Hearings

BEHAVIOR

The excellent disciplinary and behavior situation reported to this committee last year continues. By June 30, 1960, the Army prisoner population was down to 649, from 895 on June 30, 1959. The general courts-martial rate had dropped to 2.4 per thousand, and the numbers of persons absent without leave, committing military and civilian offenses, or in civilian confinement continued at a low level.

GENERAL STATUS OF PERSONNEL

In my discussion so far I have covered the fund requirements and the related areas which account for the significant variations between fiscal years 1961 and 1962. I will now mention several other personnel

matters.

RETENTION OF JUNIOR OFFICERS

One of the most heartening trends in the personnel field has been the improvement in retention on extended active duty of junior Reserve officers. The objective is to retain in the Active Army 35 percent of those Reserve officers completing their 2-year obligated ours. This number is essential to assure an orderly progression of experienced officers into the upper grades.

The intensive efforts during the past 3 years have brought retention ates from a low of 18.7 percent in 1957 to 28.6 percent for 1960. The ate for the first half of fiscal year 1961, 33.8 percent indicates that he trend is continuing. The Army will continue to give junior officers all possible motivation and incentive to select the Army as a

areer.

RETENTION OF LEGAL OFFICERS

This encouraging trend, however, is not true as regards the young fficer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. During the past years the Army has been experiencing considerable difficulty in etaining young lawyers beyond their obligated tours and in prouring adequate numbers of these qualified officers for the Regular ny. Prior to 1954 military personnel could be sent to law school at overnment expense. Since 1954, a general provision has been conined in the Department of Defense Appropriation Act which rohibits this procedure.

AVIATOR PROGRAM

I now turn to the "Army aviator program." The restriction on ators imposed by the Congress in the 1961 Department of Defense ppropriation Act, resulted in an Army ceiling in 1961 of 6,438 rated lators. This creates a shortage of more than 700 aviators, or about percent-while, at the same time, the Army's aircraft inventory es. This 1962 estimate puts the Army back on program to meet its irements.

The Army commissioned officer on flying status is first a branch alified officer, for example: an artilleryman-and second a rated t. Therefore, the Army's aviator requirements include a 20-pert factor for branch qualification and career development. This is recognition of the need to return each Army aviator to his branch,

66865-61-pt. 1-13

as a minimum once every 5 years, to gain a knowledge of changing Army tactics and techniques. Likewise, the Army must provide the aviator the time to enhance his career through attendance at the various service schools. Unfortunately, any shortage in aviators ultimately must be absorbed by reduction of these branch qualification opportunities.

ENLISTMENT AND REENLISTMENTS

I am happy to report significant improvements in enlistments and reenlistments since my last appearance before this committee. During the first 5 months of this fiscal year, approximately 49,500 enlistments were obtained as compared with 43,725 for the same period last year. I confidently expect the Army recruiting service to enlist in excess of 100,000 during this fiscal year and a like number in 1962. Reenlistment rates have also shown substantial improvement during the past 12 months. Rates for the first 5 months of this fiscal year, compared to the corresponding period of 1960, show first-term reenlistments at 29.3 percent versus 20.6 percent; draftee at 9.6 percent versus 9.8 percent, and career Regular Army at 88.5 percent versus 82.4 percent.

These achievements in the enlistment and reenlistment area have contributed significantly to the favorable increase in the volunteer content. As of November 30, 1960, 79.1 percent of enlisted personnel were volunteers as compared to 72.9 percent on June 30, 1959.

Mr. MAHON. You may resume this statement in the morning at 10 o'clock.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1961. Mr. MAHON. The committee will come to order. You may proceed.

WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS

General COLLINS. The Women's Army Corps continues to play an important role as an integral part of the Army today, and is satisfactorily performing its mission to provide a nucleus for expanded utilization of womanpower in the event of mobilization. The corps is maintaining its programed strength with enlistment and reenlistment rates continuing at very satisfactory rates.

HEALTH

The general health of the Army continues at a high level. The Surgeon General of the Army reports that the rate of admissions to our hospitals and the period of hospitalization continues to be extremely low.

This low admission rate together with absences from duty in "quarters," established in 1960 an all-time low for the noneffective rate. A thorough annual physical examination of all officers and enlisted men over 40 years of age and continued emphasis on physica conditioning and weight control of all personnel in staff and troop assignments contribute to the maintenance of good health in t Army.

ARMY ENLISTED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

During the past year the Army has made particularly gratifying progress in the administration of the enlisted management program. This program, encompassing a number of subprograms designed to improve the personnel management of enlisted men and women, has personalized the treatment of the individual enlisted members of the Army.

Personnel with low aptitude for training have been discharged and we use the authority which the Congress has given the Army to deny the induction of such inept persons. Our experience has been that low aptitude personnel are less productive and are more prone to be disciplinary problems. We now have people who are motivated, responsive to discipline, and can absorb the training required for the modern army.

As part of the enlisted management program, the Army developed the enlisted evaluation system to provide a means of testing enlisted personnel in order to identify those eligible to receive proficiency pay. This testing has been so successful that we are going to extend its use to determine the qualifications of all enlisted personnel in their military occupational specialities.

Various other actions contribute to this program. For example, prospective career soldiers are offered a wide choice of occupations. E-8 and E-9 personnel are assigned in the same manner as officers. The reduction of delays coupled with personalized treatment of individuals at processing activities has improved enlisted morale and increased productive utilization.

The educational level of the Army is being raised by the attendance. of Army personnel at courses from the elementary through the college level principally in off-duty classes.

While the components of this program contribute to the attainment of the Army's personnel objectives, its greatest value is in keeping the soldier more fully informed of what the Congress and the Army are doing for him.

MANPOWER PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 1961

Before closing I would like to point out that the Army strength has been held somewhat above 870,000 during 1961. This higher level was in accordance with the guidance of the Secretary of Defense to maintain the strength of the Army as a readiness measure above that shown in the fiscal year 1961 budget submission to the Congress. Finds to support the additional strength are included in the suppleLental appropriation being requested for the Department of Defense by the Presidential communication of January 18, 1961.

SUMMARY

In summary, this appropriation request represents the Army's quirement for direct obligational authority. The budget estimate $3,526 million. It is planned that $125 million will be derived transfer from unobligated balances of the Army stock fund, ving a requirement for new obligational authority of $3,401 million. That is all, Mr. Chairman.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE ESTIMATES

Mr. MAHON. We will insert in the record at this point the appropriate justifications.

(The justifications referred to follow.)

PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL

This program provides for pay and allowances authorized by law to be paid to uniformed members of the Army serving on active duty and for the purchase of initial and special issue individual clothing for enlisted personnel.

Detailed

The detailed estimates are based directly on the strength, composition, and deployment of forces contained in the fiscal year 1962 personnel plan. strength data used in the fiscal year 1962 computation are set forth in the following schedules to show comparison with current and prior budget years. EXHIBIT A.-Military personnel, fiscal year 1960, fiscal year 1961, and fiscal year 1962 average strength (man-years) by type of personnel