Evening star., 1941-11-09
Action in Atlantic
Spurs En|istments
In Naval Reserve
Many D. c. Men Sign Up
For Troining as Officers
Or as Specialists
BY Dick Mansfield

Naval casualties in the battle of
the Atlantic caused a great influx
Of applicants for enlistment and
commissioning in the District Naval
Reserve to visit the local armory
last week. It was said these naval
casualties are usually a good barom-
eter of enlistments, because the
young men seemed to be moved
toward the service which is seeing
action.
Men came in great numbers. some
seeking commissions and others
just wanting to get in with what
ever billet they could make. All who
were physically fit and education
ally qualified were taken Not a
few who came to seek commissions,
it was said, stayed TO become petty
officers and even seamen when they
learned that they did not have the
qualifications for commissions.
1t was said the bars have not
been let down in the way of physical
and educational requirements. Pro-
spective officers must have had COL
lege degrees and some preliminary
experience in order to be able to
get in directly as officers, particu-
larly If they want 10 60 in some
specialist branch. Otherwise they
will be selected for one of the Of
ficers' service school, the classes
for which are being formed for
next January. In this group they
must serve a month as a seaman
and If found qualified and good
officer material then they are ap-
pointed Naval Reserve midshipmen
for a period of three months and
then given commissions as ensigns il
they pass the grades at the schools
Many Specialists.
Many are being taken in special
ist groups. such as yeomen. ma
chinists, ernal-combustion en-
ginemen and other artisans, OF
which the Navy needs many in it:
highly technical and mechanical
services.
Members Of the Naval Academy
candidate division have been infil.
trated into the division of special
lists. many of them with high petty
officer ratings, to assist in the drill
work. They have received intensive
| instruction at the naval training
stations during the eight weeks they
were on active duty prior to being
placed on the inactive list to at
tend school to prepare for the COM
petitive examinations early next
year.
Will RejOin Divisions.
Later. it was said, they will be
returned to their own division, anc
then apprentice petty officers will
be selected to serve in that division
until it is disbanded when the mer
are selected to go to the naval
school. BY that time, it is expected
the specialists will have developed
in their training to the point where
some of them may be selected tC
take the regular petty officer ratings
Because of the increased enroll
ment In the specialist division, the
officers have decided to divide the
organization into three platoOns
and each will have its group OF
squad, section and platoon leaders
These men are on duty at the Navy
Department and other naval activi-
ties and were given petty officer
ratings on enlistment because OF
qualifications as result of civilian
experience. but it was found after
they reported for duty that they
needed military instruction. They
are required to perform one drill q
week at night, in addition to theil
regular duties in the daytime.
1t is expected now that most o1
the class of As in the Naval Acad-
emy group will pass the .physicals
for entrance. At the present time
there are said to be only two doubt
full cases.