Evening star., 1952-12-04
Defense Department
Issues Directives
Affecting Reservisfs

The Defense Department today
Issued policy directives under the
Armed Forces Reserve Act, which
will affect about 2.5 million re-
servists and National Guardsmen
beginning January /.
The number affected also will
be increased by between $4,000
and 10000 men monthly, as Selec-
tive Service inductees complete
active duty tours and other active
service is terminated.
Under 1851 Congressional act
the reserve forces are established
in two groups: The ready reserve,
which may be recalled to active
duty involuntarily in such num-
berS as Congress may approve in
time of national emergency de-
clared by the President. and the
standby reserve, which may be re-
called involuntarily only in time
of national emergency or war de-
clared by Congress.
Uniform AS Possible.
The act makes reserve regula-
tions as uniform as possible. How
ever, officials told a Pentagon
news conference it includes one
formidable problem that must be
resolved quickly by Congress, if
serious difficulties are to be pre-
vented.
The law specifies a requirement
for assignment in the ready re-
serve. But another section, added
at the last minute over Pentagon
opposition, limits to is million
the number of persons in that
category.
The armed forces have not been
given any quotas for the ready
reserve strength, and it is con-
ceivable the ceiling in the law
will be exceeded when the act
goes into effect, or certainly
within a few months.
The first of the new regulations
under the act-there will be
others between now and January
1-concerns assignment to and
transfer between reserve cate
gories.
Ready Reserve Assignment.
Assignment to the ready reserve
will be as follows:
/. Unless eligible for transfer
to the standby.
2. Any member of the reserve
components in an active status
on January l, 1858.
3. All units and members of the
National Guard and Air National
Guard.
4. All reservists assigned to Or
ganized units which are desig-
mated in the ready reserve.
The policy directs that any
member of a reserve component
shall, upon request, be transferred
to the standby reserve if, having
served on active duty for a total
of less than five years, he has
satisfactorily participated in re-
serve training in an accredited
training program. This training
program must be for a period
which, when added to his period
of active duty, totals not less than
five years, provided that. after
January /, such participation must
be in an accredited training pro-
gram in the ready reserve.
Transfer of Personnel.
A second directive establishes
policies relating to the transfer
of personnel having an obligated
period of military service, such as
inducteeS.
The policy permits transfers of
such reservists only when the in
dividual requests or consents, and
when it is mutually agreeable to
the secretaries of the services
concerned.
One military service may re-
quest the transfer of a particular
reservist from another service, but
the request normally will be made
only:
l. When the requesting service
has a specified vacancy in an
organized unit within reasonable
distance of his domicile or place
of business.
2. When the individual applies
for enrolment in the officer train
ing program of another service
and that service desires his en-
rollment.
The application for transfer will
be approved only when the service
from which transfer is sought has
no organized unit near the re-
Servist, when the reservist has spe-
cial experience or qualifications
making him of greater use to the
other service or when the individ-
ual would then be enrolled in Off
Ger training.
A third directive established
standards for enlistmentS and ap-
pofntments under the act. 1t spe-
Gifted physical and mental stand
ards for male personnel enlisted
in the basic enlisted pay grade
should be no higher than those
under the universal military train
ing act and the regular services.
Higher standards may be specified
for initial enlistment in a grade
higher than the basic enlistment
pay grade or for enlistment in a
program leading to a commission