SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 2 CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4349 AND H.R. 4350

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES,

SUBCOMMITTEE No. 2,

Washington, D.C., Monday, March 6, 1961.

The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., Hon. L. Mendel Rivers (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. RIVERS. Let the committee come to order.

This is the first meeting of the committee for the 87th Congress. Off the record.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. RIVERS. We are very happy to have our old members of the committee reassigned and to have as our new members Mr. Kitchin, Mr. Kowalski, Mr. Cohelan, Mr. Pike, Mr. Pirnie, and Mr. Becker. Mr. Becker and Mr. Kitchen are members of the previous Congress and Mr. Kowalski, but I am glad to have them assigned to this committee and I hope they are as happy as I am because this committee is an inquiring committee and to have members who want to work is a good thing because we have a lot of work to do.

We have the jurisdiction of the National Guard, of the Reserves, both Army and Air, the Air Guard, and anything else that the chairman desires or cares to assign to this committee.

In reality all the committees have concurrent jurisdiction so we can handle anything he assigns to us and we will have plenty of legislation.

But this guard and Reserve problem is a challenging problem and a necessary problem and a vital problem and a vital area for a committee to work, and that is the reason Mr. Vinson has given this committee exclusive jurisdiction, because it requires an awful lot of work. Among our elder members of the committee, before I got to be chairman, Mr. Winstead and Mr. Fisher and those who have had all this experience, we try our best to keep up with it and do the very best we can.

Whenever I don't know-which is quite frequent, it is never really admitted, but it happens-these boys put me back on the track. Let's get down to business.

Members of the committee, before we take up the bill which will cause us a little inquiry and discussion, I want to wait until we get more members here. Before that we will take up 4349-4350 is the

H.R. 4349

We will take up 4349, titled "To place Naval Reserve training officer graduates ***" That is the Regulars-you have Regulars here. Mr. SLATINSHEK. Yes, sir; they are given a Regular commission; however, they must take affirmative action to retain such commission and that is the purpose of the legislation.

Mr. RIVERS. To give these NROTC graduates the same comparable status with the U.S. Naval Academy graduates. That is, the Holloway boys will be the same as the Academy boys.

I remember away back on the old Naval Affairs Committee when we created the Holloway plan. We then and there authorized some 53 colleges to participate in this program and they have done a very outstanding job. The bill follows:

[H.R. 4349, 87th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To place Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps graduates (Regulars) in a status comparable with United States Naval Academy graduates

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That title 10, United States Code, is amended as follows:

(1) Section 6907 is repealed.

(2) The analysis of chapter 601 is amended by striking out the following item:

"6907. Officer candidate training program: Officers other than naval aviators; retention or transfer to reserve."

Now, Mr. Slatinshek?

Mr. SLATINSHEK. First witness scheduleed for the committee is Rear Adm. B. J. Semmes, Assistant Chief for Plans of the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Mr. RIVERS. Have a seat, Admiral, and tell us what your job is and everything.

Admiral SEMMES. Thank you. I am B. J. Semmes, Assistant Chief for Plans of the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Mr. RIVERS. Assistant Chief for Plans?

Admiral SEMMES. Yes, sir.

Mr. RIVERS. Is that in Admiral Hayward's office?

Admiral SEMMES. No, sir; Admiral Smedberg's office.

Mr. RIVERS. Under that you have jurisdiction over the Naval Reserve program?

Admiral SEMMES. The Naval Reserve program, sir, as you know, is integrated into the Navy Department so that those that have jurisdiction over personnel numbers for the Regular Navy perform a similar function for the Naval Reserves.

Mr. RIVERS. That is the running mate system?

Admiral SEMMES. You can describe it that way. It fits into the running mate system for promotion.

Mr. RIVERS. Now go ahead and give us your statement.

Admiral SEMMES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.

The Navy is deeply appreciative of this opportunity to testify in support of H.R. 4349, a bill which is very important for effective career officer management.