Show I I land Lubbers Land Lubbers Become Seamen In Six Months All right fellows follows Line up on either side of the walk and open up your gear for inspection No knives guns cameras or radios permitted aboard the base That's the first order boots entering entering en en- the U. U S. S Maritime Service training raining station at Sheepshead Bay Bayn in n B Brooklyn N. N Y hear when they land at the worlds world's largest merchant merchant merchant mer mer- chant marine training station Taken in n tow by an MA Master at arms within 24 hours the new recruits are processed through the station and their equipment issued From three to six months later these same boots emerge emerge as thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- thoroughly trained merchant seamen ready to take their place as radio operators deck or engine seamen cooks or assistant purser-hospital purser corpsmen aboard one of Uncle Sams Sam's morl modern rn merchant vessels Recruits from Crom rom Nebraska Indiana Alabama Michigan all Michigan all across the country report report report re re- port in six days a week at U. U S. S Maritime Service training stations to learn to sail aboard a wartime cargo vessel to Deliver the Goods For his first few days at Sheepshead Sheepshead Sheepshead head Bay the new trainee is under 1 the supervision of the indoctrination officer His orientation includes reasons reasons reasons rea rea- sons for and proper method of saluting saluting saluting ing proper stowing of gear and instructions instructions instructions in in- in rules and regulations of the station A section instructor assigned to each man 50 section then takes over and continues with the newly formed section through the first four weeks of preliminary or boot training In boot training the new trainee train train- ee receives instruction in 20 subjects ranging from gunnery to mental hygiene hy hy hy- giene He attends classes eight hours a day five days a week During his boot period the new recruit uses a wide variety of training train- train big ing aids He sees motion pictures p practical r a c ti c a I demonstrations of fire equipment breathing devices breeches buoys and throwing line-throwing guns Wall charts on a variety of l 1 1 3 f t V t 5 G 3 v Lt a y f R. R Outdoor steering trainers are used to teach apprentice seamen the proper method of standing a wheel watch relieving the helmsman and following a course The trainers are circular metal platforms floating in concrete basins They are equipped with a ships ship's wheel binnacle and compass As the trainee turns the wheel in accordance with directions of the instructor the platform ro ro- I tates topics are kept in view on classroom classroom classroom class class- room bulkheads Completing four weeks of boot training the new recruits move into work week A variety of duty in including including including in- in kp is assigned each individual individual individual indi indi- vidual to teach discipline and to attend attend attend at at- tend to necessary station tasks Next the apprentice is ready to move into the course of advanced instruction instruction instruction in in- for which his preference and tested capabilities qualify him Deck trainees at the end of their training receive three final weeks of practical duty aboard one of the U. U S. S Maritime Service training ships which operate on Long Island sound and Chesapeake bay Ashore they use ingenious equipment to learn In one of the large indoor buildings a mockup of a complete ships ship's bridge is constructed so that men may see the equipment and understand understand understand un un- the inter Engine trainees receive instruction instruction instruction tion in a wide variety of technical subjects in addition to continuing courses in in boats gunnery physical training and swimming In the station station station sta sta- tion powerhouse which provides steam for cooking and heating a Liberty ship engine is installed Men for the cooks and bakers schools are selected after a series of special examinations In addition to toI I standard seamanship courses these men learn butchering cooking and baking They are provided with two Liberty ship galleys and two Victory ship galleys exact to the final pot and pan Fifty men are are admitted to the Maritime Service hospital corps school each week selected by competitive competitive competitive com com- examination Trained to double as pursers and hospital corpsmen corpsmen corpsmen corps- corps men aboard merchant vessels this is one of the hardest courses of in in- in The men are not doctors but skilled and competent medical men able to treat ordinary ailments of seamen and most important how to utilize most modern medical methods and drugs to keep alive and comfortable a dangerously ill man until the services of a medical officer officer become available Founded by a provision of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 the U. U S. S Maritime Service came into being as the training organization formen for formen formen men to man Americas America's merchant marine marine In addition to the Maritime Service which trains both apprentice seamen and men for officers who have had 14 months sea time the Merchant Marine Cadet Corps trains young midshipmen cadet-midshipmen for duty in inthe inthe inthe the merchant marine The parent organization the War Shipping administration administration administration ad ad- ministration comes under the jurisdiction jurisdiction jurisdiction juris juris- diction of the U. U S. S Maritime Com Com- mission Under rec recent nt age limit changes youths 16 to 17 17 can enroll for merchant merchant merchant mer mer- chant seaman training by the U. U S. S M Maritime Service provided they have their parents' parents consent Men between 26 to 35 can still volunteer volunteer volunteer volun volun- teer for all branches of Maritime Service training provided they secure se- se secure secure se se- cure a referral card from the U. U S. S Employment Service Men up to 50 years of age can volunteer for cooks and bakers training only Expenses of recruits are paid toone to toone toone one of the four major training stations stations stations sta sta- of the Maritime Service In addition to a man station at Sheepshead Bay are schools at Hoffman Hoffman Hoffman Hoff Hoff- man Island N. N Y St. St Petersburg Fla and Avalon Calif Pay during training is 50 per month with increases for the more advanced schools Uniforms and quarters are furnished trainees Upon completing training the men are assigned aboard a merchant vessel vessel vessel ves ves- sel to begin Delivering the Goods Goodsall all over the world |