Uncle Sam Wants Who

"I am well aware," said President Kennedy midway through his solemn appeal for a stronger and more flexible U.S. military establishment, "that many American families will bear the burden of these requests; studies or careers will be interrupted; husbands and sons will be called away." Next day, in a message to Congress, the President was even more specific about who the active burden bearers will be: 250,000 men who, either for the first time or as recalled veterans, will be hustled into the uniforms of the U.S. armed forces.

sbSELECTIVE SERVICE will supply most of the necessary manpower. Since the Korean war, the draft has operated with a manpower pool of 70,000 who have been registered, examined, classified 1-A. From this pool in recent years, 6,000 to 8,000 men each month have been called into service. Now the pool will be enlarged to 100,000; draft calls will be stepped up to 13,000 in August, 20,000 in September (compared to a peak 480,000 a month during World War II and 80,000 monthly for Korea). By December, 93,000 men between 18 1/2 and 26 will have been inducted. The order of drafting will be: 1) men who failed to keep contact with their draft boards, or report changes of status, and are thereby considered delinquent; 2) men who volunteer; 3) still undrafted single men and childless married men between 18 1/2 and 26 years old; 4) fathers in the same age bracket. Students and workers in essential industries will continue to receive deferments.

sbTHE READY RESERVE will be tapped for the trained men who are required almost immediately (such as troopship officers, Air Force cargo pilots, Army communications technicians). All Ready Reservists have served at least six months on active duty, now are obligated to drill 48 times a year, take field training two weeks each year. They spend the remainder of their duty period on ready status before being shifted to the Standby Reserve (and later to the Retired Reserve), from which they cannot be called back to duty unless there has been a congressional declaration of war or a presidential proclamation of national emergency. Some Guard divisions may be absorbed by the Air Force; Air Guardsmen in tactical and troop carrier squadrons face almost certain chance of being quickly mobilized.

The Army, authorized to add 133,000 men and build to a new strength of 1,000,000 will take the bulk of the draftees. Specialists now on active duty will also be persuaded to reenlist. And for the balance, a predicted 40,000 will be drawn from the Ready Reserve. The Air Force has been authorized an additional 63,000 men, will take most from the Ready Reserve. The Navy, increasing its strength by 29,000, will also draw from reserves and held-over specialists, will accept enlistments but no draftees at present. The Marines, with 15,000 more combat troops already being recruited under an earlier authorization, will reach that total hopefully by means of enlistments. The Corps does not have any immediate plans to call up reserves.

Although as many as 135,000 reservists are eligible to be recalled for twelve-month periods, that total may not be needed. And even those who are called may not have to serve the full year. Said Defense Secretary McNamara at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week: "We plan to use this authority sparingly. We are well aware of the disruptive effects and the hardships." At Committee Chairman Richard Russell's request, McNamara pledged an additional qualification. There would be, promised he, no repeat of "the tragedy of Korea," in which World War II veterans were recalled to active duty while able younger men escaped entirely.

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