Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-30

Z YOUNG men seeking appoint
" ment to the United States
Naval Academy, through the
L Naval Reserve, appeared in
arge numbers at the armory Of the
list Battalion. United States Naval Re
serves of the District Of Columbia, IN
The navy yard during the week in or
der to qualify before the deadline,
which falls today. It was said that
II recruits applied for enlistment here
with the idea of getting appointments
10 the naval school, the appointments
10 be made as Of next July.
The law provides for rs appoint
ments each year from the Reserve at
large, and with such large number
In the local outfit seeking the coveted
1t is expected that the
will be very keen when
the examination period arrives.
In order TO be eligible candidate
must have enlisted in the Reserves by
July preceding the year in which
! hopes to enter the academy. He
must have attended at least 81 drills
with the division to which he is as
signed and be recommended by his
officer.
1t was pointed out by local battalion
officers that this recommendation is
one Of the hardest requirements prior
to the examination proper. The can
didates are watched very closely as
they must demonstrate clearly their
aptitude and ability as prospective Of
f1cers of the Regular establishment.
Candidates are enlisted for a period
OF four years. to expire upon appoint
ment to the academy. However, If
they fail to pass any of the examina-
tions, physical or mental, they are re-
tained in volunteer status until the
expiration Of the enlistment. The
competitive examinations are sched-
uled for February and April of next
year and will be held in the IA naval
districts and the Washington Navy
Yard. Last year five men from the
local battalion qualified on the exam
nations.
The candidates are required to put
in specified number of weekly drills
during the year they are in training
and also are required to take one an
nual cruise. Although the men are
enlisted in the volunteer Naval Re-
serve. they are required to perform
the same drills as the feet Reservists
during the period which they are can
didates for the academy appointments,
and for this purpose they are dis
tributed among the three feet divi-
sions here. where they are constantly
under the eyes of the Reserve officers
during the drill period.
Usually a cruise on a DESTROYER or
battleship will demonstrate their apti-
tude for the service. and also will give
the candidates some idea as 10
whether they would like to continue
on a naval career. During the cruises
they get a real taste of the Navy in
action, particularly in view of the
fact that the training ships assigned
to take the Reservists out are drilling
them constantly in order to get in as
much work during the two weeks Pc
Rod as possible
This year the candidates will have
an opportunity of training aboard a
battleship, an experience which some
Of the other members of the battalion
will have for the first time. Many of
the men now in the outfit are young
sters who were mere boys during the
World War period. Since that time
the local outfit has had its annual sea
training only aboard small boats such
as eagle boats and destroyers. How
ever, there are still left in the battal-
ion a few veterans of the World War
who have done training aboard the
bigger ships of the Navy under war
conditions.
During the annual cruise period this
year all of the divisions will be taken
out at one time. whereas heretofore
with only q destroyer available, only
one division has been cruising at a
time. This has stretched the training
period over most of the Summer, but
under the new system it will be COM
pleted in two weeks, and the majority
Of officers and men of the local battal-
ion are looking forward to it with
much interest.
Officers boards of the local battalion
are busily engaged now in examining
candidates who have been recon-
mended by their division officers for
promotion to the next higher ratings.
With less than 10 drills remaining be-
fore the battalion sails on the annual
training cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia,
interest Is said to be running high.
Advancement in rating before the
cruise will mean increased pay for the
fortunate Reservists who go on a full
pay basis for the IA days that they are
at sea.
The examinations are to be COM
pleted prior to the cruises and in time
so that the necessary appointments
may be made and noted on the pay
rolls. Owing to the stringent drill
schedule which Is carried out on the
training ships, there is little time for
either officers or men to conduct eX-
aminations or to appear before boards
without taking away the little leisure
time that they might have for recrea-
ton purposes each day.
Recruit classes are now well into
the course for apprentice seamen.
Each drill night is divided into sec
lions so that each recruit may get a
solid, basic training before his en-
listment as apprentice seaman on
completion Of the course Of II weeks.
The men are given infantry drill.
lectures on various phases of the naval
service and the part the Reserve or
ganization will play in time Of ma
tional emergency. instructions in the
handling Of large guns, semaphores.
radio, battle problems and illustrated
slides of scenes in the regular estab-
lishment accompany the lectures.
1t was pointed out by officers Of the
local battalion that after enlistment
the educational opportunities open to
seamen are varied and
There are courses in en-
of nearly every kind, from
IL