Evening star., 1928-04-15

number Of officers Mai n. \. Darsne,
IN the Army arc Air Corps officers,
there being SOS officers in that branch,
the average strength of the rest Of N"
commissioned force being l0.9lO.
The high rate of casualties IN the Air
Corps is evidenced by the fact that IN
the five-year period just passed there
have been liS deaths in the Air Corps
and Is4 ii the other branches Of the
service
Complaint has been made, Mai, Dar-
sue pointed out. that the Air Corps has
not sufficient officers in field grade to
carry on its prescribed duties, and 1t
frequently happens that heutenantS are
required to perform the duties assigned
10 officers in the rank c. leCteESn,
colonel in the other combatant branches
OF the Army There are but colonies
in the Air Corps, Is lieutenant colonies,
of whom are detailed, and approNi-
mately 100 majors The tive-year pro-
gram calls for many more than this,
and If the Air Corps is going TO hold
its place as an efficient c0moatant
branch Of the regular establishment
more officers must be provided for that
branch. Thn Furlow proposal pro-
vlded for the advance OF officers IN
that corps 10 first lieutenant after
years service. captain after years.
after IS years and colonel after IS
years.
With reference to the hazards Of fiy-
ing, Mai. DargGe explained that board
appointed by the War Department 10
study this question reached the conclu-
sion from a report secured from the
Department of Labor that flying is 81
times as hazardous 10 life and Z times
as hazardous to limb as the most haz-
IS sal, 1sos
department has any record N4nety-five
per cent Of the deaths of Air Corps
officers are the result of casualties,
While in the other branches Of the Army
deaths from accident amount to only
% per cent. In the event the Furlow
proposal is adopted for the Air Corps.
about 400 officers would be advanced
from the so-calied hump and advanced
tn higher grade. The record of Air
Corps casualties shows that in 1913 and
1914 one death resulted for every 100
hours of flying, while from 1915 10 1922
the rate was one death for each 1000
hours Of flying. The record for the
past five years shows that one death
has resulted between 1000 and 1000
hours OF flying The great reduction
IN the Air Corps death rate is due
largely TO the adoption OF parachutes,
which are used by all Air Corps officers
when engaged IN nylng.
Col Rex II. Rhoades, head of the
Dental Corps. who will complete his
four-year detail as the chief of that
service on June g. win be succeeded
by Col. Julien r. Bernheim. now on
duty at Fort Sam Houston, Tex The
latter officer was promoted from lieu-
tenant colonel to colonel as OF April g.
Col. Rl1oades' new assignment will be
Fort Mcpherson, Ga, where he will
relieve Col. George H Casaday, Dental
Corps who has been ordered to Letter
man General Hospital for duty
Mas George H Brett Harrison
Fl G. Richards. Arnold N Krogstad and
Roy S. Brown and First Lieut.. Charles
B. Austin. all Army Air Corps officers,
have been designated By the War De-
partment as students at the command
and general staff school at Fort Leav-
enworth for the l925-29 two-year
course.
Tire 1920 class Of the Army Vet
erinarv School Washington. d. c.. viii
be composed of the following officers:
Capts. Pred c. Waters. Philip Riedel.
Peter r. Carpenter and Edwin X.
Rogers, and Second Lieuts. Charles s
Greer and John L. Owens.