Evening star., 1942-05-31
New Naval Reserve
Unit Organized
In Local Division
Ship Bureau Requested
Additional Officers Get
Special Training


Special Troinine
The training section Of the local
Naval Reserve last week added one
new complete division of officers.
Since the Naval Academy Candi-
date Division completed its training
and the men are awaiting the report
of the recent educational examina-
tions, the officers decided they would
confine their training efforts to one
division of officers to be instructed
at time, and fix the period Of the
course for 16 weeks.
However, early last week the COM
manding officer received requests
from the Bureau of Ships that 1t
take on another group OF officers
who were badly in need Of some in
doctrination instruction. Hurried
plans were made by the instructors
and last Thursday another rs off,
GERS reported for their preliminary
work
Because the size of the original
division reached IS officers, 1t was
necessary to form another division.
which has somewhat crowded the
facilities at the armory, but there
are not as many men as were
crowded into the drill hall and
classrooms at the time the first bat
talon was in full swing prior to
being called to active duty with the
feet.
1t had been planned to have two
divisions with separate drill nights.
AS this would have been strain
on the instructors it was decided to
confine the work to one division.
Further 1t was said the gasoline
rationing would make it difficult
for the officers to have two drill
nights and use private automobiles.
The new division from the Bureau
of Ships will have to take its train
ing under a more intensive system
than the first of the trainees, 1t
was said. whose course has been
fixed at 16 weeks. The new trainees
will have to complete their work in
10 weeks. This will involve separate
classes and instructors, for the
reason that those in the. 16-week
course already have had three weeks
of instruction, and their course will
not fit in with the new one.
In an effort to relieve the strain
somewhat of the two courses run
ming separately, three additional
officers will be assigned from the
WASHINGTON NAVY Yard,
Ordered To Baltimore.
Young administrative officers who
have been on duty in the local pro-
curement Office for Naval Reserve
personnel at 1920 G street NV,
have been detached and ordered to
Baltimore to form the force Of the
new branch office there to handle
applicants from Maryland adjacent
thereto.
It was said the number of appli-
cants for officer commissions here
Is keeping up, but that scores OF
those who apply do not even have
the basic requirements which have
been laid down by the Navy De-
partment. However, even among
those who are accepted, it was said,
a number come back from the Navy
Department with reflections. 1t was
pointed out that the general require
ments as laid down by the circulars
from the Navy Department are so
broad that when the local Office be-
lieves that an applicant is border
line case, then send 1t along to the
department for final decision. For
this reason there are many disa-
pointments for applicants who pass
all of the requirements and physical
examinations and get the final re-
suits only after weeks of waiting.
Many of the men now applying
to the local Office are middle-aged
men. who have had executive train
ing in various business which are
on the way out of existence as a
result of the war, and the Navy is
seeking just this type for filling
many of its billets, to relieve sur
face and airship technical men for
combat duty. On the other hand,
many young men are seeking the
aviation field, and while the educa-
tional requirements are not as stiff
as originally, youths with only high
school educations now are being
taken, the physical requirements are
most rigid, and not a few Of those
otherwise qualified 60 out on this
test.
The designation of men for intel
ligence duty in the Air Corps has
been changed from air intelligence
to that of air combat intelligence,
as practically all of the applicants
for this service will be sent to fields
in the combat area or to plane car
riers. They must be men trained
in interviewing and be able to write
quickly reports of interviews from
aviators. In this class large num-
ber of newspapermen and lawyers
are being used and more are desir-
able. But it was expressly said that
the requirements as to education are
that all must have a college degree.
interviewing applicants reported
10 their superiors that the quality OF
applicants is getting materially
better.