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Show ' 1 Land -Lubbers Become Seamen In SixMonfhs "All right fellows. Line up on either side of the walk and open up your gear for inspection. inspec-tion. No knives, guns, cameras cam-eras or radios permitted aboard the base." That's the first order "boots" entering en-tering the U. S. Maritime Service training station at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, N. Y., hear when they "land" at the world's largest merchant mer-chant marine training station. Tken in 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 as thoroughly thor-oughly trained merchant seamen, ready to take their place as radio operators, op-erators, deck or engine seamen, cooks, or assistant purser-hospital corpsmen aboard one of Uncle Sam's modern merchant vessels. Recruits from Nebraska, Indiana, Alabama. Michigan all across the country report re-port in six days a week at U. 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 Sheeps-head Bay, the new trainee is under the supervision of the indoctrination officer. His orientation includes reasons rea-sons for and proper method of salut-tng, salut-tng, proper stowing of gear and instructions in-structions in rules and regulations of the station. A section instructor assigned to each 50-man section then takes over and continues with the newly formed section through the Brst four weeks of preliminary or "boot" training. In "boot" training, the new train-'ee train-'ee receives instruction in 20 subjects ranging from gunnery to mental hygiene. 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-ing aids. He sees motion pictures, practical demonstrations of fire equipment, breathing devices, breeches buoys and line-throwing guns. Wall charts on a variety of Men for the cooks and bakers schools are selected after a series of special examinations. In addition to 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 admitted to the Maritime Service hospital corps school each week, selected by competitive com-petitive examination. Trained to double as pursers and hospital corp-men corp-men aboard merchant vessels, this is one of the hardest courses of instruction. in-struction. 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 offi-cer become available. Founded by a provision of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, the U. S. Maritime Service came into being as the training organization for men to man America's merchant 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 cadet-midshipmen for duty m the merchant marine. The parent organization, the War Shipping administration, ad-ministration, comes under the jurisdiction juris-diction of the U. S. Maritime Commission. Com-mission. Under recent age limit changes youths 16 to 17 'h can enroll for merchant mer-chant seaman training by the U. S. Maritime Service provided they have their parents' consent. Men between 26 to 35 can still volunteer volun-teer for all branches of Maritime Service training, provided they se' cure a referral card from the U. S. Employment Service. Men up to 50 years of age can volunteer foi cooks and bakers training only. Expenses of recruits are paid to one of the four major training sta tions of the Maritime Service. Ir addition to a 10,000-man station al Sheepshead Bay are schools at Hoffman Hoff-man Island, N. Y., St. Petersburg, Fla., and Avalon, Calif. Pay during training is $50 per month with increases for the more advanced schools. Uniforms and quarters are furnfshed trainees. Upon completing training, the men are assigned aboard a merchant vessel ves-sel to begin "Delivering the Goods" all over the world. 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 ship's wheel, binnacle, and compass. As the trainee turns the wheel in accordance with directions of the instructor, the platform rotates. ro-tates. topics are kept in view on classroom class-room "bulkheads." Completing four weeks of boot training, the new recruits move into work week. A variety of duty including in-cluding "kp" is assigned each individual indi-vidual to teach discipline and .to attend at-tend to necessary station tasks. Next the apprentice is ready to move into the course of advanced instruction in-struction 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 bf the U. 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 ship's bridge is constructed so that men may see the equipment and understand un-derstand the inter-relation. Engine trainees receive instruction instruc-tion in a wide variety of technical subjects in addition to continuing courses in boats, gunnery, physical training and swimming. In the station sta-tion powerhouse which provides steam for cooking and heating, a Liberty ship engine is installed. |