Evening star., 1951-09-03
ArmY's Rotation Plan
In Far East FaVors
Combat Unit Troops
BY the Associated Press

Despite delays in the Korean
truce talks. rotation" of Ameri-
can troops in Korea continues.
The Army has been bringing
home about 10000 troops from
Korea each month. A new plan
to rotate Army men from all spots
in the Far East, not just Korea,
goes into effect this month. 1t
was set up. not in the Pentagon,
but by Gen. Matthew Ridgway'S
Far East Command in Tokyo.
Double Credit Given.
The system allows combat men
to go home twice as quickly as
those not in combat. Here's how
1t works:
Officers and men will need a
certain number of months CON
structive service" to be sent back
to the States. How much has not
been decided. The Far East Com
mand says it will be announced
month by month, and will vary at
first with different units.
Constructive service" win be
credited as follows: For one month
actual service in a combat unit
in Korea. four months construc-
tive service For each month of
other service in Korea, two
months constructive service.
Married men in Japan without
their dependents get 1l2 months
constructive service for one month
actual service. Unmarried men
and married men with dependents
in Japan credit one month actual
service as one month constructive
service.
Two Months for One.
Married men serving without
their dependents in the Ryukyus,
Philippines, Marianas and Bonin
Islands credit two months con-
structive service for one month
actual service. Unmarried men
In these areas get 112 months
constructive service credit for one
month actual service.
Though the number of months
needed to rotate all the way back
home has not been decided. the
Far East comamnd does say MEN
may be rotated out of Korea to
ouieter Far East duty after "a
months constructive service. equal
to months close combat.
Before an individual may be
rotated, it says the maintenance
of combat effectiveness" and the
availability of able qualified re-
placements" must be considered.
The Marine Corps has been
rotating since last February. Al
Marine Corps spokesman said the
largest group came home in August
and the program will continue toI
accelerate.
Other Factors Involved.
Generally, the spokesman said.
the Marines try to rotate the men
in combat longest. But the con-
trolling factors are the number
of adequately trained requirements
and the military situation.
A second factor. he said, is the
personal hardship to the mans
family.
The broad plan was laid down
by the Marine Corps commandantI
and is carried out by commanding
generals of Marine divisions and
air wings in Korea.
The Air Force announced last
May that those whose normal
tours of duty in the Far East
had expired in July 1850, would
start home. The rotation was
accelerated in June. BY the end
of this year the Air Force hopes
to be caught up.
Is Months in Korea.
The normal tour in Japan is 30I
months, the Air Force says, butt
only 18 months in Korea. Hence,
a man who serves 9 months in
Korea and then goes to Japan al
ready has Is months towards the
80 needed to be sent to the United
States.
In The Philippines and Oki-
nawa, the Air Force says, the nor
NAL tour is "a months. So 12I
months in these places would
equal Is months in Japan.
The Navy has no formal rota-
ton plan. It's ships come and go
from the Far East constantly and
more than $4,000 Navy men have
returned from Korean waters.
Navy tours of overseas shore
duty vary from months on Attu
Island in the Aleutians to "a
months in Japan, The Philippines
and elsewhere.