However, persons in this age group did not flock into the program as had been expected, in part because of the opportunity for no active duty which the National Guard and Army Reserve offered. At first the six-month program, introduced by the Reserve Forces Act of August, 1955, was of relatively minor concern to the college student, since it was applicable only to men below the age of 18 1/2. The entire question of fulfilling one's military obligation has always been a relatively complex one for the college student, and with the advent of the new "six-month" programs it will become even more so. If one is a college freshman and plans on spending some years in graduate study, these programs involve little inconvenience and at the same time, pay from $2.75 to $4.25 per drill, depending on what rank is held. The other programs are available to National Guardsmen and involve a longer time duration than any other form of military obligation, from 9 1/2 to 11 years in ready reserve. The most advantageous of these programs is open to Army Reservists and involves a total military obligation of six years in the active reserve. The ready reserve involves weekly two-hour drill sessions forty-eight times during the year (actually this can be lowered to a minimum of 42 times a year) and two weeks each summer at a training camp. These programs require no active duty, but merely from 6 to 11 years of ready reserve depending upon the program chosen. ![]() This means that several programs, which Wilson would probably cite as "draft-dodging" techniques, will go out of existence on the first of next month. This six-month period will be a minimum training requirement for all branches of the service, with one minor exception in the case of men under 18 1/2 years of age in the National Guard. Wilson's desire to strengthen the Guard in order to make it "a solid base" upon which to construct the country's military organization has resulted in a mandatory six-month, active-duty training period for all Guardsmen and Reservists who enlist after April first. ![]() One of the most significant upshots of Defense Secretary Wilson's recent "draft dodging" accusations, leveled against the National Guard several months ago, will become effective five days hence, on April first.
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