Evening star., 1935-08-18
10 ENTHUSIASTIC are the ,

NJ EAN 4k1OG476 L Az dIE Tile Lucn
- Of the 1st Battalion, United
States Naval Reserves in the
- District Of Columbia, over their
activity. and so keen is the
rivalry that the off,
GERS who acted as judges at a COM
petitive drill had difficulty in reach
Ing decision. When the final tabu-
lation of the figures and reports were
and many matters had to
be taken into consideration, 1t was
decided that the 1st and I'd Fleet Di-
visions had tied for first place. And
the 80 Fleet Division was declared
close second.
There Is only one trophy, so there
will have to be a divisional run-off
between the two outfits, according to
Lieut.. J. e. Sullivan, division COM
mander. II there Is time this may
take place prior to the annual cruise
for which the men are preparing.
But because of these preparations it
may be necessary to forego it until
probably the time when the men are
on their cruise.
Last Monday nights drill was a
speedy one, what with cruise prepa-
rations and a competition to take
place. Each Of the three divisions
was put through a snappy gun drill,
an infantry drill, knotting and splic-
ing. and other activities, and included
in the markings not only were the
drill attendance for the month, but
the attendance for the night, and
the number of Bureau OF Navigation
training courses completed by the
men Of the division. 1t took the
judges, who, in addition to Lieut. Sui
livan, were Lieut.. Comdr. M H Crou-
ter and Lieut.. Walter c. Lockhart,
chief engineer, long time to sum-
marize the findings, but try as they
could, they would not render any other
decision than that of tie.
The 1st Division is commanded by
Lieut.. q. g. J. F. Carpenter, the
I'd Division by Lieut.. j. B. Cleland
and the Sd Division by Lieut.. q. g.
]. F. Kirk. All Of the officers have
been planning for weeks for the con-
test in addition to their work of pre-
pairing for the annual cruise, which
is big Job in itself.
Lieut.. Sullivan expressed himself as
being much pleased with the result
and believes that the efforts of the
officers to build up the organization to
a high state of efficiency is bearing
direct results. He believes that when
they have completed their annual
cruise, which this year is to be held
aboard the battleship Wyoming. that
they will have conducted themselves
in such manner as to receive very
high marks from the captain and the
officers Of the wyoming, who will have
them under observation during the
14-day cruise period.
But the divisional competition did
not by any means, it was said, end
the period of intensive training. The
strenuous training program is to be
kept up necessarily until the time
that the citizen sailors board busses
here for the trip to Annapolis, where
they will board the Wyoming at An
napoliS Roads, where the Severn River
empties into the Chesapeake Bay.
But in between drills there is much
other detail to be taken care Of. Uni
form equipment must be checked to
make sure that each man has suftl-
cient clothing to enable him to main
tain the spic-and-span appearance
i1Io Dc ahnor6 hatf1oShinS
at all times. 1t will be a job that
the local citizen sailors have not been
accustomed to in the past, their serv-
ice having been largely aboard vessels
of the destroyer type where the uni
form requirements are not so strict.
particularly when the vessels are at
sea. But aboard a battleship, whether
at sea or at anchor, the uniform re-
ouirement is maintained. In between
the preparation of clothing and ham
mocks, the men must be kept at their
drill work to insure full efficiency
while afoat, and the gun crews must
give extra time in preparing them
selves for the target practice which
will be held this year with the sec
ondary battery of the Wyoming.
While the officers attached to the
Fleet Division are limited to keep
within the appropriation require
ments, Lieut.. Sullivan said that there
are several volunteer officers who at
tend drills as regularly as the Fleet
Reserve officers and perform assigned
duties with the same spirit as the
officers who receive drill pay for each
night of duty.
He spoke particularly ofthe in
valuable services of Lieut.. J. H. Few
ell and Lieut.. c. H. Williams. He
said these officers attend drill each
week and are of considerable assist
ance in instructing the recruits. in
structing at the schools and conduct
ing examinations of the men who are
up for advancement. The presence OF
these officers permits the regular di-
visional officers to give their full time
to the training of their respective di-
visions.
Lieut.. Sullivan said that the SER
vices of these officers had been SO
valuable to the battalion that he in
tended to write letter to the COM
mandant of the Washington Navy
Yard to tell of their unstinted de-
votion to duty without any hope OF
reward.
The week end cruises OF the local
divisions aboard the training launch
assigned here are becoming so popu-
lar, according to Lieut.. Sullivan, that
it is necessary each week to turn
men away. The boat assigned here
is said to be wholly inadequate Tor the
purpose for which it was sent here.
There is a very great need here for
the assignment of a larger training
vessel, it was pointed out, and it was
indicated that steps will be taken in
the near future to point out to the
Navy Department the demand of en-
listed men for opportunity to take
week end training dutv without nav