Evening star., 1942-12-13
Navy Will Accept
Divinity Students
For Chaplain Posts
Seniors Can Enroll
Now as Ensigns on
Inactive List

The demand for chaplains as
Naval Reserve officers is so great
and the number of applications for
appointment from ordained min
listers and priests has been so small
that the Naval Reserve Procurement
is seeking to enroll divinity students
now in their senior year The theo-
logical seminaries will be polled with
view to asking the young men
seeking to enter the ministry to en-
roll now in the Naval Reserve so
that they will go into the service
Immediately upon graduation.
The program for enrolment is diff
ferent from that of other students in
colleges who are being taken into
the Naval Reserve with view to
becoming officers as soon as they
graduate In that group the stu
dents are enlisted in the Reserve
and upon graduation, will be sent
to one of the schools for midshipmen
subsequently to become officers.
However, in the case Of the chaplain
program. the senior students will
be enrolled as ensigns in the chap
plains Corps and remain on the in
active list.
Upon graduation they will be i'm
rediately given the rank of lieuten-
ant tiunior grade'. and sent to a
chaplains' instruction school for
three months.
Applicants must have letter
from the dean of their seminary
saying they are pursuing full
course of study fitting them for the
ministry and that they have a
reasonable expectation of complet-
Ing the course successfully.
Some response was made to the
urgent call of the Navy last week
for qualified persons who could re-
habilitate and operate an oil re-
f1nery. This is another important
billet which must be filled quickly,
as these men are needed to get the
refineries going so that the service
may have never-ending supply of
oil and its bv-products
Because of the necessity of keep
ing such information from the
enemy, the procurement officers are
uIldUlt " ulSlloSC WllClt iilC
fineries are located, but it was said
those who are accepted will be
needed shortly after January.
The Navy Department announced
last week it has an immediate need
in the construction of battalions,
known as the Sea Bees. for officers
experienced in field construction
work Of all kinds. from roads to
dams and barracks. Successful ap-
plicants will be appointed in the
grades of warrant officer. ensign.
lieutenant junior grade), and lieu
tenant. and even few in the rank
Of lieutenant commander.
The main qualifications are the in
dividuals ability to head up crew
of men and build road. barracks or
warehouse anywhere in the world,
plus the ingenuity to build it out Of
whatever material is available and
with whatever equipment is at hand,
and an essentially rugged physical
condition that can take it" These
qualifications, it was pointed out,
will transcend all other considera-
tions, and for the right men waiv-
ers will be granted for non-organic
physical defects. age and lack of a
technical college degree. which is
desirable though not necessary in
this case. Six years field experience
will be considered in lieu of a tech
nical degree.
No craftsmen are needed at the
present time or architects as such,
but men possessing degrees in arch
itectural engineering who have had
field experience supervising any
type Of construction will be given
all possible consideration. Full
members Of the American Society Of
Civil Engineers are considered an
excellent source of supply.
1t. Comdr. A. c. Gullickson, In
charge of the local naval procure
ment office at 1920 G street NV,
spoke last night before the Airing
ton Kiwanis Club and urged that
organization to aid in filling the
WAVES procurement program.
which Is said not to be keeping up
to expectations. Women apparently
are not taking to the service in
numbers to meet the demand, and
the need is important, it was said,
50 that they can be trained to take
the places Of both officers and en-
listed men going into combatant
service.