THE CRITICAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED YOUTH AND THE EVIDENCE THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE YOUTH DID NOT MEET EVEN THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PEACETIME MILITARY SERVICE PROMPTED PRESIDENT KENNEDY, ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1963, TO CREATE THE TASK FORCE ON MANPOWER CONSERVATION, COMPOSED OF THE HEAD ADMINISTRATORS OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF DEFENSE, LABOR, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, AND SELECTIVE SERVICE. AVAILABLE GOVERNMENT DATA, SUPPLEMENTED BY MILITARY REJECTEE QUESTIONNAIRE INFORMATION, YIELDED NUMEROUS FINDINGS WHICH SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR THE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT ONE-THIRD OF ALL YOUNG MEN IN THE NATION TURNING 18 YEARS OLD WOULD BE RENDERED UNQUALIFIED IF THEY WERE TO BE EXAMINED FOR INDUCTION INTO THE ARMED FORCES. OF THESE, ABOUT ONE-HALF WOULD BE REJECTED FOR MEDICAL REASONS, AND THE REMAINDER WOULD FAIL TO QUALIFY ON THE MENTAL TEST. ONE OF EVERY TWO SELECTIVE SERVICE REGISTRANTS CALLED PREINDUCTION EXAMINATION WAS FOUND TO BE UNQUALIFIED. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCE A NATIONWIDE MANPOWER CONSERVATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PERSONS WHO FAIL TO MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE NEEDED EDUCATION, TRAINING, HEALTH REHABILITATION AND RELATED SERVICES THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO BECOME EFFECTIVE AND SELF SUPPORTING CITIZENS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN DETAILED STATISTICAL TABLES AND TECHNICAL METHODOLOGICAL DATA. (ET)