Evening star., 1938-12-11
Petty Officers Tests.
In Naval Reserve
Being ,Speeded
Many New Appointments IS
Expected Before
Annual Inspection

Members of the 1st Battalion, Dis
trict Naval Reserves, are speeding up
In their drill training In prepara-
ton for the annual inspection which
comes shortly after the first of sthe
year. With top place within hailing
distance Of the local battalion, they
are determined to make every pos
sible effort to attain that point.
One of the important matters, par
ticularly to the enlisted personnel, Is
that Of promotion, and in order not
to stifle the effort the examining
board has been instructed to con-
tinue its work each Tuesday eve
ming, so that those enlisted men who
can show that they have the requi-
site naval training may be able to
don their rating badges before the
inspection.
Under the system which has been
practiced in the last few years, at
one stage in its inspection members
Of the board pick certain petty off,
GERS at random from the ranks and
question them on the duties Of their
respective ratings. On the result Of
such verbal tests depends the marks
which are given the battalion as q
whole.
This method has served to en-
courage organizations in all parts
Of the country to have the examin-
ing boards become more strict, as
man carelessly passed for promo
ton could easily cause division
or battalion, otherwise at top notch,
to be driven down the ladder of
marks.
With a few men of the organiza-
ton being eliminated because Of
their employment in the Washington
Navy Yard, the recruiting officer is
trying to make up the shortage In
the divisions. A recent order Of the
Navy Department required that
members of the Reserve who are
employees of the Washington Navy
Yard should be discharged from the
Reserve service. It was explained
that this was because 1t was con-
sidered undesirable to train men for
service with the feet In time of war
when their services would be more
valuable in their civilian occupation
at the Washington Naval Gun Fac
tory.
The 1st Division is crowding the
Sd Division in the matter of drill
attendance to date, being only one
tenth Of point behind the lat
ter, which is the leader in the or
ganization. The Sd Division has a
drill attendance of 93.4 to date,
with the 1st division 93.3. The I'd
Division is last on the list, with an
attendance percentage Of 912.
The competition in drill attend
ance is keen one in the local
battalion, as the division with the
highest percentage at the end Of
the drill year receives a trophy and
is given the distinction Of being the
color division for the year.
Soon after the first Of the year
battalion members will go strongly
into their battle problem work. Some
Of the instruction and drilling Is
being given the officers and men at
this time, but as the annual in
spection approaches this duty be-
comes paramount, resting as it does
on the foundation of battle efficiency
and the very purpose for which the
organization 0s being trained.
Members of the Naval Communi-
cation Reserve Division are plan
ming to give a Christmas party at
the Navy Yard Armory on the
night of December 80 to which
friends and relatives will be in
vited.
Seven men of the United States
Naval Academy candidates pr6vi-
sional division of the local bat
talon have been awarded provi-
sional petty officer ratings, which
they will exercise during the period
that theysare preparing for their exs
aminations for appointment to the
naval school. Their names were an
nounced by Ensign H. Arthur La
mar as follows: B. B. Smythe, rank
ing division petty officer, with the
rating of chief petty officer; D. F..
Patterson. jr., platoon leader ID