Air Nat'l. Guard Grants Commissions to Seniors

In the climax to a year-long struggle by non-flight cadets to secure Air Force Commissions, 35 Air Force ROTC seniors have been offered commissions in the Air Force National Guard upon graduation.

The Air National Guard has agreed to grant second lieutenant commissions to more than 4000 non-flight ROTC seniors in colleges throughout the country, Assistant Air Force Secretary H. Lee White announced Friday in Washington. Previously, the Air Force had warned that seniors who failed to quality for flight training would not receive their promised commissions in the Air Force Reserve and might have to face the draft after graduation in June.

AROTC graduates who accept the Air National Guard offer will be officially enrolled for a six-year period in the National Guards of their respective states, rather than in the regular Air Force Reserve. After a maximum of three years of active duty in administrative training posts, they then enter the active reserve of the Air National Guard for the remainder of the six year period for training, consisting chiefly of weekly drills. Two more years' service in the inactive reserve program completes the National Guard requirements.

Bostrom Halls Decision

Colonel Frank P. Bostrom, professor of Air Science and Tactics, last night hailed the Air National Guard's decision to commission the 35 seniors, who had argued their case vigorously for several months. "I'm very happy that they had the opportunity to get their commissions. They can certainly be used. They're especially needed in the reserve establishment," Bostrom said.

Under the terms of the Air National Guard commissions, the new officers will receive almost the same privileges as members of the regular Air Force Reserve, Bostrom said. "They'll be drawing the same pay and doing the same things."

"The only things they don't get are travel allowances for dependents and shipment of household goods," he con- tinued. "Also they're not entitled to veterans' benefits."

It is questionable, however, whether the Air National Guard will renew the agreement to accept non-flight cadets in the future. Bostrom said. "Only this year do we have a large group of administrative men. It's probably a one-time deal. There will probably be very few in the future."

Present plans call for the cadets to begin active duty in four separate quarterly contingents after receiving their commissions, Bostrom added. The first group will probably be ordered to report for training sometime in August