Evening star., 1940-02-25
Enlisted Men to Get Tests
For Guard Commissions
Bronch Examinations Ordered
To Provide Eligible List

Opportunity for q number Of en-
listed men Of the District National
Guard to obtain commissions, either
in the militia here or In the Ma.
tional Guard Of the United States
will be provided in the near future
1t was announced by Brigade Head
quarters. Orders are now in course
Of preparation for the calling up
for examination of young men now
on the eligible list for commissions
While there may not be enough
vacancies In the commissioned
grades Of the local Guard to place
all Of those who successfully pass
the examinations, nevertheless II
they do pass they will be assured
OF commissions In the event that
international developments necessi-
tate the declaration Of an emer-
gency calling all Of the armed forces
to the colors. Those who pass will
be given commissions In the Ma
tional Guard Of the United States
even though they remain in the
ranks Of the Guard. However
although they continue to serve in
the militia, their commissions i'm
mediately will come into being when
called into the service, the men
going from their enlisted to their
commissioned status. These COM
missions, If there should be no call
to the colors, will remain effective
as long as the men remain in the
Guard.
Because the ranks Of the organi-
cations would be Immediately de-
pleted, should there be a call into
the Regular service, by virtue of
these commissions, the militia au-
thorities are making every effort to
fill their ranks up to the full
strength allocated to them some
months ago. While an increase of
535 enlisted men was authorized
some months ago, 1t was said that
only about so per cent of this incre-
ment had been obtained.
The approaching examinations
will be the branch" examinations,
so called because the subjects deal
with military matters in the par
ticular arm Of the service In which
the. men are seeking commissions.
All of those eligible have taken
the educational examinations, which
are given for the purpose OF de-
termining whether the candidates
have sufficient education to permit
them to qualify as officers.
Increased interest is being shown
by many young men Of the city in
the opportunity furnished for be-
coming cadets at the United States
Military Academy through an en-
listment in the National Guard, it
was said at Brigade Headquarters.
A number of letters have been re-
ceived asking for information con-
corning the possibility of capturing
one OF these appointments. Exam
nations for appointment are COM
petitive, but that marks made in
the tests are not the only ones
that count in the general average,
the highest of which obtains the
appointment.
Those who are making inquiries
now will not be eligible to contest
for the appointment until 1s4l, but,
is was added, If they enter now, they
will gain certain advantages over
those who do not enlist until until
later. Although one of the require.
ments is that the man must have
served one year as an enlisted man,
nevertheless II man serves 4
longer period In the ranks he gets q
higher mark for length Of service
and by virtue of the fact that he
would have attended more field
training camps, so, it was explained,
a man with less service and train
ing camp duty might make a higher
mark in the mental examinations
nevertheless the man with longer
service and a lower mark in the
educational tests might win the ap-
pOintment because of these facts.