During World War II, American forces grew larger than at any other point in its history. Most participants were drafted into service, and there was significant pressure from the public to bring home servicemen as quickly as possible.
Before the end of the war, American military commanders were already working on a method to discharge the servicemen and women at the conclusion of the conflicts. In previous conflicts, the military would demobilize an entire unit and return them to their home base, or muster location. This was dropped in favor of, at first, a "computed-age formula", but was replaced by determining an individuals service "points" - which under most circumstances, would earn the individual the right to be discharged.
Each service had a different method, but generally held to the following:
- Points for each month of service after a specified date.
- Points for each month of service at sea or overseas.
- Army and Marine Corps awarded points for certain medals and awards, usually including the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
- Each service computed points for dependents differently, and may or may not include the wife.
Retired personnel typically became immediately eligible for discharge after a specified date, with exceptions for officers, in general, and enlisted personnel holding certain specialties. Prior to V-J Day, the points method also served as a guide to determine if servicemen in the European theater not eligible for discharge were to be immediately sent to the Pacific theater of operations (lowest scores), transferred after a furlough (second lowest), continue supporting operations in Europe, or transferred for garrison at an Allied base.