Evening star., 1935-08-25
Naval Officer Outlines /,
Life Aboard Battleship
Local Reservists Given Information of Duties
and Pleasures Facing Them on
Annual Training Cruise.

lars on board wish for another cruis,
with gang as swell as that one"
AL officers OF the local battalio,
have been called into a conference to.
morrow night TO discuss preparation
for the annual cruise, with Lieut.
j. e. Sullivan, commandant Of ths
battalion.
With the return Of the battleshil
Wyoming TO the Chesapeake after al
European cruise with the upper class.
men of the United States Naval Acad.
emy, the local Reserve Office will b.
able to perfect the necessary detail
for the annual cruise Of the loca
battalion in a minimum of time.
A list of the officers and men eli.
gible to take the cruise has been seni
to the captain Of the Wyoming, sc
that the officers Of the ship may make
tentative assignments. The list con.
tains the rates Of the various indi.
Wduals so that the watch, quarter
and station bills may be made out.
However. owing to the fact that
members Of the command cannot tel
Immediately whether they will be able
to obtain the necessary leave from
the civilian jobs, the local officials
will not be able to perfect a definite
list until few days before the cruise
However, the Wyoming will be at
Annapolis Roads and the correspond
ence can be carried out In O mini
mum Of time.
With several hundred men from
this city, Baltimore and Norfolk
scheduled to make the trip this wear.
the ships officers must have some in
formation in hand to make necessary
arrangements, and it is probable that
some Of the regular crew will be given
leave while the citizen sailors are
taking their annual tour Of sea duty
Tor training purposes. While a skele-
ton crew Of regulars must be kept
aboard to assist in maintaining the
routine Of the ship and for instruction
purposes. 1t Is probable that many of
the Reservists will be assigned reeu-
lar watches instead of observation
watches. In the latter case the men
do not actually perform the duties,
but are assigned a regular naval run
ming mate, who performs the duties
while the Reservist looks on.
However. it was said that there are
many veterans in the local battalion
who are able to take regular watches.
Not few OF the men have seen actual
service with the feet and its aux
iliaries during the World War and
have kept up their practical knowI-
edge ever since by attending regular
drills Of the Reserve and also by par
in all Of the annual cruises.
Aside from the men who have been
rated for years, it is expected that Just
prior to the annual cruise there will
be number of promotions among the
enlisted personnel, and the new men
will be able to perform their new
duties for the first time on the battle
ship. In addition to the increased
interest which this work will provide.
the promotions will carry advance
ment in pay, the Reservists getting
the same pay per day as their corre-
spending rates in the Regular Estab-
lishment.
The Examining Board Of the local
has been working for weeks
examining enlisted men who have
been recommended for promotion, and
It is understood that a number of
them have passed the rigid tests pro-
Vided by the board. The papers are
now on the desk Of the commanding
ofhcer, Lieut.. Sullivan, and 1t Is ex-
pected that he will act on them within
q few days, so that the final action
may be taken before the battalion
leaves here for its annual cruise. In
addition those men who go from sea-
men and f1remen to higher ratings
will get their rating badges sewed on
before the cruise starts.
When the clerical force Of the bat
talon is working on the mass of de-
tails incident to getting ready for the
cruise the members of the divisions
are being schooled in their ship work
There is considerable detail necessary
In the paper work incidental to getting
the men started. Individual orders
have to be made out ordering the off,
GERS and men out for training duty.
and copies of these have to be sent to
the men, to the captain of the Wyo-
ming, and the various paymasters
concerned, the latter because of the
fact that the men have to be paid
upon the completion of their cruise
which this year is only for IA DAYS.