Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/90

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 carne to feel that certain changes could be made to improve the law.  The Officer Personnel Act of 1947 was soon amended by the passage of Pubhc Law 804, 80 Cong., 2 Sees. (approved 28 June 1948). It specified that the laws requiring retzrement of Regular Air Force officers be- cause of age should not apply to those offi- cers appointed in the grade oœ General of the Army pursuant to the Act oœ March 23, 1945. Any such officer on the retired list could be restored by the President to the active list ff he so requested. Nor were such officers to be counted in the hmited number of officers authorized to serve on active duty in grades above heutenant general as had been prowdeC in section 503 of the Officer Personnel Act. Also it was specified that certain other generals could be con- tinued in their grades unto! i July 1950 un- less sooner retired." In June 1948 the President approved the passage of the Army and Air Force Vxtall- zatmn and Retirement Equahzation Act of 1948. This legislation established a per- manent and more expeditious method of dimmating substandard officers from the Regular Army and the Regular Air Force. Up to this time the elimination of sub- standard officers had been prov:ded for by temporary wartime legislation--Public Law 190, 77 Cong, i Sees (approved 29 July 1941). Under the new elimination proce- dure set up in Title I of this measure the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force were each to convene an- nually a selection board of not less than five general officers. These boards, each in its respective sewice, were to review the records of all officers on the active hst and to determine which ones should be required to show cause for retention on the active hst, selecting those who rafted to meet the standards of performance prescribed by the Secretaries. Each officer thus selected was to have a atr and impartial imtml hearing before a board of inquiry. This board could recommend retention or re- moval of the officer concerned. The case was automatreally closed in those instances in which retention on the active list was recommended. When t was recommended by the board of inquiry that an officer be removed from the active list, the proceed- ings were to be reviewed by a board of re- wow which could recommend retention or removal. if retention was recommended by ths rewew board the case was closed. When the board of rewew recommended the re- moral of an officer from the active list, thin recommendation was to be referred to the Service Secretary concerned for final action.  Title II of the Army and Air Force Vitali- zation and Retirement Equahzation Ac placed the personnel of the Army and the Air Force on a par with Navy personnel in regard to years of serwce required for vol- untary longewty retirement and in regard to the right to retire in the highest tem- porary rank held Tbs title also contained provisions for the retirement of warrant officers, enlisted men, and members of the Army Nurse CorpsY  It was provided that each service should have a single officers' retired lint Also pro- vision was made for the voluntary retre- merit, at the dmcretion of the Secretary of the setwee concerned, of Regular Army and Regular Ar Force officers, and Army of the Urnted States Reserve and Air Force Re- serve officers who had completed not tess than 20 nor more than 30 years of active serv,ce. At least 10 years of such service must have been comrmssioned service. In re- tiremerit an officer was to receive annual pay equal to 2 V per cent of ins annual base pay and longewty or the rank n which he was retired, multiplied by the number of years of service credited for longevity pay purposes. In no case was this to exceed 75 per cent of such annual active duty base and longevity pay. Sirefiat prowsion was made for warrant officers and enhsted men. Warrant officers and enlisted men who re- tired after 20 years of service were not to be advanced to the highest temporary rank until active service plus time on the retired rolls totaled 30 years.  Title IiI established a new principle gov- erning retirement for Reserve components of the Army and the Air Force. Previously, reservists had recieved retirement benefits only on grounds of physical disability; now THIS PAGE Declassflied lAW EO12958