Evening star., 1938-05-01
RESERv|STS PLAN
FOREXTRAC CRUISE
Citizen Sailors Hope to Get
Ten-Day Foreign
Voyage.

A trip to either Bermuda or Nassau
is IN prospect for a number of mem
pers OF the First Battalion, District of
columbia Naval Reserve. Although
FORMAL approval has not been given to
the plans. 1t is understood, everything
but the final o. K. has been done to
provide these citizen sailor men with
spring cruise, which viii be In addi-
ton to their regular cruise of two
weeks this summer which Is scheduled
70 oe held aboard the Battleship
Texas.
But these sailors are DESTROYER war.
riors. Their whole training has hem
ui mat direction. As matter of fact.
IL was said. each Of the three divisions
Is organized so that 1t forms the
nucleus OF a destroyer crew. IN
furnish the basis for manning some
VesseI OF this type as soon as II 4.
put III commission should a national
emergency overtake the country neces.
stating calling them into the service
So IN order to keep in trim. scores a,
tnem are clamoring for an additional
cruise, even though it is to be without
pay. When they make their annual
cruise. as required by law. each re-
ceives the same pay as a regular man
OF the same rate or rank in the seryics
Plans for the cruise have been
somewhat simplified by the fact that
the Destroyer Leary is here TO give
the local men some shipboard training
70 relieve the monotory Of their
winter-long armory training. She IA
scheduled to remain here to about ths
middle Of May. when she will leave.
probably for Norfolk.
1t Is planned to get this Reserve
cruise IN before the time for the Iearv
70 leave. TIE men are anxious To
make the trip, and the fact that there
will not be room on board for every one
is going to make the selection dificuit
The three divisions are making full
use OF her in training. making par
ticularly use Of the guns and fire con-
troll system. The local reservists will
assist this year in inaugurating q new
system of target practice, wherein they
viii fire at big target, towed by a
tug, instead of the old elementary
practice which has been opposed BY
the Reserve units for years on the
ground that it did not give a good
picture Of what they could do under
service conditions.
While preparing for the destroyer
cruise, the reservists also are looking
ahead to providing themselves with
other means of training afioat this
summer. Although no definite in
formation has been received from
the department as to whether larger
training vessel has been found for
them, they are making ready their
small training launch which many of
them will use on weekend trips dur
ing the summer months on the Poto.
mac River
Chief Boatswain's Mate John p.
Slattery took her out on a trial run
to determine whether everything was
In good working order, and 1t was re.
ported she is ready for work.
Sudden increase In the size Of the
divisions of the local battalion has
furnished problems in equipment,
which. however, have been settled by
the prompt action of those in the To-
cal reserve headquarters. The prob
lem also was increased by the fact
that a battleshfp cruise had been
ordered this year, instead of regular
destroyer cruise. When the men 60
in destroyers, they sleep In hunks and
do not have to have hammocks and
beddings, but it is entirely different
when battleship cruise is faced.
Aboard these ships they sleep in ham,
mocks, and each enlisted man must
carry his own bedding. Because of
this 1t was necessary to push through
a rush order for considerable addi-
tional hammocks and bedding.
The opportunity provided for en-
listed men of the naval reserve to
enter the United States Naval Acad-
envy has furnished a real problem to
the local reserve battalion. Twenty
five enlisted men are appointed each
year from the country at large, and
during the year prior to the COM
petitive examination they are re-
quired to attend regular drills.
Many Of them from other reserve
units throughout the country come
to Washington in order to attend the
preparatory sshools here, and In order
to comply with the drill requirement.
they are transferred to the local estab-
lishment. This year, it was said. ap-
proximately so came here, which
meant that the local organization had
to absorb them and provide for their
training during the preparatory
period
In order not to affect the regular
divisional training, they have been as
signed to provisional division, under
the direction of one officer who puts
them through the regular drills each
week, but under this system the order
ly training Of the permanent divisions
is not affected.
The principal problem, however.
which has been furnished the local
headquarters is the large amount of
paper work which must be done here
In connection with getting the men
ready. Much of this detail has 10 be
closely watched by the clerical force
here in addition to the other heavy
work provided by the ordinary work
Of caring for the affairs OF the local
battalion. AS matter OF ract, IL
was said, some of the young men even
came here and started preparing for
the examination although they had
not submitted their formal applca-
tions to the department seeking au-
thority to become a candidate.
In order to relieve the local Office
Of the pressure from this heavy addi-
tional work which is not particularly
in the interest of the local battalion
1t was said that efforts are being made
to have all Of this done In the or
ganizations at the home stations of
the men in future years.
Enlisted men OF the Naval Com
Reserve Division have