Evening star., 1935-03-31
IEUT. j. E. SULLIVAN, COM
manding the 1st Battalion,
United States Naval Reserves

ulSIlG. Il- OlSdIllZdIlOll Will NC pun
through a series of stiff tests by
board of regular officers from the
Navy Department 20 determine the
relative efficiency of the unit and its
fitness to proceed to sea In the event
of national emergency.
For many weeks the various COM
mands have been undergoing special
training on a plan outlined by Lieut..
Sullivan, and it is expected that as
result of this strenuous program the
organization will receive a higher
mark than ever before, and also that
each of the three individual divisions
will get higher marks.
Practically the entire evening will
be required for the inspection. as there
are many details to be gone over, and
each division must have its special
tests. 1t probably will be along about
midnight before the men are dis
missed to go to their homes. While
they have had the benefit of drills
aboard destroyer which was assigned
here for several weeks, nevertheless
they will have to put on their drills
in the armory with special installa-
tions that have been made to simulate
ship conditions.
The tests of the regular board are
becoming more rigid from year to
year, and not only are the drills diff
cult, but men are selected at random
for written examinations so that the
board can determine their fitness to
hold their ratings. The practice of
selecting the men at random means
that every man must know his Job
well and no one man can be trained
to take the examination. These ex-
aminations will be based on naval
training courses, and for the quarter
master. signalmen and radio men will
also include parts of the communica-
tionS instructions. The time to be
allowed for the written tests will be
only 80 minutes. During the written
tests a few men will be selected by
the board for flrst-aid examinations.
The remainder will be sent to their
class room instruction, including
knotting, splicing, deck seamanship.
engineering, signal and special
classes. Each class will conduct the
usual routine inspection. Some of
the engineers and artif1cers, also to
be picked at random by the board.
will be designated to give demon
stration in practical work in the ma
chine shop and in the basement en-
gine room which has been set up by
the Reservists from material gathered
from navy yards in various parts of
the country.
The battle problem will be held in
a manner similar to last year, it was
said. The board will require greater
accuracy than was generally shown
last year. The plotting sheet, the fire.
control ranges and reflections, the gun
ranges and reflections and the COM
manding officers notes will form a
record of the problem.
All of the enlisted men have been
cautioned to be present, and they also
have been warned that absence will
severely penalize the division and pull
down the general average.
Under the direction of Chief Boat
swain's Mate Joseph Slattery, the
armory has been put in the finest
condition possible, considering the
type of building and the use to which
1t Is put.
With the inspection out of the way,
It was said that attention will be
turned to the training launch as
signed here for the use of the Reserv-
lists. The boat has been out of the
water all the Winter to protect it from
the ice. However, it was asid that
after some work is done to the under
water hull it will be placed in the
river and the popular weekend trips
down the Potomac will be resumed
fer the purpose of training the en-
listed men.
The work on the boat is to be done
by Mate Slattery, who has been busy
during the last several weeks pre-
pairing the armory and equipment for
the annual inspection.
The Bureau of Navigation of the
Navy Department announced that it
had noted tendency for officers of
the volunteer aviation class who,
through business or other reasons, are
unable to qualify for promotion in
that class or maintain their yearly
check flights as required to request
transfer to class K.
The Bureau of Aeronautics, it was
announced. has made the following
recommendation in such cases, which
recommendation is concurred in by
the Bureau of Navigation:
There is tendency on the part
of certain A-V(G) officers to request
transfer to the A-V(K) class. To
allow all transfers of this type will
lead to unsatisfactory results. 1t is
believed that the A-VCK) class should
be reserved, with few exceptions, for
naval aViatorS who have manifested
keen interest, but for reasons beyond
their control can no longer qualify
IN flight status, but can qualify for
ground or other aviation duty. Off
GERS thus transferred may be trans
ferred back to AT or A-V(G) upon
re-establishing their qualifications for
such transfer.
Where an officer is located within
reasonable distance of Naval Re
serve aviation base, where there are
facilities for training purposes out
side OF business hours, it is reasonable
w doouIllC IIldG Ill TcCellG years WIN q
minimum effort he could have DEM
onstrated some interest in maintain
ing his flight status as a Reserve
officer if he had any sincere interest
In his avocation. Such lack of in
terest Is, in the opinion of the
Bureau of Aeronautics, disqualifying
for any type of Reserve aviation com
mission when the occupation of the
individual lies outside the aeronautical
field.
Failure of an A-V (G) officer, who
resides at some distance from a Re-
serve aviation base, to request an
nual training duty. at least in alter
nate years when funds for this pur-
pose are available, will cause such
an officer to be considered as lacking
In interest.
I'm view of the above, all A-V (G)
officers are encouraged to take ad-
vantage of every opportunity to make
check flights and perform their re-
quired training duty. and not to wait
until the last minute, when, through