Evening star., 1927-10-16

enlisted men of the Navy to realize
the enormous difficulty Of training
involved Each rating is distinct
class representing different kinds and
degrees OF training. Each man in
any particular rating must be an ex-
pert in the work his rating requires
him to perform.
Unless the handling OF stores Is
properly supervised. unless the food is
well cooked. unless the boilers are
kept clean, tight and efficient, unless
the auXil:aries and main engines are
always ready for their ma Ximum
speed at their greatest economy, un-
less the guns can be "operly trained.
elevated and loaded and fire accurately
directed, the ship is unreliable and
unfit for service.
The valuable equipment on every
ship is intrusted to the care of the Of
fcers and men on board. The. Navy
cannot afford to have this material
carelessly handh7d. The personnel in
charge must be expert. The safety of
the ship In cruising, it's preparedness
for the great emergency in wartime
and its value as a fighting unit in the
whole naval organization depends
upon the degree OF erformance
reached in the training Of commits
stoned and enlisted personnel.
y 4 y
TT can safely be said that no institu
tion or orga MIA tion n IT, world is
called upon to do such intensive and
varied training a. the United States
Navy and it is also true that no trade
school or training institution is in
position to offer it's men under instruc-
ton such complete equipment facili-
ties.
1t Is true that not every one OF the
2s, 900 new recruits each year reaches
one of the enumerated ratings, But
even if he is only a seaman or fire
man, he is trained man for par
ticular job. He may be gun pointer,
gun sight setter, member OF
guns or turret's crew; he may simply
watch the boiler burn the oil pumped
to it as an oil-burning fireman, But,
whatever his rat ting, he is an lndlFld-
ual i'm well trained, well organized
fighting unit and as such he must
reach the highest degree Of proficiency
possible II that unit is to operate at its
ma ximum effectiveness. and he always
has the opportunity for advancement
in paV and rating by study, obSerVa-
ton and experience.
Consider the modern dreadnauGht
West Virginia. with an allowed compile
ment of about 1900 men, approximate
lv So per cent of whom are organized
into deck divisions. which include men
trained as quartermasters, signalmen.
torpedomen gunners mates. boat
sw9in's mates and turret captains.
This percentage includes the trained
seamen who make uD the guns crews
Another 20 per cent Of the ships COM
plement is organized ii-J the engineer
and repair forces. and includes boiler
makers, molders, copperSmiths. water
tenders, machinists. blacksmiths and
firemen. Radio men. electricians.
painters. shipftters, carpenters and
other ship artificers comprise another
10 per cent of the complement.
Yeomen Ghe clerical force). store
keepers. musicians, Hospital Corps
men comprise fully Z per cent of the
crew. On ship like the West Nlf-
ginia per cent of the entire ship com
plement is made up OF men Quallhed
as electricians, and probably another
per cent of the crew from among the
seamen guns crews are working with
them to learn this trade. There are
actually 96 different ratings aboard
this particular ship.
How does the Navy get it's skilled
experts? 1t makes them. At sea and
shore the Navy is keeping it's person
rel under continuous instruction. 1t
Ia possible to do this by reason of the
fact that. the Navy uses it's own
trained personnel as instructors. The
commissioned officers. who are given
four wears OF intensive training and
education at the Naval Academy, and
The chief petty officers. who have he
con-" e.;p"r,< in their particular raj.
''.in. Il. a IS or 20 years SerV.