Evening star., 1936-01-12

A NNUAL inspection before
~ board of regular naval officers
~ from the Navy Department is
4 n the next big event on the
program of the 1st Battalion, United
States Naval Reserves in the District
of Columbia. With only compara-
lively few drill nights intervening be-
fore the tentative date for the in
spection, Lieut.. James E. Sullivan,
commander of the battalion, started
training during the week for this big
event.
The training program will be di-
rected toward the goal indicated for
them recently in an address by their
former commander, Capt. John A.
Scofield, now on duty in the Navy
Department in connection with Re-
serve affairs, when he told them that
he expected the Washington bat
talon, when the inspections are COM
pleted, to be among the first 10
throughout the country. OF course,
the officers. and men are going to
strive for first place, and with that end
in mind are going ahead with their
class work and drill instruction, al
though somewhat handicapped by the
lack of facilities in the way Of an
adequate armory and a ship.
The schedule of drill operations of
the battalion has already been
changed in order to prepare the per-
sonnel for the inspection. Formerly
the three divisions of the battalion
drilled as divisions on Monday. Tues
day and Wednesday nights of each
week. Under the new plan. the three
divisions will drill as battalion unit
on Tuesday night of each week.
The new syllabus of classroom in
struction has been in operation since
last Fall and. according to division
officers, is proving very successful in
/ training the men of the divisions for
| advancements in rating. A new type
| of watch. quarter and station bills
! has also been recently adopted. The
new bills are designed to take care of
the enlisted positions by platoons.
The Office of the battalion COM
mander together with Lieut.. C. H.
| Williams last week began the work
| of consolidate the various classes
! of the battalion in order to avoid
| duplication of classroom instruction
| in the various divisions and also to
allow the instructing officers more
diversihcation of duties. The bat
talon officers reports that the con-
solidation of classes will be completed
by the end of the current month.
The candidates competing for the
privilege of taking the examinations
for entrance to the United States
Naval Academy from the Naval Re
serve ranks now are engaged in spe-
cialized studies. The Naval Reserve
throughout the country selects the 25
highest ranking men in the examina-
tions for appointment to the Annapolis
naval school,
The local class of candidates is said
to be one of the largest the local bat
talon has ever had. numbering mote
than 40 men each year. The battalion
adjutant, Lieut. q. c. E. c. Carusi
in connection with these examinations
has issued orders to the division officers
directing that special attention be
given to these candidates during the
next few months before the examina-
ton takes place Under the regula-
tions of the Bureau Of Navigation
Navy Department, each candidate for
the Naval Academy examinations
must have a high recommendation
from the commanding officer Of his
division. setting forth his qualifica-
tions as a prospective naval officer.
Lieut.. T. F Schneider, who has beer
drilling with the local battalion in 6
volunteer status on the staff of the
battalion commander. has been grant
ed permission by the Navy Department
to leave the continental limits of th'
United States. Lieut.. Schneider ex
poets to sail from New York DURING
the latter part of January for an ex
tended cruise on a commercial steamer