Evening star., 1948-07-01
'ArmyExtendsDe sDeadIine
For Commissions in
Effort 10 Build Reserve
By Robert K. Welsh

In an effort to build up its
Reserve units, the Army today
extended indefinitely yesterdays
deadline for wartime Army of
the United States officers to join
the Organized Reserve Corps
and keep their commissioned
status.
This modified directive last
spring whereby commissions of
AUS officers who failed to join
Army organized reserve components
June 80 would expire automatically
August 81.
Meanwhile, the Army has worked
out a plan to pay members of Re-
serve units while training. 1t will
give priority to those units that
put in the most time and effort in
training.
The ruling issued from the Ad-
jutant Generals Office today did
not specifically mention the August
81 date. Ofhcials explained, how
ever, that lit is reasonable to as
sumo that the extension is for an
indefinite period in line with the
general military expansion pro-
gram. This includes the draft law
and moves to strengthen organized
reserve units as well as the regular
armed forces.
80 Pet. Have Joined Reserves.
At least 80 per cent of the AUS
officers have converted over to the
ORC, or in some instances to the
National Guard. About 5000, as of
May l, were on active duty in the
Army and in most cases had ar
ranged for transfer later to the
ORC, if they leave the regular
service. Last February the Army
had $1,000 AUS officers on active
duty.
While detailed totals were not
available at the Pentagon, it was
reported that about 10000, includ-
ing about 1000 in the Washington
area. were in the AUS officer group
which in recent months had not
Joined ORC.
Thousands of others, however, had
joined on being separated from the
service after l945 or even while they
were still on active duty IN the
Army, officials explained. ORC
lists approximately 285, 400 former
AUS officers who have ORC COM
missions, but are not on active duty
with the Army.
With a $12,OOO,0OO allotment for
inactive pay training of Reserve
organizations, the Army reports it
is speeding up its program. Off
cials estimated that about 3l4.000
officers and men already are IN
Army Reserve units. Many of these
units, they explained, are not yet
up to class A status.
The pay priority will operate as
follows, according to present plans:
First>priority in ALLEGATION of the
Sl2 100000 will be for pay Of ap-
proximately $4,000 reservists who
have been drilling at least 48 times
a year in addition to field training.
Succeeding priorities in pay will go
to those drilling at least "a times
year, those drilling on an average
of once a month, and those with
only four drills annually.
New Training Chiefs Assigned.
While awaiting an order from the
White House, probably within a few
days, designating August 16 as the
draft registration date and ap-t
pointing national and State selec-
tive service system directors, the
Army yesterday assigned four gen.
erals to command new training
divisions for draftees and recruits.
Inductions are to start soon after
September %.
The new camp commanders are
Brig. Gen. Wayne C. Zimmerman
for the 17th Airborne Division at
Camp Pickett, Va; Maj. Gen. Rob-
ert S. Belghtler for the 5th Armored
Division at Camp Chaifee, Ark;
Mai. Gen. William r. Schmidt for
the 1O1st Airborne Division at Camp
Breckenridge, KY, and Maj. Gen.
Lester J. Whitlock of the 10th In
fantry Division at Fort Riley, Kans.
AS part of the expansion program
for the National Guard, the Air
Force today began delivering the
first AZ of 107 jet fighters assigned
to ,"t~ National Guard units. These
fir planes will go to units in Maine,
Florida, California, Georgia and Ne