Determination of tour lengths for personnel overseas is an extremely complex matter. It involves considerable of such tangible factors as the effect on the operational readiness of oversea forces; our ability to support short term rotation within authorized numerical strengths and skill resources, dollar costs of movement, the impact of tour length on the frequency of oversea duty for individuals, loss of productive man-years resulting from an increased personnel pipeline; and the turbulence created in continental U.S. activities which must continually supply personnel for overseas shipment and absorb returning personnel.

In May 1957, after nearly 2 years of intensive research, uniform policies were adopted to provide that: (1) Tours will be the same length for personnel of all services stationed in the same area; (2) tours for unaccompanied personnel will be shorter than when dependents are present; and (3) the length of tour will contribute to the maximum effectiveness of the forces, giving due consideration to the morale of the individual.

Controls are becoming increasingly stringent regarding military dependents authorized to accompany their sponsors overseas. The total number of military dependents in foreign countries decreased by about 8,000 between March 1 and September 30, 1959.

Present policies are continuously under study with the objective of reducing costs and increasing efficiency. While not opposed to any change of the present system which will contribute to these objectives, we cannot support changes which we feel will significantly lessen the ability of the Armed Forces to perform their defense mission or destroy the morale of its fighting forces.

In conclusion, I would like to state that the Department of Defense believes its personnel utilization policies to be basically sound. Although some malutilizational of personnel may exist from time-totime, we have adequate administrative means and authority for its detection and correction.

The work of this subcommittee has been helpful. It has caused us to take a closer look at these policies and their administration. We appreciate the opportunity to discuss these matters and stand ready to further assist the subcommittee as may be desired.

This concludes my formal statement, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. PRICE. Are there any questions from members of the subcommittee directed toward Mr. Jackson's statement, Mr. Stratton?

Mr. STRATTON. Mr. Chairman, a couple of questions, Mr. Secretary. On page 5 where you talk about the decrease in military dependents going overseas, a figure of 8,000, this is against a total of what, roughly?

Mr. JACKSON. A total of dependents overseas?

Mr. STRATTON. Yes.

Mr. JACKSON. We have that figure, it is quite large.

Mr. STRATTON. In the hundred thousands, is it not?

Mr. JACKSON. About 500,000 worldwide.

Mr. COHELAN. Do you have a distribution on that figure?
Mr. LANGLOTZz. No, but we will get it for you.

(The information referred to is as follows:)

Military and civilian dependents located in Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. possessions, and foreign countries, as of Sept. 30, 1959-Continued

Mr. STRATTON. One other question, Mr. Secretary.

Would it be possible to estimate to what extent as a result of the investigations initiated in response to the activities of this subcommittee to what extent men have been released from noncombat jobs into combat jobs? I mean you have indicated the work has been helpful, you have tightened up your administrative policies, you are in the process of taking military people out of the commissaries and so on. Would it be possible to estimate any kind of a figure as to how many more individuals have been made available to the fighting forces as a result of the activities that you have conducted?

Mr. JACKSON. I think it would be difficult in terms of the question. We do have in the overall efforts generated by other committees in other areas, as well as this committee, a favorable balance of support vis-a-vis combat in the Armed Forces.

Now, to delineate to what degree this is attributable to the results of this committee and the efforts it stimulated would be rather difficult. Mr. STRATTON. Let me put it the other way around.

The suggestion I think was made last year at the time that the Selective Service Act was up for extension, and in connection with some of the charges that led to the formation of this subcommittee, that we had two, three, or four divisions who were available but were being misemployed, and that if we could get these people out of their improper functions that we would perhaps completely restaff our combat forces.

Has the switch been anything on that order, would you judge?

Mr. JACKSON. Very definitely not. And the prospect of any such contribution to increased combat as a result of our hearings, I think, is extremely doubtful.

There have been corrections of malutilization, which were brought to our attention, by this committee and perhaps also through the general interest, but the net gain as a result of that, or of our continued efforts, in terms of anything like a division or anything like a perceptible increase in our combat effectiveness I think is extremely questionable.

Mr. STRATTON. In the order of maybe hundreds of individuals, something like that, at the most?

Mr. JACKSON. Well, certainly I would consider it numerically to be far more related to hundreds than thousands, yes, sir.

Mr. PRICE. Members of the committee, Mr. Jackson, I think possibly the most expeditious manner in which to handle this is to go through the reports which we have received from the Department on the various cases which we presented to the Department for investigation.

Mr. COHELAN. Mr. Chairman, before you proceed.

Mr. PRICE. Mr. Cohelan.

Mr. COHELAN. Mr. Secretary, I was wondering about the statement on the commissary business. This is going to be a service-wide reform?

Mr. JACKSON. This will apply to all services, yes, sir.

Mr. COHELAN. It will apply to all services, and it is for all practical purposes effective immediately, but it will be implemented in March? Mr. JACKSON. I corrected myself, in June of 1962, yes, sir.

Mr. COHELAN. I happened to favor this policy but I am not unmindful there will be some problems.