TRAINING OF OFFICERS FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1946

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, Washington, D. C.

The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 a. m., in room 212, Senate Office Building, Senator David I. Walsh (chairman) presiding.

Present: Senators Walsh (chairman), Robertson, Saltonstall, and Morse.

The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order, please.

We are resuming the consideration this morning of S. 2304, a bill to provide for the training of officers for the naval service, and for other purposes.

Admiral Johnson, I understand you are going to be the witness this morning.

Admiral JoHNSON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You said yesterday that you were going to start in with your chart this morning.

By the way, I think that Senator Robertson already has had some background knowledge of your problems.

Senator ROBERTSON. I was at the hearings which we had when the question of bringing the Reserves in was originally brought up; yes. The CHAIRMAN. If you are ready you may proceed, Admiral Johnson, with your exposition of the bill."

STATEMENT OF REAR ADM. FELIX JOHNSON, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL (PLANS); ACCOMPANIED BY VICE ADM. LOUIS E. DENFELD, CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL; AND CAPT. JOHN P. W. VEST, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION TRAINING, OFFICE OF CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES NAVY

Admiral JOHNSON. I might say at the outset, Senators, that I have two of these charts prepared. One of them shows the expanded Naval Academy, and the other shows the Academy as it exists now, the only difference between those charts being in the numbers involved.

This chart before you now shows the expanded Naval Academy with 5,000 on board.

Now, under the Holloway plan, Admiral Holloway being at the head of the board which studied the problem of the education of naval officers, there will be four sources of procurement of naval officers.

One of these sources will be the Naval Academy as it exists now, with 5,000 on board, with a 4-year course.

The CHAIRMAN. You are going to continue the 4-year courses, are you, at the Naval Academy?

Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, Senator. We thought that the 4-year should be preserved because of the associations and traditions involved; also, we have considered the accomplishments obtained through that 4-year course, which have been proven and tested. We felt that that period of time should not be broken.

The CHAIRMAN. This year ends the last 3-year course that was set up during the emergency?

Admiral JoHNSON. Yes, Senator, the 3-year courses end at the Naval Academy.

The CHAIRMAN. How many are there taking that 3-year course? Admiral JOHNSON. There are 3,200.

The CHAIRMAN. And they are all hereafter being put into the 4year course. You will increase the number?

Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir; next year there will be fewer graduates of the Academy, because we had to break the senior class into two parts and only half, or about 400, will graduate next year; whereas the graduation figure this year is 800.

The CHAIRMAN. I see. There will be a new class.

Admiral JOHNSON. A large new class, a large youngster class, with a smaller first and smaller second class.

Admiral DENFELD. I believe that the class coming in will be about 1,000.

Admiral JOHNSON. There will be no change in the method of appointment to the Naval Academy which is contemplated in this bill, except that there is one provision, that the number of Presidential appointees will be increased from 25 to 75.

The CHAIRMAN. Did we pass a law on that?

Admiral JOHNSON. No, sir; that is in this law.

The CHAIRMAN. In this present bill?

Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, sir. That is because, although the number of Presidential appointees to the Naval Academy has been 25 for many years, the number of people in the service in the future will be roughly five times that in the past.

The CHAIRMAN. And it will increase the others, too, the Reserves? Admiral JoHNSON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Admiral, how many come from the enlisted personnel-100?

Admiral JOHNSON. It is 100 now. The proviso in this bill allows for 160 from the Naval Reserve and 160 from the Regular Navy (enlisted men) and 8 from each Member of Congress, when the facilities will permit.

The CHAIRMAN. I believe this is all conditioned on the facilities being available?

Admiral JoHNSON. Yes, sir; except the increase from 25 to 75; that is not contingent upon the increase of facilities.

Senator ROBERTSON. That figure of 8 that you gave, that is the total for each Congressman?

Admiral JOHNSON. That eight is the total for every Congressman. That would produce the on-board figure of 5,000 instead of the 3,200 that we have now.

The CHAIRMAN. Incidentally, have you observed, Senator Robertson-off the record.

(Discussion was had outside the record.)

The CHAIRMAN. Proceed, Admiral, please.

Admiral JOHNSON. Under this plan there would be 1,058 graduates. from the Naval Academy each year, of whom 44 would go to the Marine Corps, 52 to the Supply Corps, 9 to the Engineer Corps, and 953 into the line of the Navy.

The CHAIRMAN. That is, when this expansion takes place?

Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, sir; when the expansion occurs; all of the figures I am quoting are based on that condition.

After 1 year of service in the fleet, 40 percent of the ensigns would go into aviation training, which would consist of 1 year of flight training and 1 year in the fleet serving with the carrier air groups. and with the fleet air wings. They would then be promoted to junior lieutenants and would become career officers in the Navy. We consider that a career officer begins at the rank of junior lieutenant.

Senator ROBERTSON. Those officers in the Marine Corps, they go into the flying?

Admiral JoHNSON. Yes, sir; they will. I believe they are required to serve 1 year with the ground troops.

From the Naval Academy, then, we would have produced 531 lieutenants, junior grade, each year, who are nonaviators, and 354 each year who are aviators, a proportion of 60 to 40, which we consider is the proper ratio of nonaviators to aviators.

The second source would be-

Senator ROBERTSON. You are, of course, figuring that naval aviation will continue to be in existence, meaning land-based aviation as well as carrier?

Admiral JOHNSON. Our numbers are based on that assumption. The second source would be the 52 NROTC colleges, upon which we have a ceiling allotted of 14,000.

Now, I explained this somewhat yesterday for the benefit of the Senators, but I will go over it again.

A Nation-wide qualifying examination will be held which would be open to any high-school graduate in the United States. From those examinations there would be selected 4,150, who would enter each year. That 4,150 would be broken down into quotas for the various States, depending upon the high-school population of that State.

If I may, I will use the illustration I gave yesterday to explain the manner in which these boys will be selected. Suppose, Senator, that 200 were allowed for your State and that possibly 600 did pass from your State. Now, the examination marks of those who did pass would be machine-graded in accordance with college-board examinations and examinations prepared by the Navy.

The CHAIRMAN. That means that every boy in the United States who has a high-school education or its equivalent and meets the physical requirements will be entitled to take the competitive examination to see if he is qualified for admission to one of the Navy's ROTC units? Admiral JOHNSON. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. And if he qualifies then he has to go before a screening board, and if he gets by that screening board he will be taken in?

Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What was that number again?
Admiral JOHNSON. 4,150.

The CHAIRMAN. Every year?

Admiral JOHNSON. Every year.

Senator SALTONSTALL. May I ask a question at this time of the Admiral, Mr. Chairman?

The CHAIRMAN. Certainly.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Is there any further screening, Admiral? In other words, you give these boys a 4-year course at college? Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, sir.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Well, is there any further screening, say after the second year or any other time?

The CHAIRMAN. The screening, Senator, is given before they are sent to the NROTC.

Senator SALTONSTALL. I understand.

The CHAIRMAN. After that there is no screening, except aptitude tests.

Admiral JOHNSON. There is the same screening which exists in the Naval Academy now. For example, if a boy develops any physical defect, he is dropped.

The CHAIRMAN. Also, his conduct and aptitude are considered.

Admiral JOHNSON. That is right, conduct and aptitude. Also there is the scholastic requirements. If he fails to pass this scholastic work, he is dropped.

Senator SALTONSTALL. And those tests will be in addition to the college tests?

Admiral JOHNSON. That is right; if he fails in the college work, he is dropped.

Senator SALTONSTALL. But I mean, these are additional tests, these aptitude and physical and conduct tests?

Admiral JOHNSON. They are additional to the scholastic work of the college. Also, we require him during that time to take 24 semester hours, in naval science, in addition to any college work that he is taking.

Senator SALTON STALL. Thank you.

Admiral JOHNSON. As a result of those examinations, we expect to get 3,000 graduates from each 4,150 who enter the program. In other words, 1,150 will be lost through attrition.

At the end of the first year, the men who have successfully passed that year would go to an air station for aviation indoctrination and flight aptitude tests. Then, having finished that summer's work at the air station, he goes to the college again. At the end of the second year in college, having been at the air station the first summer, he goes

on a cruise.

There is a purpose for those cruises: We would hope to combine the cruises for the midshipmen of this class with the midshipmen of the Naval Academy, in order to start right then and there the integration as far down as possible, and in order to permit them to know each other at that point.

If a man so desired, at the end of the second year, he can leave this program and pass into the aviation program, which I will explain later.

Those who did not go to aviation would have another year in college and another cruise, and then the fourth year in college. According to our figures, 3,000 will graduate of whom 500 will go to the Marine Corps, 280 to the Supply Corps, and 50 to the Civil Engineer Corps.

We would permit the choice of the Marine Corps, the Supply Corps, or the Civil Engineer Corps to be made at the end of the second year so that the education of those boys might be slanted toward the corps in which they intend to go. In that way, a man who was, possibly, taking an accounting course would continue and become part of the Supply Corps.

That

Of the 3,000, 2,170 would come into the Navy as ensigns of the line. At the end of 15 months the man may apply for the Reserves. is permissive. The Secretary can keep him 2 years or up to 3 years if the needs of the service so require.

I should have stated before that when he enters he signs a contract with the Navy to accept a commission in the Navy upon his graduation, if it is offered to him.

On the other hand, he may surrender the commission. If he does surrender at that point, then he goes into the Organized Reserve and maintains his commission in the Organized Reserve, which requires drill nights and annual cruises until 10 years after he entered the program. After 10 years, it is his option to go into the Volunteer Reserve if he so desires.

Now, after 2 years in active duty in the fleet, during which time he is serving with the ensigns from the Academy he receives $500 bonus if he goes into the Reserves. If he remains 3 years and then goes into the Reserves he will receive $1,000.

During this third year he makes his choice for the future. He can elect to become a career officer in the Navy, or he may elect not to.

From those who do so elect we would select the number which are required for the Regular Navy.

There is one important point I want to point out to you: These figures are designed so that half will come from the Naval Academy and half from the other sources.

That means that the number that would become lieutenants junior grade and who would become career officers in the Navy

Senator SALTONSTALL. Mr. Chairman, if it is proper I would like to ask, and if it is not proper I wish you would tell me. The CHAIRMAN. All right, Senator, go ahead.

Senator SALTONSTALL. Admiral, I was thinking over the night. quite a lot about this, and I have the same question I asked you yesterday, only I ask it with more emphasis today.

Admiral JOHNSON. Yes, I remember.

Senator SALTONSTALL. I asked this of the Secretary when he was here. I said that I thought that the Navy was not putting up a good enough horse trade.

Admiral JOHNSON. I remember that.

Senator SALTONSTALL. In other words, you are giving the boys too much and asking too little from them. It seems to me that you should ask more from the boys when you start off on this proposition, when you commence this business, and if you cannot get the boys and find it is not working the way it should, then you can pull back a little.