Evening star., 1950-04-30
ArmyWonts
Bright Brass
By CIorke Beach


found that their college Reserve
officers Training Corps pro-
grams are not bringing them
nearly enough regular officers OF
top-notch scholastic standing.
A large proportion Of out
standing Army and Air Force
ROTC graduates do not accept
regular commissions. Industry
offers the graduates better pay
and richer prospects.
But the two services, as well
as the Navy, get only a minor
fraction of the number OF OFF,
GERS they need from the military
academies. So now they are
eagerly awaiting the results OF a
proposal by Secretary Of De-
fense johnson to give them an
ROTC program similar to the
Navy's.
This program, known as the
Holloway plan" is SO success
full that the Navy is getting
about all of the high-caliber
young officers it needs.
Through the Holloway plan
the Navy pays almost the full
cost of a college education for
men 1t selects for its naval
ROTC. They study in colleges
of their own choice. Graduates
are obliged to accept regular
commissions as ensigns and to
serve on active duty at least
two years. 1t is expected that
about half will remain in the
Navy.
The plan costs the Govern
ment a lot more per student
than the Army and Air Force
ROTC. In a bill now being pre-
pared by the military estab-
lishment to give all the services
a kind of Holloway plan some
tendency to whittle the expense
is expected.
The military establishments
appropriation request for all
ROTC programs in the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1851.
amounts to $48,700,000.
OF this, $25 million is allotted
to the Army. which has about
100000 ROTC trainees. The Air
Force gets sos million for its
$4,000 trainees. The Navy, with
only 1000 trainees, is down for
$13.1 million.
Army's Problem
Here is the Armys regular
officer procurement problem in
a nutshell:
It needs about /. $50 new male
officers a year. Normally about
$50 of these come from the
Military Academy at West
Point. About 460 are special
lists and professional men like
doctors, lawyers and scientists.
commissioned from civilian life.
About 40 enlisted men get COM
missions.
The Army would like to get
about $50 ROTC graduates. Sc
lected from among the top 10
per cent of each class. In the
fiscal year 1949, however. it got
only 288. Curiously. TOO of
those who graduated with dis
tinction applied for regular
commissions during the school
year. The Army offered COM
missions to $50. but most of them
apparently made the applica-
tions as fall-back. then turned
down the commissions after
they had found work they liked
better.
This year 1,100 of the top
Army ROTC graduates are being
offered regular commissions. So
FAR only SIS have accepted. How
ever. practically all accept re-
serve commissions.
To make up the deficit, the
Army dips down to ROTC grad
yates below the upper 10th.
Some of these are offered one
year tours of active duty, during
which the Army selects around
one-third to be offered regular
commissions.
The Air Force problem is
similar. although it still has so
many wartime officers that it
does not depend so much on
second-choice ROTC graduates.
Last year the Air Force offered
$50 regular commissions to
graduates Of the Air ROTC, but
only ITO accepted. 1t hopes to
get about 204 out Of about $40
this year.