Evening star., 1938-07-10
RESERVES START
] lPLANSF0RCRU|SE
Gun Crews Prepare for
Workmanship on
BattIeship.

With the cruise period approaching.
Naval Reserve. are making earnest
preparations for what may be one of
the most interesting voyages of the
local unit. Many Of them will see their
first service aboard battleship of the
Atlantic Training Squadron, and they
are hoping that arrangements will be
made for them to visit some port in
the West Indies. The liberty port for
the mid-cruise week end has not yet
been determined.
The men are determined to keep up
their inspection record of high EN-
cheney while aboard the battleship
and are bending every effort in their
preparations toward this end They
are particularly interested in the
formation Of gun crews which will
make record, as the local battalion
Is among the few which have been
selected to put in effect for the first
time in postwar Naval Reserve his
tory of firing at the regular Navy
floating targets
Although each of the three divisions
have been trained for years as the
nucleus of a destroyer crew to be
placed Immediately aboard these ships
in time OF emergency and have hereto
fore taken their training cruise aboard
one Of the training squadron destroy
ers it has been decided this year to
take the entire battalion on one cruise
aboard a battleship. This, it was ex-
planned. will serve TO broaden their
training and acquaint them in time of
peace with the duty aboard various
classes Of ships. 50 that in the time
Of war, as the fleet expands it would
be possible to transfer these officers
and men to the larger ships and not
have the service aboard them so new
that 1t might take several months for
them to shake down in their new
assignments.
In between classes and drills during
the course Of preparation the next few
weeks there will be considerable to be
done individually by the men under
the direction of the divisional and
staff officers All Of them must have
. complete bag Of clothes and each
piece plainly marked with his name;
and, too, there will be hammocks to
take this year. Aboard the destroyers
the men sleep in hunks, which pre-
cludes the necessity of taking ham
mocks along, but this battleship duty
will require that the men take their
own bedding. so that each night at
Taps" they will swing to and fro with
the motion Of the ship in the canvas
hammocks with which every regular
sailorman is familiar 1t Is probable
that the bedding and bags of the local
men will be shipped to the port of
embarkation by truck or train.
Although in the past the trainees
have found it possible to board their
training ship here because destroyers
can get up the Potomac River, it will
be necessary to send them by train to
the port OF embarkation. However,
this has not yet been determined.
They may 60 to Annapolis, Baltimore
or Norfolk to board the training ship
and probably will be disembarked at
one OF these ports on completion Of
their cruise, which will last for IA
days.
A new selection board for the pick
ing from among the Reserve commits
stoned personnel Of officers to fill the
rank of captain and commander is ex-
pected to be named within short
time. The reduction Of the number
Of FL men on January l last, cut
down the strength so that there were
no vacancies.
Considerable interest is being shown
by number of young men in the in
creased number of opportunities pro-
vided by the new Naval Reserve Act
for them to enter the United States
Naval Academy, through the medium
OF service in the Reserve. The new act
doubled the number Of appointments
from this course, from Is enlisted men
a year to so. The local Reserve bat
talon always has captured the ma
Jority OF the appointments. and judg-
ing from the number of men who have
inquired concerning the requirements
for entering the naval institution, the
local outfit will continue to capture
the major portion of the vacancies.
Those who have applied to partici-
pate In the examinations for the 1899
class have been formed into a special
group at the local battalion. and are
being guided in their work by H.
Arthur Lamar. Because of the special
training given they are segregated
from the remainder of the divisions of
the battalion, but participate in the
general drills whenever they are or
dered. Most of these young men at
tend the special preparatory schools
here, while fulfilling the requirements
that they serve at least one year in
tho Reserve and attend regularly a
specified number Of drills Officers are
hoping that the local outfit can main
tain its previous records Of obtaining
the majority Of the appointments.
Ihese are competitive throughout the
country and those with the highest
marks get the so appointments, re-
gardless Of what organization thev are
attached to. Furthermore, additional
reservistS 60 from the Reserve each
year. aside from the limitation of SO,
through that medium. Some of the
men after getting a Reserve appoint
ment. obtain congressional appoint
ments. and then surrender their Re-
serve rights in favor of some man who
is not fortunate enough to get one
from Representative or Senator,
Furthermore. under the law, any
vavancies left from the appointments
from the enlisted ranks of the Regular
Navy are turned over to the reservists.
So as the laws now stand, any man
who can pass the required examina-
ton, regardless Of the fact as to
whether he is in the top SO, has a
chance OF making the naval school,
through their various opportunities.
Naval Reserve personnel operating
naval vessels in close waters, such a.
hauA