Evening star., 1938-07-31
NAVAL RESERVES
GET VIEW. MEDAL
Award to Be Made to
Outstanding Enlisted
Man in Unit.

Did NAVAL 1tCbcLFCc, WILL OS oAeAA"AAJ
honored by two veteran units in the
near future. 1t is to be the recipient
Of two awards, one set OF silk bat
talon colors and gold medal. the
latter to be awarded to the outstanding
enlisted man of the organizations The
colors will be donated by the Fleet
Naval Reserve Association and its
auxiliary, and the medal will come
from the local department OF Veterans
Of Foreign Wars.
The colOrs are being given as q
token Of appreciation from the Fleet
Reserve group for the assistance given
by the local battalion in assisting IN
various patriotic services and cere-
monies here during the past year. On
q number OF occasions, it was ex-
planned, q large number of enlisted
men, under the direction of Boatswain
H. r. MousSeau, have attended the
ceremonies The boatswain has volun-
tarily organized a color guard in the
battalion which attends ceremonies at
Arlington National Cemetery and
other places. and its appearance has
brought forth much favorable COM
ment. The Fleet Reserve Association
is composed Of enlisted men OF long
service In the Regular establishment.
The organization some time ago
presented to the battalion a set Of
national colors. and. with the new col
ors which are to be presented at formal
ceremonies to be arranged later, will
give the organization q pair Of stand
ards of which they can feel justly
proud when on parade or other cere-
monies before the public.
With these colors there will be an
increased incentive to the units to work
to carry them on parades and other
ceremonies. Competitions have been
arranged so that at certain definite
perlods the unit with the highest
marks in attendance carries the colors
for a stated period. They are always
in competition. and this has served to
build up keen rivalry among the
organizations.
Now the individual enlisted men
will have something to shoot at. 1t
will be the medal to be given by the
veterans unit, and 1t Is believed that
1t will do considerable to build up
higher the already high morale of
the local unit, which has been due
to the rivalry and competitions which
have been stirred up between the
three divisions composing the battalion.
Full details for making the award
have not been prepared, 1t was indi-
Gated, as officers are to confer with
the donors to ascertain II they care
to name any conditions. 1t is probable,
however, that the donors will leave
the formulation OF the rules to the
officers OF the battalion. who might
be more familiar with the conditions
which should be met. Until the con-
ditions are laid down and published
to the command, no definite date
can be fixed for the award, which,
however, will be made at appropriate
ceremonies before the entire battalion.
Many of the older members of the
battalion are associated with the
veterans organization, as the local
unit still has among Its members some
Of those who served with the Navy
during the World War.
The motor training launch OF the
local battalion last week went on a
cruise down the Potomac to Colonial
Beach, where the crew was given
liberty. During the voyage down and
back both deck and engineering
forces were given training in their
various duties. The boat. during this
trip, was under command Of 1t. w
s. Brown. commanding officer of the
I'd Fleet Division.
1t. q. g. Paul Kerst. executive
officer of the I'd Fleet Division, has
been ordered before an examining
board to determine his qualifications
for promotion to the rank Of lieutenant.
He has been associated with the bat
talon for q number OF years, having
Joined the Reserve following his grad
uation from the United States Naval
Academy.
Ensign Robert H. Kuppers, Supply
Corps. has been detailed to assist
Ensign H. Arthur Lamar in training
the large number OF recruits which
have joined the local battalion and
are required to go through this special
school before they are assigned to
duty with the regular divisions.
With the arrival of Ensign Kup-
pers, 1t was said, the local organiza-
ton has drilling with it the largest
group of officers Of the Volunteer
Reserve ever serving with it in its
history. Although these officers are
not required to attend drills under
the terms of their commissions, 1t
was indicated that q large and in
creasing number are applying to the
local fleet unit to be assigned to duty
SO that they can participate in the
training work and so flt themselves
that they will be able to handle the
duties under their commissions in
time Of war. The fleet officers say
that these volunteer officers also have
contributed q great deal to the efi-
cheney of the local battalion, as many
OF them are especially qualified to
teach special subjects to the enlisted
men. Men are taken into the Volun-
teer Reserve because, in many in
stances, their civilian work fits them
for special services which the Navy
will need in time Of war. In their
work with the battalion many OF
them are assigned to teach these spe-
cial subjects to classes of enlisted
men during periods when they are
not receiving instruction themselves
in the general duties of a naval
oficer.
The local battalion has received q
consignment of the revised edition OF
the Bluejacket Manual. It Is the
first time that this manual has been
available to the enlisted men TO,
many years. the old one having be-
come obsolete and out of print. II
Is most valuable work for the en-
| listed men because II covsrs r,rac-