Commissions

In the U.S. last week were thousands on thousands of ablebodied, well-meaning male citizens itching to get into the Army or Navy. The hitch: they wanted commissions. All of them had a sheaf of well-groomed personal reasons why they should be officers. But few of them had any inkling of what the armed forces actually wanted, or of how to get their commissions.

Actually the procedure is simple--no worse than figuring and filling an income-tax form. And the U.S. forces need good officer material as badly as the Treasury needs money. The Army in March announced that it needed 75,000 officers this year "for the ground forces alone," thousands more for other jobs. The Navy has kept mum on actual figures, nevertheless grabs officers wherever it can find them--even among college sophomores.

But both services are still fussy about giving commissions outright to civilians, must be dead certain the man is able. Most important: he must be a crackerjack in a special trade or profession--purchasing agent, pilot, lawyer, seafarer, production boss, etc. Jacks-of-all-trade are almost always thumbed under. Even actual fighting experience counts little. Thus, of 77,443 World War I officers who asked for commissions in 1942's first three months, only 891 were called to active duty; all others got a polite brush-off.

Finally, both forces hold their noses at men who want a commission so as to dodge the draft or dodge the fight. War Secretary Stimson's No. 1 officer rule is that no one gets a commission so that he may duck the draft. And in the Navy, hundreds of frisky young officers holding desk jobs recently got a jolting communique: get on sea duty--or else.

To would-be officers, the services say:

Army applications should go straight to the Adjutant General in Washington. Local Army headquarters will do, but take longer. As in hunting a regular job, applicants must turn their life and learning inside out, must present photos. The filled-in application goes to a secret board (unknown even to War Department employes) for O.K. or rejection. If O.K., the man must still pass a stiff physical examination before he gets a uniform.

The Army especially wants procurement and production men for work in city and field. Next in line come topnotch mechanical and chemical engineers to help run the hundreds of plants and factories pounding out munitions. A special need is for airmen of all kinds--pilots, navigators, radio operators. Most of these are for lower-grade rankings. Brass hats (i.e., majors and up) are handpicked.

For older business and professional men (preferably over 44), the Army in February set up the Army Specialists Corps, which some day may hand out "distinctive" uniforms, plenty of work--but no commissions. Nevertheless, ASC has already become so popular that within a month it had a backlog of 40,000 names, was forced to announce it would accept no more applications for the time being.

Navy officers-to-be should apply to the commandant in charge of the local Naval district, must present similar personal information and credentials. Unlike the Army, the Navy operates few factories, hence its biggest need is for deck and engineering officers on surface ships. Also wanted are civil engineers, electricians, radio technicians, administrative officers. There is always an opening for good pilots and other airmen.

The Navy has its own way of doling out civilian commissions, bases rank on age plus know-how, will not go higher than a lieutenant commander. Thus ensigns must be at least 19, lieutenants (junior grade) 21, lieutenants 33, lieutenant commanders 37.

Both branches are hot after experienced physicians and dentists. These commissions, however, are handed out by a non-military agency--the newly established War Manpower Commission's Procurement and Assignment Service in Washington. This service hopes to commission 16,000 doctors and 3,000 dentists before year's end, will be after more next year.* To start a doctor stockpile, first-and second-year medical students may enlist as Reserve Corps ensigns.

Toughest problem of all for Army & Navy commission boards is getting the right men as officers, not because the U.S. is short of either brain power or know-how, but because most U.S. citizens have always regarded a military life as a dog's life. But the boards are not discouraged. The men are there, in the U.S., somewhere --and the services believe they can find them.

* The U.S. has 186,000 licensed doctors, 71,000 dentists.

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