Show Casually Observing Make Tour Of Naval Training Station At San California By Cliff Editor A couple of weeks ago I promised I'd write a few of the highlights of a recent trip I took with 26 other Utah business and professional to the Training Center at San as guests of the U.S. First let me say it was one of the most enjoyable and educational trips I have ever and express my personal appreciation to the Men of the Navy for the opportunity of being their guest for four Plans were made through the staff at by Warrant Officer Commander B. Irby and the various recruiters about the state for our gang to make the A Rough Trip Our pilot for the ride from Salt Lake City to San Diego on board one of Navy's transport planes was a Captain Christensen of Bear We left the Salt Lake Airport at about 2 o'clock 1 on April 18 for a real rough air Since this was my first long trip via the air I'll remember it for a long I have never been much of a flying and if I had had the same experiences coming back as going I could easily had I got air and what I I was sick Even the pilot said it was one of the roughest trips he had ever coming back was really a joy so I'll fly again so much for And before telling you a bit about what we saw and I want to offer my humble congratulations to the U. S. Navy for the efficiency of their operations which we inspected at the Training Station in the California I also commend the who really know to make a group of green civilians feel at I should also like recognize the congenial group of men and one who made the What We Learned Here are a few of the myriad of things we saw and learned There are 23 service training schools on the base with students in attendance at all night and Last year recruits went through the Each Saturday hundreds are graduated from their We saw a class of 2700 graduate on April and march in review before the commanding upon arriving at the base are given a general classification test to find out how much they Recruits scoring less than 35 on the tests must go to recruit preparatory unit where they are taught reading and up to the fifth Instructors in the recruit preparatory school are Chief Petty Officers with 14 years experience in the Each must have completed various Navy schools and have a high school Four-Hour Classes Th preparatory schools usually are completed in six weeks of four hours of classes In addition there are 22 other schools operated at the In these a recruit can learn anything 1 from how to become a movie projectionist to firing big Navy guns by In engineering schools recruits are taught how to become machinery pair air conditioning and refrigeration and advanced metal Electrical schools them to become electricians and motion picture In recruiting school they are taught operate and repair radio and teletype There is a clerical school for where sailors are taught to take dictation up to 80 words per Officers In Charge Among officers in charge of the various schools are Commander R. H. who commands 70 officers and enlisted An- other is commanded by Captain j R. C. Commanding the base is Captain C. T. j i the Utah newsmen was Commander Robert Base officials point out these interesting facts about recruits received at the On an average a recruit will come to the base with eight cavities in his To fix them are 40 dentists working on the There are also 22 medical Eighteen per cent of the men 20 Can't Swim Twenty per cent can not swim when they arrive at the Two per cent have a fear of the Four per cent prove to be maladjusted for Navy About 90 per cent come of training as valuable Navy In a year's time some young men will come to las recruits to receive their initial training for life in the The men frequently called because of the leggings they wear during training are taught the duties and responsibilities of pride in self and the basic elements of seamanship and gunnery along with physical naval orientation and other introductory studies into Navy After nine weeks of intensive the recruit is ready to graduate as a seaman |