Cover, AGF Study Number 6 - The Procurement and Branch Distribution of Officers


THE PROCUREMENT AND BRANCH
DISTRIBUTION OF OFFICERS

Army Ground Forces

Study No. 6

 

By

Major William R. Keast

Historical Section - Army Ground Forces


HEADQUARTERS ARMY GROUND FORCES
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

314.7(1 Sept 1946)GNHIS
1 September 1945

 

SUBJECT:     Studies in the History of Army Ground Forces

TO:                All Interested Agencies

      1. The history of the Army Ground Forces as a command was prepared during the course of the war and completed immediately thereafter. The studies prepared in Headquarters Army Ground Forces, were written by professional historians, three of whom served as commissioned officers, and one as a civilian. The histories of the subordinate commands were prepared by historical officers, who except in Second Army, acted as such in addition to other duties.

      2. From the first, the history was designed primarily for the Army. Its object is to give an account of what was done from the point of view of the command preparing the history, including a candid, and factual account of difficulties, mistakes recognized as such, the means by which, in the opinion of those concerned, they might have been avoided, the measures used to overcome them, and the effectiveness of such measures. The history is not intended to be laudatory.

      3. The history of the Army Ground Forces is composed of monographs on the subjects selected, and of two volumes in which an overall history is presented. A separate volume is devoted to the activities of each of the major subordinate commands.

      4. In order that the studies may be made available to interested agencies at the earliest possible date, they are being reproduced and distributed in manuscript form. As such they must be regarded as drafts subject to final editing and revision. Persons finding errors of fact or important omissions are encouraged to communicate with the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces, Attention: Historical Section, in order that corrections may be made prior to publication in printed form by the War Department.

BY COMMAND OF GENERAL DEVERS:

 

 

1 Incl:
     Historical Study

J. L. TARR
Colonel, AGD
Acting Ground Adj General

Contents

Chapter
..
Page
1.

The Officer Problem

1
2.

The Officer Problem in the Army Ground Forces

1
3.

Phases of the Officer Problem

2
4.

Sources of AGF Officers

2
5.

Higher Commanders

4
6.

Procurement of Officer Candidates in 1942

7
7.

Administrative Changes, March 1943

10
8.

The Officer Surplus of 1943 and the Control of OCS Production

11
9.

The Surplus of Antiaircraft Officers and Its Liquidation

15
10.

Officer Problems under Conditions of Surplus

17
11.

Elimination of Unsuitable Officers

18
12.

The Pool and Overstrength Problem

19
13.

The Officer Problem in 1944-45

21
14.

Redistribution of Officers in the Ground Arms

22
15.

The Officer Procurement Situation in Early 1944

24
16.

Administrative Changes, March 1944

26
17.

Efforts to Increase Officer Candidate Quotas, February - June 1944

26
18.

The Search for Candidates, June - December 1944

29
19.

Reorientation of Officer Production toward Redeployment and the Pacific War

33
20.

Summary of Officer Procurement

35
 

Notes

57

 

No.

CHARTS

Page

I.

Capacity of Officer Candidate Schools

37
II.

OCS Strengths in Relation to Enlisted Strength of AGF

39

 

No.

TABLES

Page

I.

Distribution of Commissioned Officers

45
II.

Number of Candidates in AGF Officer Candidate Schools, 1942-1945

46
III.

Output of AGF Officer Candidate Schools, 1941-1945

46
IV.

Authorized Monthly Quotas: AGF Officer Candidate Schools, 1943-1945

48
V.

Planned Strength of Antiaircraft Artillery

49
VI.

Overseas Shipments AGF Officer Replacements, September 1943-August 1945

50
VII.

Commission of Officers to Infantry, 1944

51
VIII.

Officers in INF, FA, CAC, and CAV, August 1939-July 1945

52
IX.

Distribution of Infantry OCS Quotas, June 1944-February 1945

54
X.

Overseas Appointments of Male Officers

55
XI.

Distribution of Officer Strengths of Ground Arms, 1940-1945

56


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