Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-10
Discharge Requires IS Points,
Based on Service Time Overseas
Number Of Children and Awards
Temporary Score
OF AZ Is Fixed
For WACS
(Tert OF Decentralization Plan
on Page Al

To be discharged from the
Army, soldiers will need a mini.
mum of IS points, scored on the
basis of length of service, over.
seas and combat credits and par
enthood, the War Department
announced today in making
public its point system for de-
mobilization of an estimated
100000 enlisted men within the
next year.
Men with this total will be con-
sidered eligible for release and will
start moving next week for separa-
ton centers. For members of the
Womens Army Corps, a temporary
score of Al points has been set.
How Points Are Counted.
The points for each of the -four
factors for discharge are as follows
Service credit-one point for each
month of Army service since Sep
temeber 16, 1910 More than Is
days will be counted as a month";
Overseas credit-one point for
each month served overseas since
September Is. 1910.
Combat credit-five points for
each combat award, ranging from
the Distinguished Service Cross to
battle participation stars.
Parenthood credit-l2 points for
each child under 18 years up to a
limit of three children.
Separate critical scores for each
of the three services ground, air
and service forces-Will be estab-
lished in about six weeks, the de-
partment said. Because of the time
it will require to compute these, an
interim score of IS was set.
Final Score to Be Lower.
While the critical score will be
based on how many men the Army
can spare and arrive at a net
strength Of 6,968,000 within a year,
Maj. Gen. William F. Tompkins,
director OF the Special Planning
Division, said the score finally ar
rived at will be slightly lower
thereby giving more men a chance
for discharge.
The department said enlisted men
with the highest point totals will
become eligible for release from the
Army except where considerations
OF military necessity make it i'm
possible to let them go until quail
fed requirements can be obtained.
This exception applies particu-
larry to men possessing special skills
required in the war against japan
and to men in units that will have
to move into the Pacific so swiftly
that no opportunity is provided for
replacing men with high scores until
they reach the new theater."
The combat credits are based on
awards of the Distinguished Service
Cross, Legion of Merit, Silver Star.
Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldiers
Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Air
Medal. Purple Heart and Bronze
Service Stars (battle participation
stars.
Credit also will be given for the
following naval decorations to
Army personnel: Navy Cross, Distin-
guished Service Medal, Legion of
Merit. Silver Star Medal, Distin-
guished Flying Cross, Navy and Ma
rine Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Air
Medal and Purple Heart Medal.
Method for Officers Tougher.
In addition, credit will be given
for awards and decorations of a for
eign country which may be accepted
and worn under War Department
regulations in effect when this pro-
gram went into operation.
The department said the method
for releasing officers will be tough
er than the plan for enlisted per-
sonnet primarily because officers
have received additional training,
have heavier responsibilities and
have developed specialized skills and
leadership capacity"
Therefore, the department said.
although officers will have an ad-
justed service ratings score based
on the same multiples as for en-
listed personnel, this factor will be
secondary to the prime requirements
OF military necessity"
Example of Count.
To Illustrate how the point system
works, the Army gave the following
example:
Let us suppose that a soldier has
been in the Army SO months, has
served overseas for 18 months, has
won the Silver Star and Purple
Heart, has participated in three
major campaigns and is the father
of a child under 10. He would re-
ceive SO points in service credit, Is
points in overseas credit, Is points
in combat credit and IL points in
parenthood credit. His total score
would be 81 points"
Because of the requirements of
the war against Japan, the War
Department said, the strength of
the Army Service Forces and the
Army Air Forces will be reduced
much less than the strength of the
Army Ground Forces. AS a result,
ground troops will be released faster
than those assigned to the other
branches. The Army pointed out,
(See REDEPLOYMENT, Page A-4. )