from Louisiana, Mr. Brooks, to take up the question of a review of the Reserve program in all phases.

I am going to ask Mr. Brooks to hold the meeting. And I hope that all the members of the committee will attend.

Mr. BROOKS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

We will certainly be happy to have everybody attend and ask any questions they wish to.

I have been asked by the press whether or not Mr. Wilson, the Secretary, will be present. And I want to say this morning, so everybody will know it, that he has agreed to appear as a witness in these hearings. He is going out of town, but following his return to Washington, at a date to be set by the committee and convenient to himself, he has agreed to appear.

Mr. PRICE. Mr. Chairman

The CHAIRMAN. I hope the other subcommittees will not hold meetings until at least Wednesday morning. I hope Mr. Kilday and Mr. Durham will not hold their meetings of their subcommittees until Wednesday to give all the members of the committee the opportunity to have at least 2 days of briefing with reference to the Reserve program.

Mr. PRICE. Mr. Chairman

Mr. KILDAY. I am going to wait until Thursday.
The CHAIRMAN. All right, Thursday.

Mr. PRICE. Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Price.

Mr. PRICE. When do we resume these hearings?

The CHAIRMAN. After the hot subject has been finished.

Mr. PRICE. I think we should resume them, because until we ask questions that are answered we don't know whether the beautiful statements are statements of fact or statements of plans.

The CHAIRMAN. We will adjourn.

(Whereupon, at 11:52 a. m., the committee adjourned.)

O

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS ON H. R. 2460, TO IMPROVE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OF NURSES AND MEDICAL SPECIALISTS OF THE ARMY, NAVY, AND AIR FORCE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES,

SUBCOMMITTEE No. 2,

Washington, D. C., Wednesday, February 6, 1957. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Paul J. Kilday (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. KILDAY. The committee will be in order. We will begin the bill on H. R. 2460, which is a bill to improve the career opportunities of nurses and medical specialists of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It applies only to Regular officers in the Army and Air Force, and all active officers in the Nurse and Medical Service Corps of the Navy. (The bill follows:)

[H. R. 2460, 85th Cong., 1st sess.]

▲ BILL To improve the career opportunities of nurses and medical specialists of the Army, Navy, and Air Force

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

TITLE I-ARMY

SEC. 101. Subtitle B of title 10, United States Code is amended as follows: (1) Section 3069 is amended to read as follows:

"83069. Army Nurse Corps: Chief; appointment

"The Army Nurse Corps consists of the Chief of that corps and officers in grades of second lieutenant through colonel. The Secretary of the Army shall appoint the Chief from the officers of the Regular Army in that Corps whose regular grade is above major and who are recommended by the Surgeon General. The Chief serves during the pleasure of the Secretary, but not for more than four years. She may not be reappointed. Without vacating her regular grade, she is entitled to the temporary grade and the pay and allowances of a colonel while so serving and ranks above all other colonels in that corps."

(2) Section 3070 is amended to read as follows:

§3070. Army Medical Specialist Corps: organization; Chief and assistant chiefs "(a) The Army Medical Specialist Corps consists of the Chief and assistant chiefs of that corps, other officers in grades of second lieutenant through colonel and the following sections

"(1) the Dietitian Section;

"(2) the Physical Therapist Section; and

"(3) the Occupational Therapist Section.

"(b) The Secretary of the Army shall appoint the Chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps from the officers of the Regular Army in that corps whose regular grade is above captain and who are recommended by the Surgeon General. The Chief serves during the pleasure of the Secretary, but not for more than four years. She may not be reappointed. Without vacating her regular grade, she is entitled to the temporary grade and the pay and allowances of a colonel while so serving, and ranks above all other colonels in that corps.

86066-57-No. 10- -1

"(c) The Surgeon General shall appoint three assistant chiefs of the Army Medical Specialist Corps from the officers of the Regular Army in that corps whose regular grade is above captain. Each assistant chief is the chief of a section of that corps. She serves during the pleasure of the Surgeon General, but for not more than four years. She may not be reappointed to the same position. Without vacating her regular grade, each assistant chief is entitled to the temporary grade and the pay and allowances of a lieutenant colonel while so serving and ranks above all other lieutenant colonels in her section."

(3) The analysis of chapter 307 is amended by striking out the following item:

"3070. Women's Medical Specialist Corps: organization; Chief and assistant chiefs." and inserting the following item in place thereof:

"3070. Army Medical Specialist Corps: organization; Chief and assistant chiefs." (4) Section 3206 is amended to read as follows:

"§ 3206. Regular Army: commissioned officers on active list; Army Nurse Corps "(a) The authorized strength of the Army Nurse Corps in commissioned officers on the active list of the Regular Army is 2,500.

"(b) Of the authorized strength of the Army Nurse Corps in commissioned officers on the active list of the Regular Army, not more than 5 may be in the regular grade of colonel, and not more than 107 may be in the regular grade of colonel, and not more than 107 may be in the regular grade of lieutenant colonel." (5) Section 3207 is amended to read as follows:

"§ 3207. Regular Army: commissioned officers on active list; Army Medical Specialist Corps

"(a) The authorized strength of the Army Medical Specialist Corps in commissioned officers on the active list of the Regular Army is 350.

"(b) of the authorized strnegth of the Army Medical Specialist Corps in commissioned officers on the active list of the Regular Army, not more than 1 may be in the regular grade of colonel, and not more than 20 may be in the regular grade of lieutenant colonel."

(6) The analysis of chapter 331 is amended by striking out the following item:

"3207. Regular Army: commissioned officers on active list; Women's Medical Specialist Corps."

and inserting the following item in place thereof:

"3207. Regular Army: commissioned officers on active list; Army Medical Specialist Corps."

(7) Section 3288 is amended by inserting the words "section 3291 and" after the words "Except as provided in".

(8) Section 3291 is amended to read as follows:

"§ 3291. Comm'ssioned officers: Army Nurse Corps and Army Medical Specialist Corps: original appointment; additional qualifications, grade "(a) An original appointment in the Regular Army in the Army Nurse Corps or the Army Medical Specialist Corps may be made in the grade of

**(1) second lieutenant, from women who have performed less than three years of service creditable for promotion under subsection (c), who on the date of nomination have not passed their twenty-seventh birthday, and who are not qualified for appointment in the grade of first lieutenant under clause (2):

**(2) first lieutenant, from women who have performed less than seven years of service creditable for promotion under subsection (e), and who on the date of nomination have not passed their thirtieth birthday; and

"(3) captain, from women who have performed at least seven years of service creditable for promotion under subsection (e), and who on the date of nomination have not passed their thirty-ninth birthday.

The maximum ages specified in clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection are increased by the period of active commissioned service in the armed forces after December 7, 1941 but not by more than five years.

"(b) To be eligible for appointment in the Army Nurse Corps under this section, a woman must be a graduate of a hospital or university school of nursing and a registered nurse.

"(c) For the purpose of determining years of service creditable for promotion, a person appointed under subsection (a) shall be credited at the time of her