jas7 R.V.S. 25 Ja 57 Davis, Col. John N., Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Locksley, Lt. Col. Norman M., GS, United States Army, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army. Savage, Comdr. Lowell C., Chief, Reserve Officers Promotions Branch, Knowlton, Dr. Don. S., United States Naval Reserve, retired__ Savage, Comdr. Lowell C., Chief, Reserve Officers Promotion Branch, I. Additional statement by Brigadier General Drake.. 3 2 27 MISCELLANEOUS BILLS TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1956 UNITED STATES SENATE, SPECIAL SUBCOMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2: 10 p. m., in room 212, Senate Office Building. Present: Senators Jackson (chairman) and Smith of Maine. S. 4075 Senator JACKSON. The committee will come to order. This subcommittee was appointed to consider S. 2086, a bill to provide for the promotion of certain persons who participated in the defense of the Philippines and who did not receive promotion after having been held as prisoners of war; and S. 4075, a bill to provide for the appointment of certain officers who are now rear admirals in the Retired Reserve to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Re serve. Without objection the copy of the letter from the chairman of the committee appointing the subcommittee will appear in the record at this point. (The letter referred to is as follows:) Hon. HENRY M. JACKSON, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR JACKSON: The purpose of this letter is to request that you serve as chairman of a subcommittee to consider S. 2086, a bill to provide for the promotion of certain persons who participated in the defense of the Philippines and who did not receive promotions after having been held as prisoners of war; and S. 4075, a bill to provide for the appointment of certain officers in the grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve. Senator Smith is being requested to serve as the other member of this subcommittee. Mr. Darden, of the committee staff, is available to assist the subcommittee. Sincerely, Senator JACKSON. Considering the short period of time remaining before adjournment, it seems unlikely that either of these bills can be enacted at this session. However it is our hope that the departmental objections to these measures may be amplified at this hearing and that there may be an opportunity for rebuttal of the objections for the future guidance of the committee. The first bill that we will take up this afternoon is Senate 4075, which would provide for the appointment of certain officers in the 1 grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve. The Department of the Navy on behalf of the Department of Defense recommends against the enactment of this bill, and, without objection, a copy of the bill and a copy of a letter dated July 16, 1956, from the Acting Director, Office of Legislative Liaison for the Department of the Navy, will appear in the record at this point. (S. 4075 is as follows:) [S. 4075, 84th Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To provide for the appointment of certain officers in the grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is authorized to appoint to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve any officer who served on active duty in the Medical Corps of the Naval Reserve during World War II in the grade of commodore and who upon retirement was promoted to rear admiral under the provisions of section 412 (a) of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947, as amended, which authorizes the promotion of certain officers who prior to their retirement were specially recommended for performance of duty in combat. (The letter referred to is as follows:) Hon. RICHARD B. RUSSELL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Your request for comment on S. 4075, a bill to provide for the appointment of certain officers in the grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve, has been assigned to this Department by the Secretary of Defense for the preparation of a report thereon. This bill would authorize the President to appoint to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve any officer who served on active duty in the Medical Corps of the Naval Reserve during World War II in the grade of commodore and who upon retirement was promoted to rear admiral because of having been specially commended for the performance of duty in actual combat. There were five Reserve officers of the Medical Corps who served on active duty during World War II in the grade of commodore. One of these officers is still on the active status list; 1 was retired as a rear admiral by reason of combat citation; and the remaining 3 were appointed to the grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve under section 702 (f) of the Reserve Officer Personnel Act of 1954, which section authorized the President to appoint to the grade of rear admiral in the Retired Reserve any Reserve officer holding an appointment in the Retired Reserve in the grade of commodore. This bill would benefit but one of these officers, Rear Adm. Don S. Knowlton, Medical Corps, who served during World War II as a commodore and who upon retirement was advanced to the grade of rear admiral by reason of a combat citation. In addition to Rear Admiral Knowlton, there were 6 other Retired Reserve officers and approximately 60 retired Regular officers who served in the grade of commodore during World War II and who were advanced on retirement to the grade of rear admiral by reason of combat citations. None of these officers would benefit by this bill. The Department of the Navy recommends against the enactment of this bill as no reason is apparent why the one Reserve officer of the Medical Corps who would be affected by this bill should be advanced beyond the grade of rear admiral. Should your committee, however, give this bill favorable consideration, it is recommended that the following section be added in order to make it clear that the advancement to the grade of vice admiral will carry with it no increase in retired pay: "SEC. 2. No increase in retired pay shall accrue by virtue of an appointment to the grade of vice admiral made under the authority contained in section 1 of this Act." The Department of the Navy has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there would be no objection to the submission of this report to the Congress. Sincerely yours, (Signed) N. J. FRANK, Jr., Captain, United States Navy, Acting Director, Office of Legislative Liaison (For the Secretary of the Navy). Senator JACKSON. Senator Smith, do you desire to make a statement at this time? If not, the Department representative is Comdr. L. C. Savage, Chief of the Reserve Officer Promotion Branch in the Navy Bureau of Personnel. All right, we have copies of your statement, Commander. Commander SAVAGE. Do you wish me to read it? Senator JACKSON. Yes. It is short. STATEMENT OF COMDR. L. C. SAVAGE, CHIEF OF THE RESERVE OFFICER PROMOTION BRANCH, BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL Commander SAVAGE. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I am Comdr. Lowell C. Savage, United States Navy, head of the Reserve Officer Promotions Branch, Bureau of Naval Personnel. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you to state the Navy Department's position on S. 4075, which would provide for the appointment to the grade of vice admiral in the Retired Reserve of the Navy, of any officer who served on active duty in the Medical Corps of the Naval Reserve during World War II in the grade of commodore and who, upon retirement, was promoted to rear admiral under the provisions of section 412 (a) of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947. Our records reveal there were five Reserve Medical officers who served on active duty during World War II in the grade of commodore. One of these is still on the active list of the Naval Reserve in the grade of rear admiral, three were retired in the grade of commodore and were advanced to the grade of rear admiral on the retired list through application of section 702 (f) of the Reserve Officer Personnel Act of 1954 (Public Law 773, 83d Cong.). The other officer was advanced to the grade of rear admiral upon retirement by reason of combat citation. It is evident that this officer is the only one to whom the proposed bill is or ever will be applicable. There are six other Naval Reserve officers of the line and the other staff corps who served in the grade of commodore and were advanced to rear admiral upon retirement. These officers would not benefit by the proposed bill since they are not members of the Medical Corps of the Naval Reserve. Further, there are 60 officers of the Regular Navy who served in the grade of commodore and were advanced to rear admiral by reason of combat citations who would not benefit by enactment of the proposed bill. Since it is evident that S. 4075 will only benefit one officer the Navy Department is constrained to recommend against its enactment. Leg |