Evening star., 1940-01-28
More Training Sought
For National Guard
Field Officers
Association Committee
Is Ordered to Take Steps
To Improve Conditions

In providing additional field train
ing for the organizations of the
National Guard and the officers, in
connection with the efforts to put
the units In prime of condition for
field duty in connection with the
plans for bolstering the national
defense, 1t appears that the War
Department has overlooked some
field and staff officers. There are
field and staff officers in the Guard
who are away from the units which
are scattered, and, it was indicated,
do not get the same amount of
training as provided for those
actively working with the units.
However, it was pointed out that
IN the event of the development of
an emergency which would necessi-
tate calling. every available officer to
man the organizations when units
In the mobilization camps and
for future service, these officers
would be expected to be as well
trained as those attached to the
units. Many times their duties
would be of as much, if not more,
Importance, for instance, as the
company officers, as their duties
would involve great responsibility.
Therefore, the National Guard As
sociation has ordered its Legislative
Committee to take necessary action
to correct this condition.
1t was pointed out that more ade-
quate training in the way of drills
has been ordered for organizations,
and it was added that it is highly
desirable also to provide for this
additional training for field and
staff officers on the same basis as
now Is provided for the organized
units. But, it was asserted, the
National Defense Act, as at present
written. does not permit any in
crease in the number of authorized
drills or appropriate duty periods
for this class of officers. The COM
mittee has been instructed to make
an effort to have the National De-
fense Act amended to provide that
officers below the grade of major
not belonging to organizations, shall
receive one-thirtieth of the month
ly base pay for each period of
appropriate duty performed, the
number of such periods not to ex-
ceed the number of drill periods |
authorized for organizations, and
that the same be provided for Off
GERS above the grade of captain,
with minimum s125,00O to be paid
for each quarter
Furthermore, in further effort |
to improve the training of this class
Of officers, the National Guard has
recommended that the corps area
command and general staff schools
be extended to provide during the
current year for an additional class
OF National Guard officers to con-
sist of newly students to a
frst-year course, and the course as |
now proposed for second-year stu
dents be also continued.
In some parts of the country, for
instance. there are general officers,
who, while exercising commands in |
their respective areas over State
troops, do rot have such commands
as to permit their going into the
fleld with their units during train
ing periods. Such an instance pre-
walls in the District, which has a
brigadier general in command, but
there is not brigade of a particu-
lar arm of the service, such as in
fantry, field artillery. cavalry and
the like. Tt is composite brigade
made up of troops of the various
arms, including few units which |
are attached to the division. The
result is that during the field train
Ing periods in the summer these
units go into the field as separate
regiments, but with no brigade staff !
or brigade commander. Although
authority is given for the brigade
commander to make visits to the
troops for inspection purposes, there
is no field training for brigade COM
mand provided for.