Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/100

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 USAI I-SORrCAr, SUVS -- 93 1 Sess. (approved 21 February 1951), which amended an act of 5 December 1942 permittag the free importation of bona- fide gifts from members of the armed forces on duty abroad. The amendrag act extended this importation privilege for two years. Another was Public Law 124, 82 Cong., 1 Sess. (approved 24 August 1951), which provided that there would be no tax im- posed on free-of-charge admissions for service personnel n uniform. ' Significant of a development arising from the long service overseas of so many mem- bers of the armed forces was Public Law 6, 81 Cong., 2 Sess. (approved 19 March 1951), which amended Public Law 717, 81st Congress, to extend the perod for the ad- rmsmon into the United States (with non- quota mmigration visas) of alien spouses and minor children of American rotirons who were members of the armed services. TM The importance of this legislation to those members of the Air Force who had married foreign nationals while servmg overseas is obvious. The least satisfactory part of the post- war program of personnel legislatmn was that dealing wth the reserve components of the Air Force. The members of the Air Force Rose,we probably had better reason to complain of madequate legislation for the organization and financial support of their activities than dad those of any other component of the Air Force. After World War II ended, the services were anxious to build up ample reserve strength; hence re- serve status was offered to all honorably discharged personnel. Out of the demobiliz- ing millions, 234,000 officers and 196,000 enlisted men joined the AAF Reserve.  The plans for a large reserve program did not materialize at this tme, however, be- cause of manpower and budgetary defi- ciencies. At first the program for the Air Reserve was geared to 130 bases and tacti- cal and training aircraft; by 1947 only 70 bases were active. The economy program of 1948-49 resulted in a shortage of man- power and funds for bases and equipment; this shortage forced a cut to 41 bases and finally to 23. TM The National Security Act of 1947 trans- forred all the Army's mr assets, including the Ar Reserve, to the USAF. xa The Army. Navy Nurse's Act of i947 and the Women's Armed Services Act of 1948 made nurses and women of the WAC, the Ar Force con- tmgent of wheeh had become the WAF, eh- gible to join the Air Force Reserve. x's Public Law 460, 80 Cong., 2 Sess., (approved 25 March 1948) gave the Air Force Reserve the incentive of drill pay; and Title III of the Army and Air Force Vitalization and Re- tirement Act (approved 29 June 1948) gave Air Reserve personnel the incentive of retirement pay based on extended active duty and on credits given for other duty. .* As previously stated, Public Law 108, 81 Cong., I Sess, (approved 20 June 1949) provided benefits for Air Force Reserve members who became disabled or ded while engaged in active duty for periods of less than 30 days, m' while engaged m so!ave duty tramrag. The benefits were to be the same as those received by regulars2  The three last-mentioned laws also pertained to the Air National Guard, which had been re-established in 1946 for all 48 states and was soon extended to Puerto Rico and Hawaii2  The Army and Air Force Authorization Act of 1949 specified that the Air National Guard (the ,ar National Guard of the United States, and the Air National Guard while n the service of the United States) and the Urnted States Air Force Reserve, along with the Regular Air Force, were components of the Air Force of the United States. It authorized for the Ar National Guard and the Ar National Guard of the United States a personnel strength of 150,- 000 officers, warrant officers and enlisted men; and for the United States Art Force Reserve a strength of 500,000. This did not include those Air National Guard persormel on active duty in the Ar Force of the United States.e The Air Force Organization Act of 1951, making some changes m nomencla- ture and organization, specified that the United States Air Force should consist of the Regular Ar Force, the Air Force Re- serve, the Air National Guard of the United States, and the Air Natanal Guard whfie in the service of the United States. The Air THIS PAGE Declassified lAW EO12958