Evening star., 1936-12-06

quarters tests, and the I'd and ID
Fleet Divisions will have their fire.
collision and abandon ship drills and
knotting and splicing. The engineers
also will be given another practical
engineering test.
-Four men are to be selected at ran
dom from each division to participate
In first-aid exercises. As each man in
the division Is required to know this
work, 1t was decided to examine only
four. and on the results Of their
tests the entire division will be marked.
The quartermaster and signal ratings
on the second night are to be given
tests in rules Of the road, general du-
ties on the bridge and naval proceed
ure.
All OF the divisions also will be ex-
amined in their paper work, condition
Of their records, and this is held to
be one Of the most important things
in the inspection. They also will be
marked in the number Of men pres
ent at the inspection, and the re-
suits Of the attendance records for
the year will be marked.
The question Of turnover Is TO be
examined into. That Is, the division
having the least changes in per-
sonnel during the year will have the
highest mark.
AS soon as this inspection is COM
pleted and the colors award made,
Lieut.. Sullivan and his staff will
Sffldv tho ~ HA
with view to putting special emphasis
in the drills after the first of the
year on those matters which have
shown defects during the inspection.
This will be for the purpose Of hav-
ing the battalion pass a very high
inspection during the coming year in
the hope that the organization will
receive one Of the trophies awarded
each year to the organization having
the highest figure Of merit. The
trophy was donted for this purpose
by the United States Naval Reserve
Officers Association, although the
battalion heretofore has never been
within striking distance Of the award.
After the first of the year, practi-
cally all of the drills will be devoted
principally to making preparations
for the coming annual tests.
Although striving each year to per-
feet themselves for instant service.
with fleet in the event it becomes nee
essary to call them into service should
national emergency occur, members
of the battalion feel keenly the lack
of adequate training facilities here.
So far they have not received much
encouragement from the Navy De-
partment in their effort to better their
training facilities, but they are max
ing plans to secure support in their
fight to obtain ships here which will
enable them to keep up their prac-
tical work which they learn each year
during the two weeks they are at
sea aboard a destroyer of the active
fleet.
There are still available for assign
ment, it was said, several of the
small patrol boats which were turned
over to the Navy Department by the
Coast Guard. Every effort has been
made by the local officials to obtain
one Of these vessels because of the
value it would be to them in train
ing both officers and men in seagoing
work under actual operating condi-
tions. Such vessel assigned here
would permit the local organization
to make regular week end trips dur
ing the Winter, which would serve
to keep both officers and men in
practice, and keep up the work which
they perform while with the fleet
destroyer during the Summer months.