders, outpost orders, battalion
and company approach march. lecture
on signal Communications and COM
mand posts. battalion and company in
attack. bc:talioI. and company in de-
Tense and organization of position, OBJ
inspection and lecture on the
care of equipment and making packs.
A number of critiques will follow some
Of the above lectures.
The second week of the camp train
ing viii embrace the following sub
jects. Rifle craftsmanship and range