ARMY: Tired Old Men

A characteristic of a good combat officer is that for him no effort is too much if it is needed to beat the enemy. To eliminate officers who lack the energy to make such efforts, the U.S. Army last week set up new age limits:

For major generals commanding field divisions, 62; brigadier generals, 60; colonels, 55; lieutenant colonels, 52; majors, 47; captains. 42; first lieutenants 35; second lieutenants, 30.

Exceptions: general officers commanding corps and armies—who are supposed to use their heads more than their bodies —may be any age short of 64 (statutory retirement); Army Air Forces officers (since the flying service is bitterly short of experienced men).

Officers exceeding these ages may still be used at desk jobs. Heaviest hit by the ruling will be National Guard officers, many of whom have grown grey in the lower grades. The War Department estimated that 20% of them will be taken from field commands, assigned to staff duty or be sent home at the end of their twelve-month tours. Of the Army’s 15,000 regular officers whose peacetime promotion has been slow enough, about 500 will leave the field for office work.