WASHINGTON NEWS BUREAU
PSiPOTOlMAC POSTSCRBPTS ROBERT GIBBS, Associate
Editor
Enlistment in the Regular Army: Men between the ages of 18 years 6 month* and 26 years may enlist in the Regular Army for a period of 24 months ( s e e also paragraph on aliens). Their e n l i s t m e n t may not be involuntarily extended except in time of war or national emergency The new law eliminates one-year enlist «iients.
N e w draft l a w l o w e r s m i n i m u m a g e to 1 8 y e a r s 6 m o n t h s a n d calls f o r 2 4 m o n t h s ' service . . . U n i v e r s a l m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g p r o v i s i o n s requiring six m o n t h s ' basic training f o r 1 8 - y e a r - o l d s h e l d u p f o r a t least 4 months in capsule Η εΗΕ provisions of
form art; the principal the now "'inversai Military Training and Service Act." This act amends the "Selective Service A c t of 1948, as amended" which expires on July 9, 1951. Since the Senate and House have each agreed to these provisions, o n l y the President's signature is needed to make it the law of the land. Termination date of law: July 1, 1955. Period of service for inductees: 24 months. Registration: All male citizens and «very other male in the United States be tween the ages of 18 and 26 are reQiiired to register. Classification for induction purposes will take place as soon as prac ticable after registration. Draft age: Under the new law, the draft age has been reduced from 19 years to 18 years 6 months. However, no regis trant under age 19 may be inducted b y local boards so long as there are available eligible males aged 19 through 25. This provision applies to all male citizens and certain aliens (see paragraph on aliens below ). Physical and mental standards: Physi cal standards for induction will b e low ered to those which prevailed in Januar> 1945. Minimum mental standards will b e established on the basis of a percentile score of 10, which corresponds to a score of 65 on the General Classification Test. T h e minimum under the expiring l a w is a percentile score of 13, corresponding t o a score of 7 0 on the General Classification Test. T h e lowered standards are expected to result in the induction of about 150,0 0 0 IV-F's. Ceiling o n armed forces: The existing authorized strength of the armed forces and the 2 % limitation on the number o f women in service have been suspended until July 3 1 , 1954. A ceiling of 5 million perrons at o n e time has been set. Total obligated service: All persons entering the armed forces or the National Security Training Corps (see b e l o w ) will be required to serve a total obligated period of 8 years. This includes active duty, training duty in the Training Corps, and active or inactive service in the r e serves. Active duty for reservists: All reserv ists and retired personnel may be required to serve 2 4 months. T h e President's authority to order such personnel t o active duty is extended to July 1, 1953. A House proposal giving the President authority to prescribe rules and regulations to defer inactive or volunteer reserves and t o estab 2450
lish civilian reserve determent appeals boards was eliminated. Release o f reservists: Unless released sooner through regulations prescribed by the respective secretaries, inactive or volunteer reserves with 12 months or more service during World War II ( Dec. 7, 1941, to Sept. 2 , 1 9 4 5 ) may apply for release to inactiv e duty after completion of 17 months' active d u t y including active duty since June 25, 1950. Such inactive or volunteer reserves may not then b e ordered to active duty for more than 3 0 days except in time of war or national emergency. T h e principal exception to this n d e is that reservists—either officers or enlisted personnel—with critical ratings or specialties may b e retained for the period for which they were ordered to active duty. Student deferments: High school stu dents will be deferred until they gradu ate or attain age 20. College students may b e deferred until completion of the aca demic year. If deferred to complete one academic year, however, they may not thereafter be deferred by law to com plete another academic year. ( ED. N O T E : Local boards may grant further exten sions at their discretion.) N o local board may b e required to defer any college stu dent on the basis of a government-spon sored test score or the student's class standing. One Senate proposal, eliminated from the act as finally approved, would have suspended the military obligation, after completion of basic training, of 75,000 students during the next three years. Occupational deferments: T h e new law gives the President authority to defer from training and service or from training in the National Security Training Corps any or all categories of persons whose activity in study, research, or medical, dental, veterinary, optometries osteopathic, scientific, pharmaceutical, chiropractic, chiropodial, or other endeavors is found to be necessary to t h e maintenance of the national health, safety, or interest. Persons deferred for any reason remain liable for induction until they reach age 35. Overseas assignment: Every inductee shall be given a period of not less than four months* training. Inductees and other members of t h e armed forces may not b e assigned outside the United States or its territories and possessions (includ ing the Canal Z o n e ) before completing four months of basic training or its equiv alent. C H E M I C A L
Extension of voluntary enlistments: Authority to involuntarily extend enlist ments in the regular and reserve com ponents has been extended to July 1. 1953. The expiring law extends all such enlistments which expire between July 27. 1950, and July 9 , 1951. Under the new law enlistments expiring after July 9, 1951, may b e extended for 12 months, but no person shall have his enlistment extended more than once. Aliens: Unless exempted by law, all aliens admitted for permanent residence are liable for induction into the armed forces or the National Security Training Corps, the same as citizens. Nonpermanent residents w h o remain in the countrj more than o n e year are similarly liable for service unless they request to be re leased from this obligation. Such a re quest will bar them from citizenship. The n e w law permits t h e enlistment in the Regular Army, until June 3 0 , 1955, of not more than a total of 12,500 aliens, an increase of 10,000 over the expiring law. Conscientious objectors: Persons op posed to noncombatant service shall be ordered by their local boards, subject to Presidential regulations, to perform civil ian work "contributing to t h e maintenance of die national health, safety, or interest" for a period of 2 4 months. T h e n e w law does not envision national work camps. Miscellaneous provisions: Specific pro visions are included relating to establish ment of additional appeal boards, re employment rights, sale of intoxicating beverages near camps, and the right to communicate with Congressmen. Universal Military Training: Whenevei the President or Congress reduces oi eliminates the 24 months' service provision for those under age 19, there will be in stituted the National Security' Training Corps. T h e Corps will consist of those 18-year-old registrants w h o have not been inducted into the armed forces. The period of service will be six months, dur ing which time the members will b e given basic military training. Members of the Corps may not be assigned outside thtcontinental limits of the United States Pay will be $30 a month plus provision to aid dependents. The termination date of the legislation will b e determined b> Congress. The corps cannot be established, how ever, until ( 1 ) a combined civilian-mili tary five-man National Security Training Commission has been established; ( 2 ) the Commission has been given four months to formulate broad policies and standards regarding the corps, and ( 3 ) the Con gress has enacted a code of conduct, dis ability and death benefits, and other bene fits and obligations. AND
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