Evening star., 1954-09-30
Army Redesignaiion
Increases lis Total
|0f Combat Divisions
By John A. Giles

The Army will increase its
combat equipped divisions to a
total Of "a from the present 19
during the next two years.
This is to be accomplished,
under a new program announced
last night, by designating five
training divisions as combat di-
visions. Such training outfits
actually are cadre organizations
consisting of from 10 to Is per
cent of the 1880 strength Of
the regular combat division. A
sixth training division will be
left unchanged.
The five additional divisions
will be given the structural or
ganization and equipment of
combat units. But they will not
have anything approaching full
combat strength.
The plan. Army officials told
a Pentagon news conference,
will place the old training divi-
sions in position to be readily
brought up to war strength and
more quickly shipped overseas
in an emergency.
Emergency Plan.
However, the old training di-
visions will continue to perform
their tasks of training recruits
and draftees. The flow of these
young men through the train
ing camps sometimes runs as
high as 10000 to $4,000 at any
one time. In event of an emer-
gency. these trainees would be
frozen within their divisions and
not shipped to other units.
The total Army strength will
not be changed from what is
now planned under the Eisen-
hover budget.
"The combat readiness of the
old training divisions will be
equal or superior to what it is
today" Gen. Matthew B. Ridg-
way, Chief of Staff, said. "The
plan gives all the divisions equal
or greater capability of quick
movement.
Gen. Ridgway was asked
whether, as a matter of fact, all
the Army was doing was chang
ing designations from training to
combat.
He replied that the plan would
give the service better organiza-
tional f1exibility and that all the
divisions would be in a better
position to go into action.
New Rotation Plan.
Gen. Ridgway and Army Sec
retary Stevens announced the
new organizational setup simul-
taneously with a new overseas
rotation plan under which COM
bat divisions, regiments and bat
tallons-instead of Individuals
will be moved as units.
This system is designed to give
the soldier a better chance for
home life and generally improved
morale.
"The direct movement of units
from their stations to the trans
ports for overseas movement will
reduce the military and civilian
employees required for the opera
ton OF processing stations, Mr..
Stevens said. "The sterilization
Will decrease the frequency of
individual movement and will
result in correspondingly de-
creased transportation costs.
For example, to move an in
fantry division as a unit from
the geographical center of the
United States to New York will
cost 100000 less than it would
to move the same number of
people on an individual basis, -
he said.
Under the new rotation sys-
tenn, about eight divisions will
be rotated each year-four sent
overseas to replace for four
brought home-with nearly three
years required to complete a
rotation cycle of all divisions.
33-Month Tours.
The overseas tour will be ap-
proximately 33 months and the
stay in the United States will be
about 81 months for all units.
Mr.. Stevens said that economy
and the two-year term of service
Of selectees dictated the tour
periods. Studies showed that
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