Physical Standards in World War II

This is one of the valuable volumes comprising the official history of the Medical Department of the U.S. Army in World War II, prepared by the Historical Unit, and published in the professional or clerical and technical series now including 29 volumes. Four volumes have been published in the administrative or operational series. The Surgeon General, in a Foreword, notes the delineation of the changing standards, the evolution of the concept of physical standards as the war made deeper inroads into our manpower reserves, while instantaneous readiness became essential for successful response to future combat operations-standards flexible enough to fill and to maintain at full strength the ranks of the Armed Forces. From an enlightening Prologue: "Physical prowess alone ,of course, was not the key to Roman military might; the key lay, as it does today, in organization, discipline, mobility, weapons, tactics, and leadership." There are five basic chapters, six appendixes, fourteen illustrations, four tables-one a physical profile serial, and one chart of organization of professional service. Development and administration of physical standards are discussed according to manpower needs; consideration is given to mobilization standards and procedures for officers and special categories. Personnel classification and retention policies are reviewed. For example, there is a reminder that personnel in combat units getting ready for field service underwent a constant screening process in order to insure their complete physical fitness. But none was recommended for transfer to noncombatant Zone of Interior organizations simply because of physical unfitness. Units were retained if they could fill a vacancy without reducing the organization's efficiency as a fighting unit. Personnel already overseas were screened in accordance with the physical criteria which permitted their original shipment. This involved a reexamination to determine physical and mental fitness for redeployment to still another overseas theater. And, "the psychiatric evaluation derived particular benefit from knowledge of the men possessed by unit medical personnel." As to civilian personnel in the Army of Occupation, as in the case of inductees, MR1-9-examining physicians were advised not to construe the standards arbitrarily or rigidly, but to use them as a guide. "The process of evaluating personnel for retention was enormously important in solving the total problem of acquiring, training, and employing sufficient manpower for carrying out the Army's mission." Separations from the Army involved the utilization of physical standards, effectively considered. Work on these subjects has been continued in order to improve procedures. Problems of advance planning are receiving attention, hoping for a system that will work smoothly and rapidly under all conditions.