Evening star., 1940-11-17
National Guard Units Must
Keep Within Peace Strength
Increases in Personnel Cause
Problems for Army in Field

Problems for Army i
Appearance Of some National
Guard units in the training camps
after induction into the Federal
service with personnel in excess of
the peace strength allowed has
caused serious problems to the Army.
The result is that the Army has had
to issue very stringent instructions
to organizations yet to be ordered
into the service that the peace
strength cannot be exceeded because
that it causes serious housing and
equipment problems which the Army
is unable to handle under the pres
ent conditions.
Under the present regulations at
their home stations. National Guard
units are not permitted to have a
greater number than so-called Ma
tional Guard" strength on their &C
tive rolls. But they are permitted
to enlist men in excess of this num-
Der and place them on the inactive
lists. When the call comes for field
service for the planned period of one
year of training, the men on the
inactive lists will also be called for
this service in order that the units
may report at the training camps
with their peace strength.
Those organizations which now
have on their rolls, including active
and inactive personnel, numbers
which are in excess of the peace
strength of their units must cease
recruiting until their numbers are
reduced to the numbers fixed in the
| National Guard tables of organiza-
ton.
The deductions to be made from
these new orders is that the Ma
tional Guard units are able to get
many volunteers, men who are join
ing the Guard in order to advance
their training instead of waiting
until they are called in the draft.
But the reduction of the units will
! compel a number Of men under
these plans either to wait their turn
under the selective service plans or
to enter the Regular Army. In the
latter case it means longer enlist
ment. Although the enlistment in
the Guard is for three years. the
men are not expected to stay in the
field for more than year of train
ing
The National Guard may be able
to provide promotions for more OF its
enlisted men before going into the
field for training, according to new
instructions which have been re-
ceived from the War Department.
The local officials have been in
formed that if officers Of any OF the
units are called into active service,
prior to the time that their units
are called, then a vacancy in the
commissioned grades of that unit
may be declared, and steps taken TO
| fill it. For instance, If a major was
called into service, when captain
would be promoted. and other va
cancies created by this line OF sue
/ cession filled until a new second
1 lieutenant is picked from the ranks.
| It was announced that number,
of course, are being made available
| to National Guard officers at the
Command and General Staff School
at Fort Leavenworth, and that some
of the local officers might seek the
privilege of attending one OF them.
The first of these added courses
for the militia is to be Started on
December 2 and will last for two
months. Oficers who are selected
to attend them will be expected to
return to their organizations while
in the field and will be available for
giving instruction to those who were
unable to attend the courses.
1t was indicated that number of
the officers of the local brigade have
| qualified themselves for candidates
| for these courses by virtue OF the
fact that they have completed GER
tain of the Army's correspondence
courses. which provide them with
| the ground work which is the basis
! of the course. There is said to be
on file at the War Department ap-
plications of number of local Off
GERS to take the courses, and it is
expected the Army will make selec-
tions from these recommendations
from brigade headquarters.
/ Members of the National Guard
who have less than four months to
serve on their present enlistments
| at the time they are inducted into
the Army of the United States for
year of field training will be i'm
mediately discharged, according to
instructions received from the War
Department. They are to be dis
charged "for the convenience Of the
Government" prior to their de-
parture for the field training camps,
| it was said.
1t has been determined by the
Army that it would be useless to
take such men into the field for
such a short period and then be
faced with the expense of trans
porting them back to their home
stations if they decided not to re-
enlist. Of course, it was said that
if these men are of draft age their
names will be certified Immediately
to the local boards in the area in
which they live, so that they would
be required to register and then
would take their turns in being
called into the service for training.
However, it was said that i'm
mediately upon discharge because
of the short terms they will have to
serve. these men may take their field
training with their units as they
would be permitted to Immediately