The Adjusted Service Rating Score was the system that the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

used at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in Europe to determine which soldiers were eligible to be repatriated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

for

discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

from military service as part of Operation ''Magic Carpet''.

History

As the end of the war in Europe became a reality, the US War Department began planning for the redeployment of Army personnel following the end of hostilities. The Readjustment Regulations were first introduced on September 15, 1944, and revised February 15, 1945, and again on March 5, 1945. The rules were simple in general principle: "those who had fought longest and hardest should be returned home for discharge first." The US Army divided units of the European Theater of Operations into four categories: #Units designated as

occupation forces Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...

(such as the Third and the Seventh Armies) #Units that had been overseas for less than one year, or those: (a) to be redeployed directly to the Pacific; (b) to be redeployed to the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

via the United States; (c) to be returned to the United States to be placed in strategic reserve. #Units to be organized or reorganized in the European Theater for use as occupation forces, or to be redeployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations. #Units to be returned to the United States and inactivated or disbanded. New troops would be deployed to Europe as replacements for the veterans returning home.

Initial criteria

An enlisted man needed a score of eighty-five points to be considered for demobilization. The scores were determined as follows: #Month in service = 1 point each #Month in service overseas = 1 point each, in addition to month in service #Combat award (

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal,

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

Silver Star Medal The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

, Distinguished Flying Cross, Soldier's Medal,

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establish ...

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

) or campaign participation star = 5 points each #Dependent child under eighteen years old (Up to 3) = 12 points each Time of service was calculated from September 16, 1940. The four criteria were the only ones from which points were calculated. No points were issued for age, marriage, or dependent children over the age of eighteen. Battles and awards were also only accepted from a predetermined list.

Classes

Different scores were set for troops in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, c ...

US Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

s, Women’s Army Corps and holders of the

Officers

Before the surrender of Japan, officers who may have had to serve again in combat were assessed not only on their ASR score but also on their efficiency and military specialities. Most high-scoring officers could have expected an early discharge after

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...

. The qualifying score was revised down to eighty points after

VJ Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

. In the coming months it would be lowered again.

Medical personnel

Scores varied before the end of May 1945 by varied department in the Medical Corps. * Medical Administrative Corps (MAC) = 88 points * Medical Corps (MC) = 85 points (plus specialty) * Nurses Corps = 71 points * Physical Therapists = 65 points * Hygienists and Dietitians = 62 points The discharge program continued until the end of July 1945; the demand to ship personnel and equipment to the Pacific became so great that medical units were prevented from shipping back to the United States for inactivation. However, all transfers to the Pacific were abruptly halted with announcement of the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945.

Post-war changes

By September 1945, the War Department redesignated all units in Europe as either Occupation Forces (personnel with either the lowest scores or who were volunteers), Redeployment Forces (those with the highest score being sent back to the United States) or Liquidation Forces (troops with middle scores of 60–79 points) who were required to close down former front line facilities such as munition dumps or field hospitals. Nevertheless, the ASR began to create problems for the US Army in post-war Germany as high-scoring personnel plus the attrition caused by sickness, compassionate leave and accidents meant continual loss of many experienced officers and NCOs. By December 1, 1945, a new policy was started, which was based on a combination of ASR score and length of service. The points required were as follows: * Officers (excluding Medical Department & WAC) = 70 and four years of military service * Women's Army Corps officers = 37 points * Medical Department officers = 55 points * All enlisted men = 50 and four years of military service * All enlisted women = 32 points All enlisted fathers with three or more dependent children under 18 years of age were immediately eligible for discharge irrespective of their time in military service.

References

{{World War II United States Army in World War II