Evening star., 1935-06-16

States Naval Reserve outflt
here believes that despite its speciality
of the sea 1t is good enough to try lts
land legs with the Marine Corps Re
serve. So a challenge was issued dur
ing the week to Maj. Watson Miller,
commander of the Marine Reserve Bat
TALON here, to have one OF his COM
panies of Infantry stage Q competitive
Infantry drill with a division OF the
local Naval Battalion, the division in
the Navy being comparable to COM
pany of infantry.
Lieut.. j. E. Sullivan, commander OF
the naval outfit, announced last week
that he had approved letter contain
ing the challenge, which was written
by Lieut.. j. B. Cleland, commanding
the 2nd Fleet Division, the division
which will go up against the Marines
In the event the challenge Is accepted.
Lieut.. Sullivan said that he had ap-
proved the proposal as one means OF
stirring up interest in Reserve actlvl-
ties in the two branches of the naval
service. and he believes that 1t Will
instill a fine spirit of rivalry between
the two outfits.
'While it is not the mission OF the
Naval Reserve" reads Lieut.. Clelands
letter. Ito be soldiers, not even soldiers
~ the sea. as our men devote their
time to learning to be electricians, ma
chinists, quartermasters, slgnalmen'
radiomen, they have little opportunity
to learn much about the intrlcacles Oh
Infantry maneuvers. Accordingly, IL
was thought that we might learn some
thing by contact with wel-drllleo
company of Marines through a COM
petitive drill.
"A division of the Naval Reserve
with an allowed strength of Sc FL men
is highly comparable to Marine Re-
serve company of so men.
"It is further suggested that the
competition be confined to company
close-order Infantry drill and that
three ofacers of the United States
ARMY act as judges. 1t is believed
that this competition should be held
not later than July /. so as to have the
minimum number of absences due 10
vacancies"
Word has been received at the local
battalion headquarters that Mdshlp-
man Vernon Hayes former member
of the battalion, has completed the
6rst wear of his course at the Naval
Academy with high marks. He stood
eighth in a class of 573 for the year.
Haves formerly was seaman, sec
ond class. in the Sd Fleet Division,
and he entered the academy through
the Reserve, receiving one OF the 20
amendments which is given each year
to enlisted men of the United States
Naval Reserve
The local Reserve battalion has
heen authorized by the Navy De-
nartnent to take 90 officers and 172
enlisted men on the annual cruise
this wear, while the Aviation Division
has been apportioned IL officers and
i6 enlisted men.
The Aviation Division is to start Its
training duty on July 6, when II
planes assigned to the outfit here Will
be flown to the Naval Air Station
at Cape May, N. j.. where the tram
ing will oe taken. In addition 10 the
planes, a large amount OF equipment
will be taken overland In trucks.
The Navy Department, In a letter
10 Reserve units, says that the dura-
ton of the annual period OF training
duty for both the seagoing and AVA
tion branches will be IA days. exclu-
eiye of travel time. 1t says that no
Individual should be given in excess
of this amount of training duty with
nav, without authority from the Bu-
reau of Navigation. Members OF the
Volunteer Naval Reserve. within
specified quotas, may be given train
ing duty with Fleet divisions, pro-
Vided no officer or man of the Fleet
Naval Reserve will thereby be dis
placed.
The cruising quota OF the Volun-
feer Naval Reserve is intended pri-
narily for officers and men OF the
Naval Communication Reserve. Or
f,cers and men of the Naval Commun-
tcstion Reserve who have demon
strated by drill attendance, etc, an
active interest therein should receive
first priority in granting requests for
training duty against this quota, the
departmental letter says. Thereafter.
requests f1om officers and men Of the
other classes of the Volunteer Naval
Reserve may be granted. within quota
Limitations, according to the degree OF
interest displayed by the various lnol-
Viduals, bearing in mind the necessity
of training duty as prerequisite Tor
promotion. SubstitutionS OF volunteer
oficers or men for Fleet officers or
men. In filling the Fleet quotas, are
not authorized, except that it is de-
xired to have on board each vessel
rerforming q Naval Reserve cruise not
less than four qualified radio oper-
ators.
The letter further says that all
members of divisions shall perform
their required annual training duty
with the division to which attached,
EXCEPT as follows: Medical and supply
oficers shall not as q rule be sent on
DESTROYER cruises unless there Is no
other suitable duty available for them,
and their presence on board will not
deprive any line officer of an oppor-
tunity to cruise on board destroyer.
Members of battalion stats should
wherever practicable be cruised with
those feet divisions of the battalion
with which they can be accommodated,
except that line officers above the
rank of lieutenant, not attached to feet
divisions, should preferably be given
GIHlulIR Ouby d11Od6 III FCocOAS OOhCA
than destroyers. 1t Is not desired to
cruise recently enlisted recruits or
other enlisted Reservists who have
failed to maintain active interest in
the organization to which attached.
AS a rule, therefore, the letter con-
tinues, no enlisted man should be per
nitted to cruise unless he has at
tended a minimum Of IL drills during
the six months Immediately preceding
the cruise.
The department further says that
as soon as practicable each division
commander Of the Naval Reserve
should inform the commanding offi-
Ger of the vessel In which his division
is to cruise as to the names, rank,
and rates, prior service and capabili-
ties Of those who will cruise.
The department says that it is de-
sired that, so far as practicable, the
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