Evening star., 1948-08-15
ArmySeeks.
OF Ex-GIs in Colleges
As Second Lieutenanis
by John A. Giles

White the Nations youths crowded
recruiting stations, the Army yes
terday laid plans to commission
thousands of veterans nav in eel-
leges and universities as second lieu
tenants
Mai Gen John H. Dahlquist, dep
uty director of personnel, disclosed
the plan to meet the services acute
shortage of second lieutenants by
offering commissions to the veterans.
At the same time, it was revealed
that the Army Air Force recruiting
stations were virtually swamped dur
ing July.
The Army recruited 39,197 during
the month-the largest number en-
listed since October, l946. The Air
Force recruited l0,442 last month.
Figures for the Navy were net avail
able.
In June the Army enlisted 1926
and the Air Force 10000.
Figures on Enlistmeats.
The first figures on i8-year -old
enlistments also were disclosed. The
Army signed up 2,665 and the Air
Force 57e. Under the new Seleetive
Service law, 18ryear-olds can enlist
for a year of training in the United
States. then become reservists for q
PretFacted period and thus be ex-
empt from induction when they
reach the l9-year draft age.
During July, the services also en-
listed their first women since the
war The Army signed up 2l2 and
the Air Force Is. Congress passed
a law last June making the wemen's
units, heretofore reserves, parts of
the regular Army, Navy, Air Force
and Marine Corps.
Gen. Dahlquist called the college
veterans "a wonderful source for
wonderful officers-mast of them
have combat training"
He said that the former enlisted
men would be offered immediate
commissions to come on active duty
ter two years after short erienta-
tieh courses. Definite plans fer
the college officer procurement cam
paign now are being worked out. |
The service, soon to be greatly ex-
panded by thousands of draftees. is
having little difficulty in obtaining
reserve first lieutenants, captains
and majors who wish to come on
active duty from the inactive ranks
at the present time These are
being precessed at the rate of be-
tween 5000 and 1900 monthly, the
general said.
Many Teehnicians Enlisting.
Neither is it having too much
difficulty in getting sufficient num-
ner OF technicians at the moment,
although it is making plans for TAX
Ing in a far greater number of
these. too, from civilian life.
But We haven't any second lieu
tenants who are combat trained and
Whe, in turn, will be needed to
train the new men coming In,
Gen. Dahlquist said
In fact, the Army's ranks, re-
serve and regular, contain few sec
end lleutenants of any type since
most of those in that grade during
the war now have passed the age
limitations. The ,Yeterans naEn, ,iGt
college from whom the Army hopes
to draw its second Heutenallss are
mostly % and % years old.
Gen. Dahlquist said the Reserve
Officers Training Corps was ex-
pected to furnish around $4,000
young officers in three or four years
when the new veteran officers it
hopes to obtain have completed
their tWo-yesr tours of duty. ~
He could not say whether the in-
fux of EXCL officers would require
the reepening of facilities for use
as officer reorientatien camps.
Will Need $4,000 q Month.
The upsurge in enlistments will
result in a reduction in the number
OF men to be drafted. The services
have estimated that they will need
an average of 10000 men monthly
from the draft but the exact number
to be called has not been deter
mined
1t. Gen. Willard S. Paul. the
Army's chief of personnel, pointed
out that three-year enlistments
which came at the end of the war in
1s45 are now expiring and about
240,000 men are involved. The Army
Is making an intensive effort to get
at least part Of their experienced
soldiers to sign up again.
While offsetting such losses. the
Army must build toward its author
lied strength of 10000. When the
draft bill was passed, 1t had only