Evening star., 1950-11-17
|Army.SpeedsP Program
To Give Commissions
To Doctors, Dentists
By GEORGE Beveridqe


The Army has set up a new plan
to speed presentation of reserve
commissions to draft eligible ply
sicians and dentists who will &C
Icept them.
The new policy was announced
Ias young doctors throughout the
country-most of them facing
early service-reported this week
for pre-induction physical exami-
nations under the medical draft
law. Forty-seven District doctors
reported.
The new system authorizes
commanders of the six continental
Army areas, as well as overseas
commanders. to grant commits
sionS directly to qualified men
subject to the draft. Those ac-
Icepting will get additional pay of
500 month. Heretofore the
commissions could be given only
after long procedure that started
with Army headquarters, went to
Army Ground Forces headquar-
ters, then to Army commands and
districts and then by the same
route back to Washington.
How System Works.
Here is the way the shortcut
system will work for District
medical men:
Each of the medical men report
ing for examinations was asked
to specify if he will take a COM
mission. Forms for each of these
men were sent, with other data,
to Second Army headquarters at
Fort Meade. Md.
There. officials will send to each
man willing to accept a reserve
commission a letter of appoint
ment as an officer in the Medical,
Dental or Veterinary Corps.
Each of these men will be in
Structed to complete an oath of
Office within 72 hours and notify
his draft board of his commits
stoned status.
After this, however, officials ex-
planned, each new officer will be
asked to supply other information
which must be completed before
he can be called to active duty.
In any case, they said, acceptance
Of the reserve commission does
not mean necessarily that the
man will be called within any
special period.
Others May Be Drafted.
Army officials also will return
to draft boards the files of men
who refuse to accept commissions.
If not enough commissions are
accepted, induction machinery
will be started against this group
to meet specific quotas to be set
up in each area.
The new direct-commission sys-
tenn also helps clear up another
troublesome question-how long
doctors can afford to wait before
applying for commissions, making
themselves eligible for the extra
$100 month pay. Under the law,
they lose the $100 if they do not
have commissions by the date they
are slated for induction.
In the past. officials have warned
that doctors who wait too long
might not have time to get their
commissions processed before in
duction, because of the lengthy
process. Under the new policy,
time will be shortened consid-
erably. /
More Casualties Expected.
Meanwhile the Defense Depart
ment related that the 5000 |
Americans wounded in Korea and
brought to this country since the
outbreak of hostilities are fewer
than had been expected.
DR.. Richard S. Melting, medical
director of the department, said
yesterday that early in September
plans had to be made for ex-
pected heavy casualties in the
Inchon and Wonsan amphibious
landings but these proved far less
than feared.
However, DR.. Melting added, be-
fore these fears were allayed, the
Veterans Administration came to
the departments aid by agreeing
to remove all but 100 veteran
patients from military hospitals
and offering 5000 VA beds for
specialized cases.
DR.. Melting discussed these war
time developments following a
protest by American Legion Off
cials that needs of veterans were
being sighted.