Evening star., 1955-02-07

remotely resembles shining goal for
any self-respecting man. In addition,
they are confronted with sudden
brake on promotions. The upper grades
are filled with comparatively young
men with many years to go toward
retirement, diScouraging any hope Of
advancement except through the snail
like process Of attrition. In military
slang, this is.called hump" in which
the top ranks are filled with men of
the same age group and who have
short terms of service. There is no hope
for those behind, until this group passes
out of the picture. These humps" oc-
cur after every war. Prior to the pres
ent, the last serious hump followed
World War I and existed until the
second war wiped it out. In the early
'30s, the average age Of a captain was
AZ, and gray-haired first lieutenants
were not uncommon, and it required to
years to make" corporal. So that is
the real situation. The Officer Corps,
too, has its hump, but in some measure
retains its job responsibilities, and
hence it's self-respect. r. E. Jess.
1t. Col. Ret).
I am certain that all career military
officers are grateful for your construc-
tive and accurate analysis of their Situ-
alton with regard to pay in the January
20 Sunday Star. The article was most
appropriate and timely, for few people,
outside the military. are even aware
that the problem exiStS-even fewer
are aware of its serious implications.
In the analysis it was stated that past
failure of Congress to establish military
pay scales in keeping with the tremen-
dous rise in the cost of living was sub
ject to two possible interpretations: (a)
That career military officers were now
grossly underpaid, or (b) that they were
now being paid about what they are
worth, but had been vastly overpaid in
the past.
Acceptance of the second interpreta-
ton would imply that it might be pos
sible to rationaliZe the payment of
civilians substantially more than is paid,
career officers, for the performance of
similar or related duties How could it
be possible to convince any reasonable
man that an airline pilot should be
paid twice as much as the Air Force or
Navy pilot who is responsible for the
safety of a modern multimillion dollar
bomber and the lives of his crew? Is it
possible to compare the responsibilities
involved in the flying of civilian pas
Senger planes, over established airways,
under conditions prescribed by the CAA,
with those involved in plotting jet mill
tary aircraft, in tight formations, from
postage stamp" carrier decks, loaded
with tons of high explosives, and in the
violent maneuverS required in combat
operations? What possible grounds
could there be for thinking that mer-
chant marine skipper should be paid
substantially more than Navy captain
who is responsible for the safety of q
warship which cost the taxpayers mill
lions Of dollars, and for the lives Of the
hundreds of men in his crew? Can
you compare the responsibilities in
volved in commanding merchant ship
over familiar sealanes with those as
sumed by Navy shippers maneuvering
their floating arsenals at high speed.
in close formation, without lights at
night, and frequently in unfamiliar
waters? Your second Interpretation is
valid only if all these questions can be
answered in the Affirmative.
No sincere officer ever embarked on
a military career with the expectation
Of becoming wealthy, nor with the
thought that any pay. no matter how
generous. could begin to compensate for
the responsibilities he assumes for the
lives of the men of his command; fire.
quently in peacetime, perhaps daily in