▁States ▁saw ▁a ▁major ▁expansion ▁following ▁the ▁ 7 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor . ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁legisl ation ▁provided ▁that ▁personnel ▁induct ed ▁into ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁under ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁Select ive ▁Training ▁and ▁Service ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁were , ▁both ▁retro act ively ▁and ▁from ▁that ▁date ▁on , ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁commission ed ▁officers ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁were ▁appointed ▁from ▁the ▁Reg ular ▁Army , ▁generally ▁southern ers . ▁The ▁standard ▁practice ▁that ▁these ▁officers ▁held ▁a ▁" per man ent ▁rank " ▁within ▁the ▁Reg ular ▁Army ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁higher ▁" tem por ary ▁rank " ▁while ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁A ▁typical ▁situation ▁might ▁be ▁a ▁colon el ▁in ▁the ▁A US ▁holding ▁the ▁permanent ▁rank ▁of ▁captain ▁in ▁the ▁Reg ular ▁Army . ▁Another ▁term ▁for ▁rank ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁" the ater ▁rank ." ▁ ▁Prom ot ions ▁within ▁the ▁Army ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁were ▁sometimes ▁very ▁rapid , ▁and ▁some ▁officers ▁were ▁promoted ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁four ▁to ▁five ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁space ▁of ▁just ▁three ▁to ▁four ▁years . ▁D w ight ▁D . ▁Eisen h ower , ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Army , ▁rose ▁from ▁a ▁colon