3 6. Enlistment periods will be adjusted on April, 1920, pay rolls, or as soon thereafter as practicable. The enlistment period as determined by the method herein prescribed will be stated on April, 1920, pay rolls, and will govern in the calculation of pay accruing on and after March 5, 1920. Payments made prior to March 5, 1920, will not be disturbed if made in accordance with decisions in force at time of payment. (Explanatory note.-All payments made on or after March 5, 1920, covering any period prior or subsequent to March 5, 1920, will be made in accordance with methods herein prescribed.--Office of Director of Finance.) 7. The bonus of three months' pay authorized by the act of Congress approved May 11, 1908, will be paid on April pay rolls under conditions set forth in decisions of the Comptroller of the Treasury of March 5 and 8, 1920. In determining the date of expiration of the three or four year enlistment periods, commanding officers will take into account all unauthorized ab sences from duty of more than 24 hours' duration (107th Article of War). 8. Buglers, and buglers, first class, authorized by the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, also all privates, first class, are included as beneficiaries under the act of Congress approved May 11, 1908. This gratuity does not extend to bandsmen. 9. A soldier enlisted under the voluntary enlistment act of February 28, 1919, and discharged before the expiration of his enlistment for the purpose of reenlisting is not entitled to travel pay. 10. The following examples will serve to illustrate the principles announced in this circular: a. Private A, enlisted Jan. 15, 1914; was serving as private Jan. 14, 1918, when he completed his first enlistment period; discharged Sept. 1, 1919, for the convenience of the Government while serving as a corporal; reenlisted September 2, 1919. If no time was lost by Private A, he passed into his second enlistment period on January 15, 1918, being the next day after he completed his first enlistment period of four years. which began on January 15, 1914; and on the reenlistment of September 2, 1919, he completed his inchoate right to receive three months' extra pay as of the rate he was receiving as a private on January 14, 1918. If he continues in actual service 4 as an enlisted man, he will complete his second enlistment period on January 14, 1921. b. Private B, has same service as Private A above, but was a sergeant on January 14, 1918, was later reduced and was serving as a private at date of discharge. Private B, having held on January 14, 1918, the date he completed his first enlistment period, the grade of sergeant, being different from that of "private soldier, musician, or trumpeter," does not come within the provisions of the statute authorizing the payment of the bonus of three months' pay. If he continues in actual service as an enlisted man, he will on January 14, 1921, complete his second enlistment period which began on January 15, 1918. c. Sergeant C, enlisted Nov. 2, 1916; was discharged as a private May 1, 1919, for the convenience of the Government; reenlisted May 2, 1919; promoted to sergeant and on Nov. 1, 1919, date of completion of three years of actual service, is serving in such grade. In case of Sergeant C, it matters not whether the discharge on May 1, 1919, was for the convenience of the Government or under other honorable conditions, the time from November 2, 1916, to May 1, 1919, counts as two years and six months and no more on the enlistment period of three years which began on November 2, 1916, and, if no time was lost, was completed on November 1, 1919. The bonus of three months' pay is not payable for the reason that he was a sergeant on November 1, 1919. d. Private D, has the same service as Sergeant C, but was a corporal at date of discharge, was reduced subsequent to reenlistment and on Nov. 1, 1919, is serving as a private. Private D, having been a private on November 1, 1919, when his first enlistment period ended, and having been reenlisted, is entitled to three months' extra pay of the rate of pay he was entitled to receive on November 1, 1919. e. Sergeant E, enlisted July 1, 1913, as a private; furloughed to Reserve on June 30, 1916; discharged on account of dependent relatives July 7, 1917; reenlisted Sept. 10, 1917; discharged Aug. 10, 1919, while serving as a corporal; reenlisted August 11, 1919. When Sergeant E enlisted on July 1, 1913, four years constituted an enlistment period. By actual service he completed the 5 four years on September 9, 1918, and entered his second enlistment period on September 10, 1918, which by actual service may be completed on September 9, 1921. His grade on September 9, 1918, is not stated. If he was a private on that date, he is entitled to the bonus of three months' pay, he having been reenlisted. f. Private F, enlisted Mar. 29, 1917; was discharged Oct. 11, 1919, under provisions of Circulars Nos. 450 and 457, War Department, 1919; reenlisted October 12, 1919. Private F, who enlisted on March 29, 1917, will by actual service complete his first enlistment period on March 28, 1920, the enlistment period for purposes of continuous-service pay being three years. g. Private G, enlisted April 4, 1916; was discharged October 11, 1919, under provisions of Circulars Nos. 450 and 457, War Department, 1919; reenlisted October 12, 1919. Four years constituted an enlistment period in computing continuous-service pay on April 4, 1916, when Private G enlisted, and if he continues in actual service he will enter his second enlistment period on April 4, 1920. h. Member of the National Guard reported at company rendezvous under call for Federal service July 10, 1916 (4-year enlistment period in effect); honorably discharged Nov. 20, 1918 (demobilization). Reenlisted April 15, 1919, for 3 years. AWOL December 21-25, 1919, inclusive; absent in confinement awaiting trial, convicted, Jan. 1-5, 1920. With no further absences, second enlistment period will begin December 14, 1920. (Voluntary enlistments suspended August 8, 1918, to February 28, 1919. See paragraph 2.) i. Member of the National Guard reported at company rendezvous under call for Federal service May 21, 1917 (3-year enlistment period in effect); discharged December 21, 1918 (demobilization). AWOL Sept. 1-5, 1917, inclusive; sick in hospital G. O. 45, 1914, Feb. 6-20, 1918; absent in confinement awaiting trial, convicted, March 2-4, 1918; in confinement awaiting trial and serving sentence August 7-21, 1918; reenlisted March 10, 1919, for three years. With no further absences, second enlistment period will begin September 17, 1920. j. Inducted November 3, 1917; honorably discharged December 3, 1919. Reenlisted December 6, 1919, for one year. See Sec. AWOL May 1-10, 1919. Second enlistment period will begin 11. The foregoing instructions conform to the decisions of the Comptroller of the Treasury dated March 5, 8, and 27, 1920, and will be carefully followed. [242.121, A. G. O.] III. Electric time service (Cir. No. 155, W. D., 1920).—The appropriation of the Signal Corps is applicable in payment for electric time service furnished for the use of the Army. Application for such service should be made to the department signal officer for administrative action and the preparation of the necessary contracts. Existing electric time service will be immediately reported Bull. 33, to the department signal officer, in order that contracts for the fiscal year 1921 may be prepared, the report to show the class, the cost, and the name of the contractor furnishing the service. 1920 Electric time service should not be ordered installed until approval has been secured from the Chief Signal Officer of the Army or the proper department signal officer. |