Veterans' Administration, Hampton, $1,620 1 $2,520 Quartermaster Clerk Oscar F. Bailess... Arlington National Cemetery. 1 Wounded in action. STRENGTH OF MARINE CORPS RESERVE General HOLCOMB. I present next a statement showing the strength of the United States Marine Corps Reserve on November 1, 1937. Strength of Marine Corps Reserve Class 1. Officers, fleet......................... Class 2: (a) 16-year enlisted men transferred to Reserve prior to July 1, 1925. Total, class 2. Class 4. Enlisted men, fleet. Class 5. Officers, Volunteer. Class 6. Enlisted men, Volunteer. Aviation cadets. Total Aggregate. MARINE CORPS RESERVE OFFICERS (INCLUSIVE OF AVIATION)-ASSIGNED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS AS OF DEC. 1, 1937 9 Captain... [29 officers] Civilian Conservation Corps. Receive pay from Civilian Conservation Corps funds. MARINE CORPS RESERVE AVIATION OFFICERS, ASSIGNED ACTIVE DUTY 1 YEAR [26 officers-8 captains, 18 first lieutenants] GAINS AND LOSSES OF ENLISTED MEN IN 1937 General HOLCOMB. The next statement portrays gains and losses of enlisted men, by methods or causes, during the fiscal year 1937: Enlisted strength of the Marine Corps during the fiscal year 1937 Mr. UMSTEAD. General, I notice in the table just inserted that 379 men were discharged on account of medical survey. That appears to be a rather large number, does it not? General HOLCOMB. I do not know whether it is large or not, or larger than it should be. It is larger than we would like to have it. Mr. UMSTEAD. Is it larger than at has been in previous years! 2.250 500 7 379 10 14 107 258 18 3,541 2 128 20 71 299 50 4.111 871 60. General HOLCOMB. I doubt if it is. Quite a few of those are reruits who are passed by the doctors on recruiting duty, and then when they get to the recruit depot and are kept under observation for 1 week or two the doctors down there find that there are things wrong with them. Mr. UMSTEAD. You mean that that includes a number of recruits who have really not been inducted into the service? General HOLCOMB. That have been inducted, but have not started. training. In other words, they have disclosed defects which had not been perceived by the recruiting doctor. We think they are a little strict with some of these recruits. Mr. UMSTEAD. It appears that this table just referred to also indicates a reenlistment rate of about 78 percent. General HOLCOMB. That appears to be correct, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. Is that in keeping with your past experience? General HOLCOMB. It is a little lower now than it was during the depression. We are not having quite as many reenlistments. Mr. UMSTEAD. Do you think that the reason for that is that it has been easier during the past 2 years for men to obtain private employment? General HOLCOMB. I am confident that that is the reason, sir. General HOLCOMB. Sometimes when a man comes to the end of his enlistment and wants to stay in the service, but does not want to reenlist for another full enlistment, he is permitted to extend his enlistment for 2 years, and under exceptional circumstances we allow him to extend it for 1 year. Mr. THOM. What is the regular term of enlistment? DESERTIONS FROM THE MARINE CORPS Mr. UMSTEAD. You may insert the remaining tables, General, in the same sequence as they appear before us. (The tables referred to are as follows:) Desertions from Marine Corps during 5 fiscal years Mr. UMSTEAD. Generally speaking, General, how is the percentage of desertions running at the present time, as far as you have gone during this fiscal year? Can you give us just a brief idea about it? General HOLCOMB. I have not checked it up, but I presume it is about as it was in 1937. We can get that for you. (The following was later submitted:) I find on checking the records that it is only 0.18 percent, which is approximately 50 percent less than 1937, which was 0.347. 36929-38-40 DISTRIBUTION OF INCREASED PERSONNEL Distribution of the increase of 20 officers and 1,000 enlisted men * Other activities will have to be reduced to supply a total of 18 officers and 8 enlisted men for the Fa Marine Force, naval activities in the United States, and duty afloat. The increase in nonavailable is to provide for recruits under training who will be enlisted at the rate of approximately 83 per month and who will not be available for assignment to other duty until approximately 8 weeks after enlistment in the Marine Corps. Mr. UMSTEAD. General, the two tables just inserted give a breakdown of the 1,000 enlisted men and the 20 additional officers for whom you are requesting funds for the year 1939 in these estimates? General HOLCOMB. Yes, sir. PAY, MARINE CORPS Mr. UMSTEAD. We are ready to proceed now with estimates under "Pay, Marine Corps, for the fiscal year 1939." Colonel Putnam, you may proceed with your general statement. Colonel PUTNAM. The appropriation, "Pay, Marine Corps," provides for the pay and allowances of commissioned officers, commis sioned warrant and warrant officers and enlisted men of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve both on the active and retired lists. The estimate for "Pay, Marine Corps, 1939" provides for a strength of 1,093 commissioned officers plus 1 colonel, 95 captains, and 18 first lieutenants as additional numbers in grade, making a total of 1,207 commissioned officers, 144 commissioned warrant and warrant officers, and an average strength of 17,500 enlisted men, including the Marine Band. The appropriation "Pay, Marine Corps, 1938" provided for a strength of 1073 commissioned officers plus one colonel, 95 captains and 15 first lieutenants as additional numbers, 147 commissioned warrant and warrant officers and a strength of 17,000 enlisted men, including the marine band. Mr. UMSTEAD. You propose to end the year with 18,000 men? Mr. UMSTEAD. That means, if granted, that we meet the entire additional expense of one thousand men, except as to pay and subsistence? Colonel PUTNAM. Not for the whole thousand, sir, on pay. Mr. UMSTEAD. Except as to pay and subsistence? Colonel PUTNAM. Yes, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. They will have to have the clothing and they will have to be transported? Colonel PUTNAM. Yes, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. So, except for pay and subsistence, it means that funds must be provided in these estimates for the thousand men? Colonel PUTNAM. For the thousand men; yes, sir. Mr. UMSTEAD. In other words, it means that the thousand men, although only an average of 500, will except as to pay and subsistence, cost the total amount for a thousand men in the other items of expenditure, if I make myself plain? Colonel PUTNAM. Yes, sir. The total estimate for 1939 is $18,917,000, an increase of $617,000 over the appropriated and allotted sum for the fiscal year 1938, the major portion of which is due to increase in average strength of 500 enlisted men and normal mandatory increases in various items which are fully explained in the accompanying justification. Comparison of personnel for fiscal years 1939, 1938, 1937, and 1936 Additional numbers in grade of captain and first lieutenant, provided for by act July 22, 1935, effective June 30, 1936. Included in total number. |