Evening star., 1934-05-06
RECRUITS TO GET
TRA|N|NG0NB BOAT
Naval ReServiStS to Cruise
on Potomac in Practice
Launch.

Young men attempting to make
the grade as enlisted men of the lst
Battalion, United States Naval Re-
serves of the District of Columbia,
will move another step along in
their training next Saturday and
Sunday. when they will be taken on
their first cruise aboard the training
boat assigned to the local battalion.
They will be taken down the Potomac
River and shown some of the ship
board duties which sailormen must
perform.
Except for a few old timers. neces-
sary for operation of the craft. the
crew of the boat will be made up
largely of members of the recruit
class of the battalion. This class is
made up Of applicants for enlistment
in the Reserve who have not yet
shown their adaptability to the serv-
ice. They have been given strenuous
armory instruction, and now are
considered ready for training aboard
the boat.
Under the present system at the
battalion. applicants are not imme-
diately enlisted. They are assigned
to the recruit class and go through
all the training of seamen appren-
tices. in order that the officers may
determine. before formal enlistment.
whether the applicants are suitable
material 1or the Reserve. If. after
three months of training. they are
found acceptable, they are enlisted
in the seaman apprentice grade. and
uniforms and equipment then are
issued to them.
The number of men who can be
taken into the organization is limited
by the Navy Department. to keep
within the funds available for the
fleet reserve. as the personnel in
this branch is paid for drills and
annual cruises AS there are many
applicants for the organization, the
system was established of trying out
the men before enlistment. so as to
get only the very best personnel.
During the voyage down the Poto-
mac and return the recruit class will
be given instruction in the compass,
taking soundings, steering and other
features of naval training. They will
be able to get practical instruction
in some Of the book instruction they
have received during their work in
the armory since they were admitted
to the recruit class.
Instruction work for the enlisted
men of the various divisions of the
battalion now is largely in prepara-
ton for the annual cruises. which
are scheduled to begin on August 25.
The entire organization will go out
aboard two destroyers, two of the
divisions being scheduled to be taken
on one ship and the third on another.
which also will stop at Richmond to
take aboard q division of Reserves
there
AS this will be the first cruise in
three seasons. it Is expected that the
reservists will have q period of target
practice, and the gun crews are being
trained with the drill gun IN the
armory. The seamen and engineer
branches also are being given thor
OukIl VI dlllulk III tIlC vol lOuS oullcS
which they will be expected to per-
form aboard ship, so that when the
vessels arrive there will be little time
required to start them of on the
regular drills aboard ship.
The reservists are hoping that moth
ing will turn up this year to cause
the suspension of the cruises, fea-
ture of the training to which the re-
servists look forward to each year.
Two years ago the cruises were sus-
pended for governmental economy
reasons Later the Cuban troubles
came to the fore about the time the
cruises were ready to start. AS a
matter Ct fact one of the divisions
was out on cruise when orders we're
received directing the destroyer cap
tains to disembark the Reserves and
proceed to Cuba. The men aboard
did not complete their cruises, and
those which had not received the
training had to forego it for the year.
The absence of training facilities
prevented many officers from getting
in the necessary amount of sea duty
required in order to fit them for pro-
motion. but the department, realizing
the difficulties, has attempted to meet
this situation by changing the re-
quirements for volunteer officers.
The regimental commander of mid
shipmen at the United States Naval
Academy, Midshipman E. J. Fahy. is
a former Naval Reservist. He was
appointed to the academy from the
23d Division, 9Th Battalion, United
States Naval Reserves, New York City.
and was admitted to the institution
en- June 10, 1890. Previous to that
time he was a seaman, second and
first class, in the Reserve division.
The Bureau of Navigation of the
Navy Department has announced that
lack OF sufhcient funds again has
made it impossible to publish a new
edition of the Naval Reserve Register
of commissioned and warrant officers.
The last edition of the register was
published in 1881.
There are now available for dis
tribution the new Navy training
courses, instructions for use in prepa-
ration for the rating of gunner's mate,
third class, and torpedoman, third
class" There are also available
pamphlets with progress tests and ex-