1 July 1946 The Naval Reservist and the Naval Veteran Newsletter

1 July 1946 The Naval Reservist and the Naval Veteran Newsletter

THE NAVAL Reservist

NEWS OF INTEREST TO THE NAVAL RESERVIST AND THE NAVAL VETERAN

NAVPERS 15653

Bureau of Naval Personnel July 1, 1946

Photo on top let : TWENTY MODERN DESTROYERS moored to one of the piers of the Naval Repair Base, San Diego, California, awaiting preservation treatment. Unlike the old four-pipers tied at this site after World War I, these ships will be ready for use within a few days after preparations are started to ready them for the fleet. Modern preservation methods developed by the Navy assure that these and hundreds of other ships are ready for immediate use—but the manpower to operate them must be furnished by the Naval Reserve.

Did You Know That . . .

As a NAVAL VETERAN the VOLUNTEER RESERVE (V-6) offers you these advantages:

  • You are not required to report to your draft board as long as you remain in a Reserve status.
  • You keep your highest wartime rank or rating and have a chance for advancement.
  • Service in the Reserve adds up for longevity purposes the same as active duty in the Navy.
  • In the event of possible return to active duty, membership would pay off in dollars and cents.
  • No physical examination is required for enrollment.
  • You do receive a discharge certificate even though you enroll within 24 hours after discharge at your separation center.
  • You can also enroll at the nearest Navy recruiting station.
  • You may request an Reserve4-day cruise.
  • You still rate all G. I. rights and benefits.

Strong Naval Reserve Needed for Wartime Manning of Fleet

On August 31. 1945. scarcely two weeks after the surrender of the Japanese in Tokyo Bay. the Navy had reached a strength of more than 3,400,000 persons—of these nearly three millions were Reservists on active duty.

This was a startling growth from the total strength of 383.000 persons at the end of 1941. Reservists on active duty at that time numbered little more than 106,000.
As demobilization nears completion with the Reservist returning to his civilian status—more and more of the modern fleet is being deactivated.

If ever again the Navy is forced by the threat of war to expand to full strength, modern methods of preservation and dehumidification make it possible to have the ships ready to fight in a short time.

But to sail the ships will require thousands of men trained in the many technical skills necessary for the operation of a modern combatant Navy. To get our Navy fully ready for war will be possible only through the efforts and contributions of those citizens who, by peace time identification and training with the Naval Reserve, will be able to come forward to help man the ships of the fleet and the shore establishment serving the fleet.

In peacetime, the Regular Navy provides the core of professionally trained officers and men from which the Navy can be brought to full strength in times of emergency by the mobilization of its trained Reservists.

During wartime the Naval Reserve is completely merged with the regular Navy. To many, the only apparent difference between a "USN" and a "USNR" during the war was the length of enlistment.

The present Naval Reserve was established by Congress when it enacted the public law known as "Naval Reserve Act of 1938".

The Act divides the Naval Reserve into four components: Organized, Volunteer, Merchant Marine, and Fleet Reserves. Original enrollment for all but Fleet Reservists is made in the Volunteer Reserve. Subsequent transfer to other components of the Reserve is made only upon the request of the individual Reservist.

The Volunteer Reserve is composed of the men and officers of the Naval Reserve not members of other components qualified or partially qualified, for prescribed mobilization billets. Enlisted personnel of the Volunteer Reserve enroll as members of the V-6. While in the Volunteer Reserve they do not obligate themselves to attend drills or to perform annual training duties.

The Organized Reserve is composed of those Reservists who request transfer to fill vacancies in divisions or squadrons of the Reserve. The billets for the Organized Reserve are designated by the Chief of Naval Personnel to provide trained Reservists in the numbers and ratings that will be immediately necessary in event of mobilization. These men obligate themselves to attend the weekly drills at the Naval Reserve armory where their organization meets and to attend an annual two weeks training period.

They are paid one day's base pay for each drill completed and during the two week training period are ordered to active duty with full pay and' allowances.

The Merchant Marine Reserve is composed of those men who follow the sea as a profession or are employed in connection with the seafaring profession.

The Fleet Reserve is composed of men and officers with prior service in the regular Navy who have enlisted or have been appointed as members of the Fleet Reserve. They are in a non-organized, non-drilling retainer status.

The Naval Reserve is administered by the Secretary of the Navy under the Naval Reserve Act of 1938.

The Chief of Naval Personnel has been charged by the Secretary of the Navy with the direct administration of the Naval Reserve program for all personnel and training matters. The Offices and Bureaus of the Navy perform their normal supporting functions for the Naval Reserve in the same manner as for the Regular Navy.

The Naval Reserve Aviation program is administered directly by the Chief of Naval Air Reserve Training.

The Naval Reserve program in the field is conducted by the Commandants of the Naval Districts. Members of the Naval Reserve report to the Commandants of their home Naval Districts for military control in connection with Naval Reserve matters. An officer is assigned to each Naval District and acts for the Commandant as District Director of Naval Reserve.

Organized Reserve units are administered by the Commandants. The Organized Division of 200 enlisted personnel and 10 officers is commanded by a Naval Reserve officer on inactive duty. In any locality where there is more than one Reserve division, two to four divisions are organized into battalions commanded by a Naval Reserve officer. In certain cities where more than one battalion will be formed, a Brigade Commander will be named to head the program for the city.

The Naval Reserve provides a worthwhile means for the Navy Veteran to continue his association with the Navy as a civilian. In addition to the satisfaction he receives in continuing his service to his country, he will be eligible for drill pay, training periods with pay, training with modern equipment. Navy Veterans who join the Reserve will be exempt from Selective Service, retain their highest wartime rates and will continue to accumulate their longevity benefits.

Naval Reservist To Be Sent Each Month

This is the first issue of The Naval Reservist which will come to you monthly with the latest word about the Navy for the Navy Veteran and the Naval Reserve member.

Many of you will continue your interest in Navy activities and will wish to renew active association as a civilian by participating in the Naval Reserve.

It's a promise that The Naval Reservist will give you nothing but the facts—scuttlebutt no high pressure. If you have further' questions, write to the District Director of Naval Reserve in your home Naval District (his address is on page 2). Your comments and letters about The Naval Reservist are wanted and those of general interest will be printed from time to time as space allows.

If you did not receive this copy through ,the mail, or if you move, drop a card to the district director giving your new address.

ALL HANDS MAGAZINE

ALL HANDS will continue to cover naval news and developments in the postwar period, just as it did throughout the war. Information of value to members of the Naval Reserve will be emphasized in each issue.

Subscriptions to ALL HANDS may be obtained by addressing an order to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. Washington 25, D. C., and enclosing $2 by check or money order.

Your District Director Has The Answer

The District Director of Naval Reserves for your home naval district has the answers to your questions about the Naval Reserve. Any inquiries you make should go directly to him. He will forward any of your letters that need attention at the Navy Department. If you are now a member of the Naval Reserve, all official correspondence should be routed "Via : Commandant Naval District (Director Naval Reserve)" as the Commandant is your commanding officer until you become affiliated with an Organized Unit.

For your convenience and information the mailing addresses of all District Directors of Naval Reserve are given below with the composition of the various Naval Districts.

1st Naval District —Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
(including Block Island) : Capt. J. A. Glick, USN, North Station Office Building, 150 Causeway Street, Boston 14, Mass.

3rd Naval District—Connecticut, New York, New Jersey
(counties of Mercer and Monmouth and all north of them) : Capt. G. B. Carter, USN, Federal Office Bldg., 90 Church Street, New York 7, New York.

4th Naval District—Pennsylvania, New Jersey (those counties not included in the 3rd Naval District), Delaware: Capt. F. M. Carter, USN ,Bldg. 4, Navy Yard, Philadelphia 12, Pa.

5th Naval District—Maryland (less counties of Anne Arundel, Prince Georges,1/4 Montgomery, St. Marys, and Charles), West Virginia, Virginia (less counties Of Arlington, Fairfax, Stafford, King George, Prince William, and Westmoreland). North Carolina (counties of Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Gates, Perrimans, Chow-an, Tyrrell, Washington, Beaufort, Pamlico, Craven, Jones, Carteret, Onslow and Dare) : Capt. V. Havard, USN, NOB, Norfolk 11, Va.

6th Naval District — South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina (less those counties in the 5th Naval District) : Capt. H. C. Daniel, USN, U. S. Naval Base, Charleston, S. C.

7th Naval District —Florida (Less those counties west of the Apalachicola River) : Capt. J. W. Boulware, Bldg. 907, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla.

8th Naval District — Florida (counties west of the Apalachicola River), Alabama, Tennes see, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas: Capt. A. A. Ageton, USN, New Federal Bldg., New Orleans 12, Louisiana.

9th Naval District — Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas: Capt. J. M. Mclsaac, USN, Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois.

11th Naval District — New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada (Clark County only), California (counties of Santa Barbara, Kern and San Bernardino and all counties south,of them) : Capt. S. G. Hooper, USN, Naval Operating Base, San Diego 30, California.

12th Naval District—Colorado, Utah, Nevada (less Clark County), California (less those counties in the 11th Naval District) : Capt. D. N. Cone, USN, Federal Office Bldg., Civic Center, San Francisco 2, California.

13th Naval District—Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming: Capt. A. D. Ayrault, USN, Exchange Bldg., Seattle 14, Washington.

14th Naval District—Hawaiian Islands and islands to the westward: Capt. L. Branneman, USN, Fleet Post Office, San Francisco, California.

Potomac .River Naval Command—District of Columbia, Maryland (counties of Prince Georges, Montgomery, St. Marys, Calvert and Charles), Virginia (counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Stafford, King George, Prince William and Westmoreland) : Capt. L. A. Abercrombie, USN, Navy Yard, Washington 25, D. C.

AN ARTIST'S DRAWING of the Quonset Hut type Naval Reserve Armory planned for 89 cities throughout the country. These will be erected in localities where no other facilities are available for use as armories. The three Quonsets used are the large 40 by 100 foot size.

Navy Veterans The Draft and V6

Many Navy veterans are not aware that upon separation, enlisted personnel are discharged and sever all connections with the U. S. Navy, while Reserve officers are returned to inactive duty and are still members of the Naval Reserve.

Contrary to popular impression, a certificate of discharge under honorable conditions does not automatically free a man from the control of his Selective Service Board, unless he is a Reserve member of one of the Armed Reserves. As the law stands, a veteran discharged by any of the services must report to his draft board within ten days unless he has enlisted in V-6 or a comparable organization.

The V-6 program is now open only to veterans who have had a minimum of six months of active service (or some sea or foreign duty). Any veteran who is accepted by the Naval Reserve will not be required to report to his Selective Service Board, and will continue to enjoy the benefits of the "G. I. Bill", mustering out pay, and all other rights and privileges which the law extends to veterans of the armed forces.

A veteran, qualified as explained above, may enlist in V-6 at any time after discharge under honorable conditions. Enlistment may be made at separation centers where membership cards and Naval Reserve lapel insignia will be issued immediately. Men who have returned to civilian status may enlist at any Navy recruiting office, or at any of the reserve units currently being established throughout the United States. A card to your District Director of Naval Reserve •(whose address you will find on page 2 of this issue) will bring you the address of the place nearest your home where you may enroll.

In addition to removing a veteran from Selective Service control, enlistment in V-6 will enable him to retain his highest wartime rank or rating, will make him eligible for training and promotion, will give him increased longevity, and will assure him of service with the Navy in case of another national emergency.

As a Naval Veteran, it will pay you to check with your District Director of Naval Reserve for further information about the Reserve program in or near your home town. An inquiry places you under no obligation.

Instructors Needed .. .

Nearly 10,000 Naval Reserve Petty Officers qualified to instruct Naval Reservists are needed to serve as instructors during the coming year. If you are a Petty Officer enlisted in V-6 and desire to return to active duty with full pay and allowances at a Naval Reserve armory, air station, or ship, write directly to the Commandant of your home Naval District for full particulars.

Primary duty for those chosen will be the instruction of enlisted personnel of the Organized Reserve. Petty Officers of demonstrated ability will be ordered to active duty with full pay and allowances until June 30, 1947, at their own request.

Instructors for the Naval Reserve Aviation program will be assigned to duty at one of the following Naval Air Stations : Squantum, Mass.; New York City; Willow Grove, Pa.; Atlanta, Ga.; New Orleans, La.; Mempopen Tenn.; Columbus, Ohio; Grosse Ile, Mich.; Glenview, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Olathe, Kans.; Dallas, Texas; Livermore, San Diego, and Los Alamitos, Cal.; Anacostia, D. C.; Norfolk, Va.; Jacksonville and Miami, Fla., and Seattle, Wash.

Instructors (armory keepers) will be assigned to every Naval Reserve armory. Billets at any individual armory will be filled by qualified petty officers of the general service ratings to be trained.

Instructors (Ship Keepers) will be chosen from the ratings of FC, GM, SM, QM, TM, MoMM, WT, EM, RM. Y, SK, and BM. The ships will be based at 110 ports located on both seaboards, large ports, and on the Great Lakes.

The Commandant or Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station will send you orders direct if you are picked for this important assignment. When you write to him, refer to Naval. Reserve Multiple Address Letter 4-46.

Negotiations are now underway to provide Naval Reserve armories in more than 60 localities—and eventually more than 250 cities will have Naval Reserve armories. Sites now being acquired include military armories which have been built by states or cities for use by military organizations.

In many localities advantage is being taken of the presence of regular Naval facilities to establish Reserve armories on the grounds of the activity to afford Reservists the training advantages these facilities can provide.

Some veterans of the Pacific islands will find a familiar scene in the cities where Quonset but armories will be erected. Enough surplus large Quonset huts have been allocated to the Naval Reserve to provide armories in 89 localities. These Quonset type armories (see drawing) will be erected only in those localities where no suitable buildings already exist or are available in order that the Navy will not be competing in new construction fields.

Arrangements are now being made for the construction of these armories in 28 cities, and it is expected that construction will start on the first of these in September.

EXCESS SHIPS

The USS McDougal (AG-126) last month became one of the first ships assigned to the Naval Reserve to report to the 3rd Naval District for duty when she arrived in New York harbor. Since then this 1850-ton ex-destroyer has been joined by the PC 1182, 1186, 1198 and 1201. In addition, a number of other vessels has reported to other districts. Among these are. PC 610, 780 and 851, assigned to the 1st Naval District; YMS 389 to the Fourth District; PC 592, 776, 777, and 1191 to the Sixth; SC 679 to the Seventh; and PC 1216 and 1240 to the Ninth.

Tentatively, a total of 158 ships are assigned to the Naval Reserve fleet to date, including 12 DD's 22 DE's, 6 Subs, 20 YMS's, 50 PC's, 3 SC's. 18 LST's 23 LCI's, and 4 LSM's.

Among the DD's and DE's are the Gleaves, Niblack, Livermore. Eberle, Ludlow, Hemminger, Bright, Tills, Roberts, McClelland, Woodworth, Kates, and Plunkett. They will be spotted along both coasts, on the Mississippi River, and on the Great Lakes to augment training facilities for the Reserve program.

FORMER NAVAL PERSONNEL MAY NOW ENROLL IN THE NEW NAVAL RESERVE AT ANY TIME AFTER DISCHARGE. THE PREVIOUS REQUIREMENT THAT ENROLLMENT MUST BE WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER DISCHARGE HAS BEEN REMOVED.

JULY 1946 3 THE NAVAL RESERVIST

Organized Units To Train By Rating Groups

Many Naval Reservists who are enrolled in V-6 will eventually desire to transfer to the Organized Reserve. The Organized Reserve is composed of those Naval Reservists who desire to become affiliated with a reserve division or squadron. They meet each week at a Naval Reserve Armory, or Naval Air Station foe a two hour drill period.

the drill periods consist of study and work in the rating in which the man is enrolled. The object of the drill period is to permit the reservist to retain the particular skills of his rate and to put in further study in the rating so that he may qualify for advancement.

In addition to the weekly drill periods at the armory where a wealth of regular Navy equipment is available for realistic training, the members of the Organized Reserve may take a two weeks active duty training period each year.

Naval Reservists who transfer to an Organized unit become eligible for drill pay. Drill pay is computed as 1/30th of the monthly base pay of the man's pay grade for each drill attended. The Reservist who completes the annual two-week training period is paid full active duty pay and allowances. Necessary travel in connection with the training period is compensated foe lathe same fashion as travel performed under orders by members of the Regular Navy.

The basic unit of the Organized Reserve for personnel associated. with surface or submarine activities is the division. Size of the division has been set at 200 enlisted personnel and 10 officers. Divisions will concentrate on the training of "rating groups" of men. Divisions will train at least 4 rates and not more than 8 rates—with the exception that a Naval Veteran of any general service rate is eligible to join an Organized division regardless of the main rating groups to be trained by that division.

RESERVE AIR TRAINING

A Naval Air Reserve program to provide 100 hours of flying time annually for pilots in the Organized Reserve and 50 hours a year for Volunteer Reserve aviators has been approved.

This program, is designed to keep the Reserve complement of the naval air arm prepared for any national emergency. Organized Reserve personnel qualified as pilots who have returned to civilian life will be able to fly aircraft currently in use in the fleet, instead of flying one-lungers at their own expense when the urge "to aviate" may strike them.

Flying days will continue for aircrewmen also, and ground personnel will be able to keep

at Submarine Bases at New London, Conn., and Key West, Fla. Other units are being set up to train in station ship submarines. Six submarines have been made available for this purpose. Station ship subs will be moored permanently to furnish the equipment necessary for proper training, but will not be used for underway exercises.

Qualified submarine veterans, as well as graduates of submarine school, who meet the age requirements will be presumed to have met all other requirements unless they demonstrate their unfitness. Maximum age limit for qualified submarine veterans is 33, for graduates of submarine school 29, and for other Naval Veterans 26.

ELECTRONIC WARFARE

Naval Reserve training in Electronic Warfare will help Reservists to keep pace with the rapid advance of the science., of electronics. Electronic Warfare in the Reserve will include CIC, ASW, Communications, and Electronics (technical), and electronics as related to such subjects as guided missiles, infra-red and nuclear physics programs.

Electronic Warfare training will be given to both Volunteer and Organized personnel. Volunteer Reservists will be divided into companies and platoons. In the Organized Reserve, personnel will be assigned to divisions, battalions, companies, platoons and squadrons.

Electronic Warfare companies and platoons will receive a substantial allowance of equipment and publications. The normal complement of the company has been set at five officers and 40 enlisted men of classifications and ratings associated with naval electronic warfare. The normal complement for the platoon is one officer and nine enlisted men.

For instruction of electronic warfare personnel in both the Organized and the Volunteer Reserve, equipment, facilities, and instructors will be provided in Organized Reserve armories as well as in other locations where Reservists may drill. In general, the curricula will parallel that for similar rates in Regular Navy P, A and B schools.

Fleet Training Centers and Naval Reserve ships with operating CIC's will be used as extensively as possible for group CIC training of Naval Reserve personnel and for familiarization training of associated Reserve electronic technical personnel.

MERCHANT MARINE

The Naval Reserve Act of 1938 establishes the Merchant Marine Reserve as a component part of the Naval Reserve. To clear up any misunderstanding, there has been no change in the status of the Merchant Marine Reserve. It is not a part of the Organized Reserve or the Volunteer Reserve.

The Merchant Marine Reserve, composed of those members of the Naval Reserve who follow the sea as a profession, or are employed in connection with the seafaring profession, is included in the postwar training plan of the Naval Reserve. Members of the Merchant Marine Reserve will receive copies of the Merchant Marine Naval Reserve Bulletin by mail each month.

NO "RUPTURED DUCK"—This is the new lapel pin authorized by the Navy Department to denote members of the Naval Reserve not on active duty. It is given to all Naval Reservists to wear on their Civilian clothing and distinguishes them from other veterans.

THE NAVAL RESERVIST

With approval of the Bureau of the Budget, this magazine is published monthly in Washington, D. C., by the Bureau of Naval Personnel for the information and interest of members of the Naval Reserve and all Naval Veterans.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Navy Department. Reference to regulations, orders and directives is for information only, and publication herein does not constitute authority 'for action. All original material may be reprinted as desired by crediting the source. All photographs are official U. S. Navy unless otherwise noted. Original articles of general interest may be forwarded to: The Editor, The Naval Reservist, Room 2801, Arlington Annex, Navy Department, Washington 25, D. C.

All inquiries and comments pertaining to the Naval Reserve should be addressed, to the District Director of Naval Reserve through the Commandant of the Naval District concerned.

JULY 1946

abreast of the latest developments in postwar naval aviation. The Organized Reserve will provide sufficient aviators, ground officers, and enlisted personnel to complement the ships now being laid up, or to supplement squadrons for the active and reserve fleets.

The Organized Reserve will receive training in gunnery, bombing, combat and formation tactics, instrument flying and navigation. Modern naval planes, including fighters, bombers, patrol planes, trainers, and utility planes, will be used. Training aids, equipment, and devices have been reserved from wartime surplus material, and are being allocated to the various Naval Air Reserve stations.

SUBMARINE WARFARE

Veterans who wish to be affiliated with submarines will be able to do so through participation in the Naval, Reserve. ,Members of the Reserve who volunteer for submarine duty and meet the age, physical, temperamental, and aptitude requirements, will be eligible for this training in the Organized Reserve.

Most Reserve submariners will be assigned to submarine divisions. However, some veterans (not over 33 years of age) qualified for the Submarine Force may join a surface division as a part of the submarine quota and will be eligible to take their annual 14-day active training duty in connection with submarines. They will receive as much other submarine training as possible.

The first units to be formed under the current program will . be located in established submarine training activities. Arrangements have been completed for Naval Reserve submarining.
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