News Letter 1941 Jul-Dec - Air Force Historical Studies Office

existing law entitles any reserve officer to a new
120 day period within which to apply for National
Service Life Insurance, said period commencing as
of the date on which reordered to active duty or
the present tour is continued or extended. Upon
being reordered with an intervening separation from
service, application for the insurance is not subject
to physical examination. If the present tour
of duty is continued or extended, then a satisfactory
physical examination must accompany the examination.
RESERVE OFFICERS, GENERAL. The reserve officers
of all arms, branches, and services that are now on
duty, excluding all but a limited number of Air
Corps Reserve officers and alimited number of reserve
officers of other branches, have been ordered
to active duty under authority of Public No. 96,
76th Congress, passed August 27, 1940. The insurance
provision in the Service Extension Act of 1941
extends to all such officers on active duty a new
opportunity to apply for National Service Life Insurance
within 120 days of August 18, 1941, subject
to the following limitation. ()lly such reserve
officers may apply whose current period of active
duty expires within said 120 days and whose active
duty is continued or extended within said 120-day
period. Applications also must be made within the
120 day period.
National Guard In Federal Service
Selective Service Enrollees Now In Service
Regular Army Reserve
Enlisted Reserve Corps In Federal Service
The periods of service of all ot the above military
classes were extended by executive order by virtue
of authority granted to thepresident in the Service
Extension Act of 1941.
Although provision ismade in the executive order
for blanket extension of all of the above classes
of military personnel, the executive order authorizes
the Secretary of War to release from active
service such persons or units as may be released
without impairment to the interests of national defense,
the releases to be effected upon completion
ot the original twelvemonths of training and service.
The Service Extension ~ct (approved August 18,
1941) granted toall military classes whose periods
of service, training, active duty, etc. were extended
under authority of the aforementioned law, anew
opportuni ty to apply for and obtain National Service
Life Insurance. Therefore, theNational GUard, Selective
Service, Regular Army Reserve And Enlisted
Reserve COrps all are eligible to apply within 120
days of August 18, 1941, and no physical examination
is necessary.
Individuals who may have previously applied for
less than S10,OOO.00 insurance may in this present
120 day period apply for any additional amount,
provided the total amount held will not exceed
$10,000.00.
The four above mentioned classes of military per-
30
sonnel are entitled to apply for insurance under
this provision even though their periods of service
may not actually be extended at the completion of
the current year of training or service. It is
necessary, however, that application be made while
stiil in active service and on or before December
16, 1941, the end of the 120 -day period.
In addition to the privilege of applying within
120 days of August 18, 1941 wi thout physical examination,
all personnel of the four above mentioned
classes whose periods of service, training, or active
duty are extended upon completion of present
period of service, training, or active duty, are
entitled to apply for National Service Life Insurance
wi thin 120 days of such extension, but subj ect
to satisfactory physical evidence of insurability.
Also any individuals in these four classes, who may
be mustered out of service or relieved from active
duty and who may subsequently be ordered back into
active service, are entitled to a new 120 day period
within which time application may be made for
National Service Li fe Insurance. The 120 days period
begins on the date of reentry into the service
and no physical examination is required.
Retired Officers And Enlisted Men
RETIRED CFFICERS. Inasmuch as retired officers who
have been ordered back into the service are not ordered
for any limi ted period of service, it was not
necessary to extend their periods of military service,
therefore, they are not eligible to apply for
National Service Life Insurance in the 120 day period
to December 16. All suchofficers are, however,
eligible to apply for National Service Life Insurance
without examination within 120 days of date on
which originally ordered back into service.
RETIRED ENLISTED MEN. The Service Extension Act
authorized the President to extend the periods of
service of retired enlisted men who are ordered
back into active service. The President did by
executive order extend such periods of service,
therefore, retired enlisted men now in active service
are entitled to apply for National Service
Life Insurance without examination during the 120
day period commencing August 18, 1941 and expiring
Decembe r 16, 1941.
()leYear Enlistments
(Army Of The United States)
The President's executive order didnot extend or
continue the periods of service of the above oneyear
enlistments. As these classes of military
service were not extended, no addi tional opportuni ty
to apply fo~ National Service Life Insurance is
appl icable.
General
Remarks
War Department Circular No. 192, issued September
16, 1941, which may be found in any headquarters.
furnishes information as to the rights of military
personnel to this new 120-day period for obtaining
insurance. It also sets out instructions for mak-
OCTOBER 1941