The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-10
The Men Who Man The U. s. Navy
Personnel Of Americas Sea Force Better
 Than In Years
BY WILLIS THORNTON NEA Service Staff Correspondent

Washington, Dec. 10-A navy 1SI no better than the men who sail the ships and man the guns. In this respect at least there is reason to believe that the U. s. Navy is better today than it has ever been before. The 102,500 young men who make up the enlisted personnel of the navy today are certainly the most carefully selected and trained men the macy has ever had.
 In recent years, it has been hard CT to get in the navy than to get into many a country club. Depressed conditions outside" have enabled the recruiting officers to raise standards and still take their pick.
 During the fiscal year 1887, for instance, out of .129,510 applicants only 15,O94 were accepted. of that number only 26 deserted and only 20 were discharged for misconduct, which speaks well for the selective process.
 Accent on Youth
 Enlistment age is 1T to 25, and the average man goes in at 19. The whole navy is a young mans service as youth who enlists at IT may be retired to the reserve at half his base pay at 37.
 After 10 years in the reserve he gets an extra $15.75 a month. Off, ficers. too, unless they have risen to high rank, are generally out of service before 40. The young man dominates the navy.
 Applicants today usually have a year or two of high school work, Then, because they want to learn a trade, see the world, or contribute to family support, they go to a recruiting office The physical examination is stiff 1.-the applicant must be perfect specimen. Defective vision or teeth, poor hearing, flat feet or chronic poor posture send him out the door immediately.
 Exhaustive Investigation
 His fingerprints go to the Fereral Bureau of Investigation and to the police of every town in which he has ever lived. Any FBI. police, or even juvenile court record eliminates the applicant.
 Character references must be had from former teachers, principals or employers, and other responsible persons.
 In most cases, personal investi- gation of home surroundings is made. That is to make certain that the applicants record or surround ingS contain no element of disloyalty to the government he is about to serve.
 Once accepted, the recruit is sworn in and sent to a naval train ing station at Great Lakes, H., Newport, R. l., Norfolk, Va. or San Diego, Calf. Another physical ex- animation, and then three weeks under close observation and pre- liminary training.
 After nine weeks the recruit chooses his branch, whether he pre- fers to be with the deck force, an engineer, artificer, or some other speciality.
 Full Pledged Seaman
 | At b1lC C1iA VI 1A WCOhoJ U1lC 1O- cruit has some knowledge of how to take care of clothes and person, of simple squad drill, rowing, swim ming, and Who's Who in the Navy. He gets weeks furlough. Then he returns to the station and awaits assignement to ship. That usually comes within four months after en- 1iStment.
 Then he gets his first promotion. from apprentice seaman to sea- man, second class, and gets raised from $21 to $36 month. | Promotion after that is on a con- petitive basis. Correspondence courses are available leading to every non-commissioned rank up to chief petty officer at $157.50 month.
 Such rates of pay are unheard of in any other navy in the world, being two or three times as much | as in some. The food cost around 50 cents day per man. is two or three times that of other navies. Entirely volunteer force the U. s. Navy differs from most navies of world. | Today, navy ships have aboard only about 85 per cent of the num- Der of men required for battle com- plement, and the shortage of of- ficers is even more apparent.