ROTC Commission Cutback May Not Affect College Unit

Rumored cutbacks in Army ROTC commissions will probably not affect the College's unit, Lt. Colonel Trevor N. Dupuy, professor of Military Science and Tactics, said yesterday.

In reference to a recent Army memorandum which warned that budgetary limitations might deprive some seniors of their commissions, Dupuy said, "The Army saw what happened to the Air Force and is just trying to be fair. We think this is a formality without too much likelihood that it will affect Harvard's unit."

Since the College's ROTC unit is in field artillery, Dupuy believed that any cut in commissions would be less likely here than at other colleges. The Army is expanding its artillery units, he pointed out, and needs all the artillery officers it can get.

There is also the chance, Dupuy said, that some graduates might be commissioned in a branch other than artillery if one branch was under-supplied with officers.

Dupuy believed that cuts in officers will come at schools offering instruction in non-combat branches such as the Quartermaster and Signal Corps. Artillery is termed a combat branch.

Any Cuts on Aptitude

If there had to be cuts, Dupuy said they would probably be made on the basis of the academic and military aptitude standings of the students. In addition, all advanced ROTC applicants must pass the RQ-3 qualifying examination, but no University student has ever failed this test.

Any student who did not receive his commission because of the Army's budget problems, would receive a Certificate of Completion which acknowledged that he finished the four-year ROTC program. It is believed this would give him preference for a future commission.

Because of similar budget trouble, the Air Force last year withheld commissions from a number of non-flying graduates. The Air Force did offer the men the chance to enlist as Airmen for two years instead of the usual four-year hitch.