Annual Report of the Surgeon General United States Army Fiscal Year 1961

DISCONTINUANCE OF THE ARMED FORCES MEDICAL JOURNAL AND THE ARMED FORCES MEDICAL PUBLICATION AGENCY

The Department of Defense, by DOD Directives System Transmittal No. 60-19, 29 July 1960, canceled DOD Directive 5154.3, "The Armed Forces Medical Publication Agency," dated 5 January 1957, effective 30 December 1960. The purpose of this Agency was to edit and publish the United States Armed Forces Medical Journal, a monthly professional periodical for the military departments. The decision to cease publication of the Journal was based upon the following:

1.  Its continuation could not be justified as a medium primarily for publication of scientific and professional articles by officers of the Armed Forces. Journals of the various civilian professional societies, colleges, and associations provide the same opportunities to professional officers for publication of technical articles, as they do to other members of these professions.

2.  In addition, the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States publishes a monthly professional journal, Military Medicine, which is well suited to the publication of scientific and professional articles of particular significance to the military services.

3. The professional benefits derived from the Journal did not justify the cost of publication ($105,000 yearly).

In view of the aforementioned, AR 40-224, "Armed Forces Medical Publication Agency," which was the Army's implementation of DOD Directive 58154.5, was recinded with an effective date of 1 January 1961, by DA Circular 310-35, 16 December 1960.