Evening star., 1945-08-02
DischargeScore
To Be IS Until
100000 Leave
Later Credit Revision
Will Release Additional
700, 900 by June

/UU,UUU by June
The Army announced today
the present point score for dis
charge will be left at IS while
about 100000 men with that
score are being released.
Later the score will be revised to
provide for discharge of another
700, 900 men by June /, 1946, the date
oy which the Army had announced
A total of 500, 900 men would be dis
charged under the credit point sys-
tenn.
In announcing this. Secretary Of
War Stimson said he could not say
now when the new score would be
given. The War Department pre-
viously had stated it expected to an
nounce the new critical score, with
points slightly lower than the pres
ent figure, some time in July.
To date the Army has released
235 900 with scores of IS or over.
Will Use Later Date.
Mr.. Stimson said that at the time
of the revision Of points to provide
for discharge of the 700,000-man
group, a new computation of indi-
vidual scores would be made to give
soldiers credit for service after May
IL, 1945 This was the date to which
credit points ran under the original
interim score of 85.
This new computation, Secretary
Stimson said, will allow some men
who would not have had enough
points by the computation of last
May to earn their discharge by their
service between then and the time
of the new computation.
This, he told a news conference,
will obviously give the advantage
of battle credit and overseas credit
to troops in the Pacific"
Whatever the new score, Mr..
Stimson said, it will not affect tha
right to discharge of those who pre-
vously qualified under the May
score of 85 If they have not
already been discharged when the
new score goes into effect, they will
remain eligible for release "at the
earliest opportunity"
BY the nature of the point system
and the disposition of forces, Sec
retary Stimson said. "a substantial
part" of the 100000 men will be
those now in the active Pacific the
ater
Point Credits Listed.
Under the original point system,
which continues in effect, points are
given for:
Service credit-One point for each
month in Army service since Sep
tember Is, 1910, the date when Sc
lective service became effective.
Overseas credit-The same.
Combat credit-Five points for the
first and each additional award for
the following Army awards received
since September 16, 1910:
Distinguished Service Cross, Le-
gion of Merit, Silver Star, Distin-
guished Flying Cross, Soldiers
Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Air
Medal, Purple Heart and Bronze
Service Stars for battle participa-
ton. Navy decorations to Army
personnel as follows: Navy Cross.
Service Medal, Legion
of Merit, Silver Star Medal, Distin-
guished Flying Gross, Navy and Ma
rine Corps Medal, Bronze Star Medal
and Purple Heart.
Awards and decorations of for
eign country which may be accepted
and won under War Department
Parenthood credit-12 points for
each child under Is years up to a
limit of three children.
100000 Altogether.
Mr. Stimson said that in addition
to the 100000 slated for release
on points, 100000 others will be dis
charged by next June because Of
wounds, sickness or other reasons.
ITO comb all these men out of
their units, a large percentage OF
whom fill key positions, and rebuild
the units with replacements of the
particular skills these men have
during the greatest troop movement
in history, adds tremendously to the
task of redeployment," he said.
1T can be done and still pro-
vide an Army for the war against
Japan. 1t can be done and meet
the needs of Gen. MacArthur's ac-
celerated program against Japan.
But it has to be done on the
basis that the first task of the
Army is winning the war. The
operations of the point system must
be subordinate to the fighting needs
of Gen. Macarthur Tha: means
that many high score men will have
to wait for replacements in their
units, that some men with, scores
over 100 may be released after men
with scores barely over IS, that
some men screened out of their
units in Europe for discharge will
reach the United States after their
units have landed here en- route
to Japan"
$4,000 Officers Released.
The discharge of Army officers
presents the toughest" part of the
program, Mr.. Stimscn said.
He disclosed that it has been esti-
mated that approximately 100000
officers will be discharged during the
year ending June /. About $4,000
officers already have been returned
to civilian life since May 8.
The Army will continue to give
special consideration to the high
point officers with long overseas
service, but the element of military
necessity" will play much greater
role in his discharge than in the case
of enlisted men.
The interim discharge score of A
for WACS will also remain un-
changed for the present, Mr.. Stim-
son said. He added that 5000 WACS
are eligible for release under the
present point score and that approx
imately 5000 additional WACS also
will be released before June of next
year under revised score similar
to that for enlisted men.