Evening star., 1942-10-04
Army Announcement
Clarifies Status Of
Officers Of Like Rank
Precedence Is Ruled
By Dates Set Forth
In Commissions

In order to remove uncertainty
among many Army officers concern
ing the relative rank Of officers of
the same grade, the War Depart
ment issued instructions last week
prescribing what active commits
stoned service may be counted by
regular officers, reserve officers, and
commissioned personnel Of the Ma
tional Guard.
According to the National De-
fense Act. unless special assignment
is made by the President, all officers
Of the Army of the United States
in active service in any grade shall
take rank according to date In
the case of officers of the Regular
Army, the date Of their rank is
stated in their commissions or let
ters of appointment.
On being called to active duty in
the Federal service, Reserve and Ma
tional Guard officers dates of rank
are stated in their orders and are
computed on the basis of their pre-
vious active Federal service in the
grade in which called or any higher
grade, plus, for National Guard Of
ficers, certain State service spe-
cifically authorized to be counted
for this purpose by the National De-
fense Act.
Officers Of all components in the
same grade whose dates of rank
are the same, the War Department
announcement states, take rank on
the basis of the total length OF &C
tive commissioned service in the
Army in all grades
The confusion that has existed in
the minds of many officers as to a
correct Interpretation of active COM
missioned service in the Army"
means active Federal service. AS a
result of his ruling, Regular Army
officer counts all of his active COM
missioned service as such, plus any
service he might have had in the
active Federal service as Reserve
of National Guard officer.
Under that ruling, a Reserve officer
counts all time he has been on &C
tive Federal service (active duty as
a commissioned officer of the Regular
Army, Officers Reserve Corps, or the
National Guard.
National Guard officers may count
all time they have served in active
Federal service as commissioned Of
flcers of the Regular Army, Officers
Reserve Corps, or National Guard.
Service as National Guard officers at
summer training camps, maneuvers,
and other exercises, service at
schools conducted by Regular Army
officers or in small-arms competi-
tions, and service at the special or
general service schools of the Army
are considered State service, and
not, therefore, "active Federal serv-
ice."
Brig. Gen. Frank E. Lowe. who has
been on duty as executive officer for
Reserve affairs In the War Depart
ment, has been succeeded by Col
Edward w. Smith. Gen. Lowe has
been given an assignment as liaison
officer between the Truman Com
mittee and the War Department.
Army officers on duty in the Dis
trict of Columbia changed over to
winter service uniform on October 1
The olive-drab service coat will be
worn with either the Sam Browne
belt or the cloth belt; dark or light
shade elastique trousers are optional
as are the olive drag wool service
cap or the wool garrison cap.
The Office of Army headquar-
ters has been established at the
headquarters Of Brig. Gen. John T
Lewis, commanding general of the
Washington Military District, and
1t. Col. Henry w. Isbell, Inf
has been designated for this duty.
AS Army headquarters comman-
dant, Col. Isbell will supervise loca,
internal security measures, housing
AFRAID precaution, transportation
communication, and supply. He will
also provide assistance in procur-
ing quarters for military personnel
and their families arriving in the
Military District of Washington fol
duty with Army headquarters,