LOCATION OF TRAINING STATIONS AND HABITATION BEST SUITED FOR TRAINING PURPOSES.
SYSTEM AND METHODS OF TRAINING.
ORDINARY SEAMEN FROM TRAINING STATIONS IN FLEET.
(1) It is found that officers of the service and people generally, are not familiar with the scope and methods of our naval training service. Large sums of money have been appropriated for training purposes and a system of training has been developed, the purposes of which, if appreciated, would create a great professional interest in the subject, and would compel officers of the fleet to realize the absolute necessity for their cooperation with the training service in order to better the condition of the enlisted personnel, with reference to the needs of the service.
(2) The purpose of this paper is to lay before the general service the results that are obtained from the present system of training, with a view to having more seriously considered how best to apply, and to follow up these results to increase the efficiency of the fleet.
The questions—first, how best to train recruits; second, having spent four years in the education of recruits, how best to retain these men for continuous service, are second in importance to no other questions effecting the efficiency of the navy.
(3) It has been found that the preliminary training given recruits can best be accomplished ashore, so that the training ships have been abandoned, and the Government has established naval training stations at San Francisco, Newport, Chicago, and Norfolk,
Va. At Norfolk there is officially no training station, there never having been any appropriation for the specific purpose of training at that place, although, as a matter of fact, it is the most important station in operation. The demands made by the Navy Department upon this station are greater than the demands upon other stations.
(4) In considering the subject of naval training, I will take up in order, first, the conditions that should govern the location of a naval training station and habitation best suited for such a station; second, the present system and methods of training recruits; third, the ordinary seamen from training stations in fleet, the perpetuation in fleet of the training received at training stations, with a view to securing continuous service men.
(5) The training service is a recognized important institution of the navy, but with its present organization there is no head to the service, consequently, the system of training, which has been approved by the bureau, is liable to be deranged, as each station will be administered more or less in accordance with the individuality of its commandant.
At present the method of administration is by official or personal letters from the commandants and executive officers of training stations to the officer of the Bureau of Navigation who has charge of the enlisted personnel. Such a method is unmilitary and unbusinesslike, and can secure no good results.
The officer in charge of the enlisted personnel has as much as he is physically able to attend to with the legitimate duties of his important office, and the training service, though bearing intimate relation to the office of the enlisted personnel, suffers from, want of consideration and study by a competent head detailed for that purpose.
As each training station requires the most rigid supervision by its commandant to get desired results, 'so does the training service require a rigid supervision by a competent head, in order to maintain the system of training, and an economical military administration of the service.
THE CONDITIONS THAT SHOULD GOVERN THE LOCATION OF A NAVAL TRAINING STATION AND THE HABITATION BEST SUITED FOR SUCH A STATION.
In locating our naval training stations, we have not sufficiently considered the importance of good climatic conditions, or the military reasons that should influence the selection of the site, nor, in erecting the habitation at these stations, have we sufficiently considered the necessary sanitary conditions which must exist in order to get desired results.
Unless we are governed by other than service motives in locating naval stations, it would seem to be a very simple matter to select a proper or suitable site for a training station. Let us suppose that the Government desires to establish a training station in a certain locality; a board consisting of a line officer and a medical officer, who have had experience in training matters, and a civil engineer, are ordered to select the best available site in the desired locality. If the sanitary conditions are satisfactory, the military consideration will follow, and the civil engineer will be an aid in making estimates, considering drainage, etc.
When Coasters Harbor Island, Newport, was accepted for training purposes, the system of training did not contemplate the use of extensive barracks ashore; Coasters Harbor Island became a rendezvous for apprentices, from where they were drafted to vessels of a training squadron, which vessels were sent to cruise in a desirable climate for training purposes; in the summer usually going to Europe, and in the winter to the West Indies.
The climatic conditions existing at Newport were recognized as being unsuitable for training purposes, and when the old or former system of training was changed to the present system, where the apprentice seamen are quartered on shore, the training
Squadron abandoned, and all instruction and training taking place on shore, the unfit climatic conditions should have been considered, and a more suitable locality sought.
I can find no sanitary or service reason whatever; for having located a training station at Chicago, a thousand miles from the Coast, with a climate in no way suitable for training purposes: so far as the training service is concerned Chicago is suitable only for a small rendezvous for recruits from recruiting station's enroute to Norfolk, Va.
Experience has proved, that, for sanitary and military reasons, the first consideration in selecting a locality for the training station, is climatic conditions. The climate should be temperate, not too hot in summer, nor too cold in winter, such a climate as will allow men to be trained out of doors all the year round, and where the life at the training station is more or less out-of-door life; such a climate will least affect the recruit in the change of climate he is subjected to in coming from the recruiting station, or from his home. The training station should be located as conveniently as possible for the quick and economical supply of men to the fleet, and where the lines of communication, by rail or boat, are good or convenient; in other words, the locality should possess good climatic conditions for training purposes, and be strategetically well placed with reference to the supply of men to the fleet, and as a rendezvous for recruits.
To-day most of our recruits come from the West or Middle West; many of them have been leading out-of-door lives, and to bring such recruits to a climate that necessitates an in-door life is bad in every way.
Recruits entering the service between September and February who are sent to Newport or Chicago will pass most of the four months allowed at training stations for training, indoors, the climate at these stations during the winter often for six or seven months of the year, necessitates an in-door life. What greater detriment to good health or healthy physical development could be possible? The grave infectious diseases, which have occurred at Newport and without a doubt will occur at the new naval training station near Chicago, particularly to those recruits of the military age, are pneumonia, cerebro-spinal meningitis. These are infectious diseases of the gravest nature for the recruit, not only on account of their high mortality, but also their dreaded after effects causing permanent mental and physical injury to those attacked. These two diseases prevail principally in cold climates, during the winter and spring of the year. Many lives would be preserved and expense to the Government saved, by training these recruits in a milder climate, that will permit of their living an out-of-door existence during the entire year, which cannot be done at Newport or Chicago.
It is only necessary to compare a draft of men from Newport who have been at that station during the winter months, with men from a station where an out-of-door life is possible during the same season, to realize the great benefit of the temperate climate, to say nothing of the better training that can be had in a temperate climate. The men from the milder climate are better developed and show in their bronzed faces the good effect of out-of-door life. Apprentice seamen at training stations need, and should have all the fresh air and sunshine possible; this with good physical development, on a healthy full diet, and constant occupation, will best and soonest fit the recruit for battleship work.
As an example of a locality with almost ideal conditions for a training station, I would give the vicinity of Norfolk, Va. This locality is near, and most convenient to Chesapeake Bay, the great strategic rendezvous of the fleet on our Eastern coast, and close to the anchorage at Hampton Roads. There are seven railroad lines, two steamship lines, and three steamboat lines which have their terminals at Norfolk, and the climate is not too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter to prevent an out-of-door life, the men can be drilled and trained out of doors all the year round. Some idea of the importance of this locality (vicinity of Norfolk) for training purposes and as rendezvous can be had when we consider that the Navy Department has found it necessary to send to Norfolk some 26,000 men in the past three years, and has sent to the fleet a yearly average of about three thousand apprentice seamen, who have undergone training at that place.
The great possibilities of this strategic locality make it almost certain, that with the increase of the fleet, the Government will be obliged to have its principal training station and rendezvous there in the near future, and it is apropos of this consideration that it is well now, to study plans for the best possible habitation for our men.
At all training stations, as at any place where it is necessary to have a permanent or semi-permanent habitation for a considerable number of men, there will always develop contagious diseases; many of our recruits come from the country and have escaped diseases of childhood which prevail in cities and towns, such as mumps, measles, etc. This condition will probably exist with any practicable habitation, but it is our business, in designing the habitation, to meet the demands of modern sanitation and so reduce the possibility of diseases to minimum, or if we cannot prevent the introduction of diseases, we may at least have conditions that will be best suited to combat with contagion and prevent epidemic.
As the object of training stations is to supply the fleet with fairly well trained men in the shortest possible time, and as apprentice seamen remain only four months under training, and frequently it is necessary to draft them to the fleet after they have been but three months or less under training, it is obvious that to get any results we must do everything possible to prevent contagion, and transporting it to the fleet.
It may be said that this is all very true, and is well known and understood, but the fact is, we have not considered these sanitary and climatic conditions that are necessary for an efficient training station, in the selection of the sites and creating the habitation there on. Conditions in Newport have been improved at great expense and much inconvenience, but it is quite impossible to maintain 1700 to 2000 men in such barracks, On such a small surface space as is there available, and expect to get good sanitary results. The same can be said of Chicago, with the addition that Chicago is even worse, by being 1000 miles from the coast. The station at San Francisco is inadequate, particularly with the possible advent of a Pacific fleet, and the climate is bad, the topographical features of the island prevent expansion, or the erection of a proper habitation. The locality to the southward of San Francisco, San Diego for instance, has splendid conditions available.
Experience has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the best habitation for a training station is one that will allow the best sanitary, and military supervision; and that such supervision can best be accomplished by the segregation of the men into as small units as is practicable; thus giving a means of locating disease, making quick diagnosis and of being able to confine contagion to the fewest number of men, this, when coupled with a proper system of isolation of the men who have been in contact with contagion, will accomplish all that is possible.
For military supervision it is found most efficient to have these units consist of a squad and a squad leader (9 men), although medical officers would prefer a smaller unit, it is agreed that if the house to contain nine men is of sufficient size, and properly planned, good sanitary results will be had.
The recruit arriving at the training station is assigned to a particular squad, in charge of a squad leader; this squad belongs to a particular section in charge of a chief of section; this section belongs to a particular company in charge of a chief petty officer instructor. This organization as perfected in the newcomers habitation is continued as nearly as is possible through the course of training.
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A'
HABITATION HOUSE OF CEMENT WITH HAMMOCK RAIL.
It is presented that the habitation best suited for a training station would consist of houses designed as shown in exhibits marked A', A". Each house to house a squad and its leader (9 men), that these houses be arranged in groups, each group to consist of ten houses which will house a division of 75 men (this number is assigned to a division because it is found that with that number it will be possible to have a tactical company in formation neglecting absentees for whatever cause).
A group of houses with its attached buildings is arranged as shown in exhibit B.
The entire habitation will consist of these groups, the number depending upon the allowed complement of the station, and will be separated from each other.
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INTERIOR VIEW OF HABITATION HOUSE
A"
Each house is provided with nine wire lockers for bags; and with overhead slat shelving for stowing hammocks in inclement weather (hammocks should never be stowed in fair weather, but should be opened and exposed to the sun and fresh air. The brackets on the side of the houses are for the purpose of hanging unlashed hammocks when the weather permits), and two sanitary spit kits.
Houses are heated by steam and electrically lighted, and, with the occupants are in charge of the squad leaders, who are respon
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B
HABITATION GROUP WITH BUILDINGS FOR ONE COMPANY.
sible to their chiefs of section, who in turn are responsible to their chiefs of company.
Each group is provided with the following facilities, located as conveniently as possible, and upon a cement surface having proper drainage:
House containing showers and toilet facilities for 75 men.
Sanitary scuttle-butt.
Properly located detached urinals.
Floors for scrubbing clothes, clothes lines, and steam drying room.
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C’
RECEIVING HOUSE OF CEMENT BLOCKS.
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C”
FLOOR PLAN OF CONCRETE RECEIVING HOUSE. SCALE, 1/8 INCH TO 1 FOOT
Armory for racking 75 rifles, and stowing equipments. This armory to be also used as a reading, writing, smoking and instruction room. Referring to smoking—it is found best at training stations in order to prevent excessive cigarette smoking to have regular hours and to confine smoking to certain places. One fire extinguisher.
Store house for scrub and wash gear, implements for policing, etc.
The remainder of habitation will be as follows:
Receiving house for receiving recruits;
Recruits are received from the recruiting stations about the country in drafts containing, at times, as many as 60 men. In handling these recruits the greatest precautions must be taken to prevent the introduction of disease to the station, and for this purpose a receiving house is provided. See plans marked C', C", C’”.
The recruit enters the receiving room, where he deposits valuables and money he may have, from the receiving room he passes into an adjoining room, where he undresses and deposits his clothes, then passes to the next room where he is shaved, has his hair cut and takes a bath; passing to the next room, he has clean uniform clothes served out to him, and, after dressing, passes into the next room which is the dormitory. Connected with this dormitory is a mess hall. The recruit passes from the dormitory to the examining room, and from there, if his physical condition is satisfactory, he is transferred to the newcomers group.
One mess hall, galley, bakery and storerooms for every six groups.
One gymnasium and recreation hall, arranged to be used for Divine services, lectures, entertainments, etc., for every six groups.
One swimming pool for every six groups.
One house for rigging loft and instruction in battleship seamanship, for every six groups.
Drill shed for drill purposes in rainy weather.
Small arms target range. This is possible in a populated locality, with the use of the safety-firing device, designed and used at the Norfolk station.
One elevated sounding platform for each group.
Boiler house and distilling plant for entire reservation.
Electric generating plant for entire reservation.
Ice plant and cold storage for entire reservation.
Incinerator.
Paymaster's storehouse.
Commissary storehouse.
One pulling cutter for every 20 men of allowed complement.
Steam launches, tugs and transportation barges to meet requirements.
Stable and fire-engine house.
Shed for wagons and implements.
Horses and carts.
Motor ambulance.
There should be placed around the grounds used by the apprentice seamen shallow boxes filled with sand for expectorating into. Using these boxes soon becomes a habit and is an excellent sanitary precaution. The boxes are, of course, policed as required.
Mess hall and galley for chief petty officers, if no quarters are provided for chief petty officers.
Sick quarters and dispensary as designed and located by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Administration building.
Commissioned officers quarters.
Quarters for chief petty officers and their families. This provision is an innovation but I am sure that if it could be allowed, the good results would prove that it was a wise provision.
Naval training stations are allowed one chief petty officer instructor for every 50 apprentice seamen. For an allowed complement of 1000 apprentice seamen there will be 20 chief petty officer instructors. This is in addition to the chief petty officers who belong to the detail of general service men at the station. Most of these chief petty officers are married and with their families live, at present, usually near the reservation. As suitable quarters, I would suggest apartment buildings at moderate expense. Each apartment to contain five rooms with bath, etc. (Parlor, pantry and dining-room, three bed-rooms, bath, etc.)
Chief petty officers receive no commutation for quarters, they are at considerable extra expense when attached to training stations, and they are doing duty formerly done by commissioned and warrant officers. If they lived upon the reservation it would add greatly to the efficiency and contentment. I would strongly urge this provision for chief petty officers at training stations.
Connected with the habitation there will be one group, or more if needed, to be used as an isolation group. The houses of this group to be built as shown in exhibit marked D', D", D". This isolation group will be properly located for its purposes, and provided with the following:
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D’
One galley and bakery with serving room and store-room.
One steam laundry.
One disinfecting plant.
This group will house the men who have been in contact with contagion, and as provided, small units of men can be absolutely isolated and maintained indefinitely. This group to be entirely under the supervision of a medical officer. No provision is made at any of our stations for the isolation of people who have been in contact with contagion: such isolation is absolutely necessary to prevent epidemic. The Newport station has provision for isolation in the newcomers or detention barracks only. At Norfolk tentative improvised quarters for isolation have been erected. At all stations, isolation quarters should be a recognized necessary part of the habitation. Where a large number of men are quartered in the same barrack, it is quite impossible to provide isolation. In case of contagion it becomes necessary to isolate the entire barrack, and frequently the entire station: this has been the case several times at Newport, and will be the case at Chicago.
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D”
ISOLATION HOUSE BUILT OF CEMENT BLOCKS.
Disease is caused by soil contamination, organic matter expectoration and urine. There should be the very best and most thorough policing, and in order to provide for a proper and efficient policing, cement will be used for house construction and the surface occupied by the houses of a group, and this surface so graded as to give best drainage. Experience at naval stations has proved the advantage of cement for such purposes, and it is highly recommended by the French who have had much experience with the material. Cement floors and surfaces are easily cleaned and will quickly dry, particularly in houses heated by steam. They will not retain dirt or dampness. This cement surface for groups affords a simple means of efficient drainage and produces no dust. For construction of houses it is cheaper than wood or iron, prevents accumulation of dirt and saves labor and time in policing.
With the habitation proposed, the houses are suitable for any climate that is suitable for training purposes. In the plan proposed, the principle of segregation is carried as far as is practicable, and isolation is provided for those who have been in contact with contagious disease. The two provisions of segregation and isolation are absolutely necessary for an efficient habitation, for without them, it is quite impossible to prevent epidemic, the
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D’”
FLOOR PLAN OF ISOLATION HOUSE, 18 x 36.
habitation is sooner or later isolated or quarantined with contagion, which prevents all transfer of men to the fleet.
The expense of such a habitation where cement or concrete is used in the construction of houses and for surface, is small when compared with the large sums of money that have been spent at Chicago, Newport or San Francisco.
At the Chicago station, with a capacity of 2400 men, there has been expended to date, $3,250,000.00. At the Newport station, with a capacity of 2000 men, there has been expended for public works since 1881, $1,310,618.00, and for maintenance, $578,694.00, making a total of $1,889,312.00. At the San Francisco station, with a capacity of 500 men, there has been expended since 1898 for public works $344,250.00, and for maintenance since 1900, $391,675.37, making a total of $735,925.37.
A careful and liberal estimate for a plant such as is exhibited by plan marked E, calls for $600,000.00. It would not be necessary to adhere strictly to the plan, in locating groups, the topography of the site might require a deviation from this plan, but the principles of segregation and isolation must be adhered to.
PRESENT SYSTEM AND METHODS OF TRAINING RECRUITS.
It was found that the practice of taking very young undeveloped boys into the service, for training, did not meet the requirements of modern fighting ships, where, the weights to be handled, and the work to be done, are beyond the capacity of such lads. Also, that the system employed did not meet the requirement of supplying the fleet with men in the shortest possible time. The latter requirement was made more apparent by the shortage of enlisted force throughout the fleet, and the necessity for getting men as soon as possible, with new ships to be commissioned.
The Bureau of Navigation decided, that to meet these requirements, recruits, rated apprentice seamen, should be received into the service for the Seaman branch, between the years of 17 and 25; that these apprentice seamen shall go through a preliminary course of training at training stations for a period of four months, at the end of which time, the apprentice seaman is rated ordinal-) seaman, and transferred to the fleet, where his preliminary training is to be continued.
The exception to this is the case of coal passers for the engineer's force, where any apprentice seaman who has aptitude for the engineer's force, who desires to enter that branch of the service, and who can pass the physical examination for that rating, is retained at the training station for a period of three months, at the end of which time he is rated coal passer, and transferred to the fleet. The Bureau of Navigation has established a machinists' school at the Norfolk Navy Yard, the object of which is to afford the same opportunity to apprentice seamen and others entering the artificer branch (engineer's force) to become chief petty officers and warrant officers, as is afforded those who enter the seaman branch. Men with good records, holding the rating of watertender oiler or fireman first class, and having an average mark in both mechanical ability and knowledge of
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PLAN OF HABITATION BEST SUITED FOR TRAINING STATION OR RENDEZVOUS SHOWING MEANS OF SEGREGATION AND ISOLATION. CAPACITY, 2100 MEN. ESTIMATED COST, $600,000.00, COMPLETE.
PLAN E.
marine engines and machinery (taken from their enlistment record) of not less than 75 per cent, who are recommended by their commanding officers, are eligible upon re-enlistment for instruction in this school. These conditions are carefully explained to the apprentice seaman before he elects the branch of the service he will enter. There are other schools established for the professional education of enlisted men as follows: The Artificers'
School, and School for Musicians located at the Norfolk station; the Gunnery Schools at Washington and Newport; Yeoman School and School for Cooks, at Newport; Electrical School at San Francisco and New York. There is also a School for Hospital Apprentices, located at the Naval Hospital, Norfolk. It will thus be seen that the Navy Department is properly alive to the necessity for the proper professional education of the enlisted men.
The fleet requires intelligent, able-bodied young men, who have had sufficient preliminary training to enable them to take care of their persons, their bags, and hammocks—who realize the military character of their chosen profession, and who have advanced far enough in professional knowledge to rid the commanding officer in fleet, of the delay in getting his vessel ready for battle, that would be caused by receiving raw recruits.
Much has been written about the training of men for the naval service, and the systems employed by foreign naval powers have been investigated, to gain knowledge which might be of use to us in training our own men. But the character and intelligence of the American recruit are such that he requires a system of training for his particular case. Formerly, the navy, was recruited from the fishing fleets and the merchant marine, men who already had the sea habit, men who had the sailors' trade, and who were accustomed to the discipline which exists on all well-regulated ships, whether of the merchant marine or the navy.
These men bettered their conditions by entering the navy, and had only to learn the military part of their new surroundings and belonged to a class of men, who generally speaking, had no ambitions beyond the rate of petty officers. To-day most of our recruits come from the West, the middle West, and the lake regions, men absolutely ignorant of nautical affairs, but ambitious to learn and advance. Our navy has become such an institution in the land, that there is no difficulty in securing the enlistment of Americans, filling the requirements of the law.
Much embarrassment has been caused by not having a sufficient number of men in the allowed complement of the navy to meet the requirements of the fleet.
This shortage in the allowed complement is not caused by inability to enlist men, but by the sudden demand for a large number of men to fill the complement of our new ships, going into commission.
If the enlisted force could be increased with each ship appropriated for, by the number of men necessary to man that ship, this embarrassment would disappear, and our excellent system of recruiting would supply the vacancies as they occur from time to time. The conditions to-day are abnormal, caused by the sudden demand for a large number of men to man the new ships added to the fleet.
In not allowing an increase in the complement for the fleet, an abnormal condition arose which becomes more difficult as new ships are added to the fleet.
Under normal conditions, the number of desirable candidates is sufficient to meet the demands of the fleet.
Mention is made of this condition because it seriously effects the results to be obtained in the training service. With the shortage of men for the fleet, it becomes necessary to draft men from the training stations before they have finished their preliminary training.
The recruit for the naval service, is, to-day, generally an intelligent young man, belonging to a highly respectable and important class of our citizens. He comes, usually, with the influence of our democratic institutions shown in his character, with very little idea of the military character of the business he is undertaking; all of which is perfectly natural when we consider that our country is not a military country.
Our navy is a military institution in a non-military country, and this condition is the cause of many of the difficulties we have to contend with; and not the least of these difficulties is found in trying to instill into the recruit, the military character of his calling.
For these reasons, and with the higher intelligence of our recruits, our training system must differ greatly from that of any other nation.
The best results are obtained at our training stations by making them absolutely military institutions, beginning with the recruit tactically, I may say, receiving him in a military manner, placing him at once in a tactical formation, and requiring him ever after to form, march, and be dismissed according to tactics. By this means, it is found that the tactical habit is very quickly acquired; the recruit prefers it; and the military character of his business is ever kept before him.
To illustrate this; at training stations a recruit is received in formation, placed in a squad led by a squad leader; he is always in the school of that squad, until he graduates into the fleet. His squad belongs to a section; the section to a company; and his company has its own mess, quarters, and parade. His company commander and instructor is a chief petty officer selected for his aptitude for that service; and in this organization the recruit goes through the training station. The company petty officers are selected from apprentice seamen, and given acting appointments as such. These acting appointments make part of the record of apprentice seamen having them. They go with their record to the fleet, and after inspection by the commanding officer in fleet, are returned to the owner.
This company belongs to a battalion, the battalion has its parade; the battalion belongs to a brigade, which has its parade.
All instructors and drill masters are chief petty officers, selected for their aptitude for such duty, and are as follows: one brigade commander, one adjutant, one chief of company for each company. The instructors follow with their company or division through the entire course.
The detail of chief petty officers for such duty gives excellent results both with apprentice seamen and as a school for these chief petty officers.
This duty was formerly performed by commissioned officers, and later by warrant officers, but the results were not as good as are now obtained, because the chief petty officers are better adapted for this duty, they can get in closer touch with the recruit. The chief petty officer is required to pass a rigid examination before being accepted as an instructor, and though the duty of instructing recruits is most arduous and difficult, the detail to training stations is popular with the chief petty officers on account of, first, the excellent status given to chief petty officers at training stations, and again from the, fact that they are assured at least two years of shore duty, when they can have a semblance to home life with their families. Training stations are allowed one chief petty officer instructor for every 50 apprentice Seamen, so that at a station with a capacity of z000 men, there will be some forty chief petty officer instructors, and it would be well if all line chief petty officers in the navy could have a tour of duty at training stations. With the apprentice seamen brigade there is required but two commissioned officers, one as inspector of drills and instruction, the other as inspector of target practice. A foreign admiral who lately visited the Norfolk station, and who inspected the apprentice seamen brigade, was most impressed by the fact that all instructors were chief petty officers, and declared it was evidence of the high order of intelligence of our enlisted men.
Seventy-five apprentice seamen compose a division, as it has been found by experience that this number, with all absentees for any cause whatever, will give for all formations a tactical company.
At all formations—breakfast, dinner, supper, and for three drill periods—the squad is led to its section; the two sections form a company on the company parade. The company goes to the battalion parade, and the full brigade is formed, presented, and marched away, with full band and field music, at time, for not less than 120 steps to the minute.
It is found that this brigade formation can take place, and the units marched off for whatever purpose in less time than could be done by any method not tactical. That requiring all units, of whatever size, to always march at not less than 120 steps to the minute, gives snap and vigor, and it very quickly becomes the habit of the recruit to step out on all occasions in this snappy way.
At the training stations there are six brigade formations a day, with full band and field music. Each formation can be done tactically in about six minutes. This method, with the strictest requirement of military etiquette in the matter of salutes, gives excellent results in creating military habit. Everything possible is done to convince the recruit that he has entered a profession which offers him such good opportunities for advancement, that he has strong inclination to consider seriously making it a profession for life, but as the recruit spends only four months of his enlistment at the training station, there is left three years and eight months for the fleet to convince him that he will re-enlist.
The short time (four months) allowed apprentice seamen at the training station indicates that the Bureau of Navigation expects only a preliminary training at the station, and that this training shall be in detail, that which shall give the best results in the given time.
To this end, the instruction is limited to subjects that the recruit can require in four months, and these subjects are given time according to their importance in preparing the man for the battleship training.
It should always be remembered that, if you make a man comfortable and happy, you are going to get out of him all that is in him, and that there are ways of handling men so that you can get an immense amount of knowledge into them without their realizing any effort on their part. It should always be remembered in dealing with recruits that they should be favorably impressed with their calling, and that it is most desirable that men shall re-enlist, and remain in the service permanently.
In the matter of discipline at training stations, the individual character of the apprentice seaman is studied, being careful to award punishments that will not degrade the man, or lessen his own self-respect, always remembering that the young man comes from a non-military life, and, above all, that he is an American.
It is not desirable at training stations, to have a classified list of punishments for the apprentice seamen, for a punishment that would accomplish the object and meet the requirements of the service in one case, might not be as efficacious in another case; the offense may be the same by name, yet the intent is entirely different, and the degree of guilt will vary. It is not desirable to make deprivation of liberty a punishment, except where the offender has proved himself to be unreliable, and commits offenses when on liberty that he would not have the opportunity of committing were he deprived of liberty. Such cases are usually incorrigible and are best dealt with by discharge as undesirable.
There can be no fixed rule for inflicting punishments; in dealing with the recruit of to-day, it must be remembered that he is an American; that he is young and high-spirited, and generally unused to restraint; that the matter of discipline must be taught rather than inflicted.
The apprentice seaman is a young man, developing physically, and requires amusement and recreation.
Young men, never used to discipline or military requirements, can very easily become disgusted and disheartened, and it requires tact to lead them through the training station so that they will realize they have made no mistake in coming into the navy.
At training stations, all drill and instruction ceases at 3 p.m. and the last formation of the day is at 5 p. m., for supper.
Wednesday afternoon, Saturday, and on Sunday, after Divine service in the morning, the apprentice seamen are allowed boats for sailing or pulling excursions. This privilege for men from the interior of the country is considerable, and at the same time, gives instruction.
Apprentice seamen petty officers are allowed liberty on Wednesday p. m., Saturday and Sunday; the other apprentice seamen, Saturday and Sunday.
At the training stations, we are now getting the most remarkable results by a system of what might be called "concentrated drills." To illustrate this, I will give the routine of the drill period from 7.50 a. m.; to 9 a. m., known as the "Setting Up Period," which is done each day except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
At 7.50 the brigade is formed, under arms, presented, and the following evolutions take place, after having saluted the colors at 8 a. m., viz:
Brigade on line; distance taken to the front; arms grounded; step left; physical drill without music; take flags (small flags stowed in the leggings when not in use) ; semaphore drill, with music; return flags; step right; take arms; physical drill; with arms, to music; arms grounded; at ease; to straighten belts, etc., to rear assemble; manual of arms; all firings; squads right; change directions to the left; column of companies; right by sections; form company square, flankers left and right into line, double time; form company; companies left; companies right; squads right; companies column left; change direction to the left; companies left front into line, double time sections, right and left turn, double time (street riot) ; form company; form company square; form column of sections; squads left; sections, right front into line; column of companies; close in mass; take full distance; street column; form square; street column; column of companies; line of squads on ( ) squad; brigade, halt; as skirmishers; rally by squads; as skirmishers; rally by sections; as skirmishers; rally by company; as skirmishers; assemble by squads; assemble by companies; companies left, dismiss.
This period is a daily routine. It would be foolish to put recruits through the school of the battalion, or brigade, but the results obtained from this period in company, battalion, and brigade movements, from the mere force of habit, are remarkable for precision, and tactical correctness. The recruit, in exercising his legs, had better do tactical movements.
Excellent results have been gotten from "concentrated drill" with boats. After the men have been instructed individually in the boats, the boats moored head and stern in line, 16 of them, the drill begins; and together they perform everything that is done under oars; also step masts together; make sail together; shorten sail together; furl sail together; unstep masts together. This is proceeded with until finally the eight boats are sent out under oars and the eight weather boats under sail, odd or even numbered boats forming separate divisions and getting under way separately, for drill under sail.
As it is probable that we will always have life-boats ready for lowering, at training stations there are life-boats, fitted in all respects according to regulations, the gripes and other appliances for the boat having been made by the apprentice seamen; the apprentice seamen are exercised in the life-boat service; at a late inspection, life-boat crews from a division picked at random were able to pick up a dummy man, thrown into the water at some little distance from the boat, the life-boat was down, man picked up, and life-boat hoisted again in less than four minutes, the dummy man was properly placed in the boat, and the means for restoring apparently drowned applied.
In the matter of boats the apprentice seamen at training stations stand ready to compete with any boats' crews in the fleet, for good pulling, handling boats under sail, the boat habit, and with the life-boat, and upon several occasions the apprentice seamen have won out in regattas with general service men.
Frequent regattas are had in pulling and sailing, prizes for which are supplied by the ship's store.
Below is given a list of subjects arranged in order of the importance that a knowledge of each has in producing the desired results.
1st. Cleanly habits: the care of the person and the contents of bags and hammocks, necessitating frequent rigid inspections.
2d. Physical development; setting up drills. This is carried on as explained for the "setting up period."
3d. Qualifying on the target ranges with revolver and rifle, according to the firing regulations. If men go to ships in commission qualified in the firing regulations, much time is saved aboard these ships where the facilities for small-arms practice are few, and the opportunities for such practice not frequent.
Apprentice seamen who have displayed qualities on the target range that lead the instructors to believe they will make good gun pointers, have memorandums to that effect attached to their enlistment records. The commanding officer in fleet can thus try out these men for gun pointers, which might save considerable time.
4th. Seamanship: It matters not how great the changes in the class of ships shall be to meet the requirements of modern naval war, so long as ships shall fight at sea, we must have seamen. With the passing of spars and sails we have not lost the art of seamanship, but with the modern battleships we have added mechanical ability to the seaman's trade. Handling spars and sails was only a small part of the old seamanship. There will always
be what might now be called battleship seamanship which includes, conning, steering, compass, lead and log, both hand and patent, boats under oars, or sail, or power, lowering boats and life-boat work; marline spike seamanship, hitches and bends, handling hawsers and fasts, manipulating wire rope, carrying out anchors, ground tackle, purchases and tackles, rigging derricks, slinging stages, spreading, housing and furling awnings, etc., ship and sea habit.
5th. Signals: comprising all the codes in use in the navy. The semaphore is taught at setting up, where the man, using small flags, goes through the code to music, and also at divisional instruction. Young men are usually much interested in signalling, and find much pleasure in being proficient. They acquire this knowledge very quickly, and become very expert. Appliances for signalling are at the disposition of the apprentice seamen, at proper hours, day and night.
Apprentice seamen who show special aptitude for signalling are given a special course in signals, and are recommended on their enlistment records for detail to the signal corps.
6th. Ordnance: Lectures in the simplest form, upon kinds of powder used in the service, shells, fuses, guns, etc.
Company, battalion and brigade drills. Once a month, the brigade is exercised in "battle drill" with blank ammunition, a section of the artillery and its support being the enemy. At this drill, a field hospital is established, and the first aids to the wounded are applied.
The manual of guard duty is taught the apprentice seamen and it is found that the recruits for the naval service can be as quickly and as thoroughly taught the duty of sentries as men for any other branch of the service; guard is mounted each day, and the apprentice seaman can hold his own, in proficiency, in this duty with any military organization.
There is no sentry so zealous as a recruit, and to have our man-o-wars-men good sentries to do good duty on post, it is only necessary to continue in fleet what is done in this respect at training stations. It would soon become a routine duty for the sailor man, and be as well done as by the soldier. It is entirely a matter of training. The routine at training stations is given below:
5.15 a. m. Call officers on duty, bugle squad, chief of sections, and squad leaders.
5.30 " Reveille.
5.45 " Baths and scrub clothing.
6.40 " First call.
6.45 " Assembly (march to breakfast).
7.30 " Police houses, streets, and surrounding...
7.45 “ First call.
7.50 " Assembly.
7.55 " Adjutant's call (first period).
8.45 " Sick call.
9.00 " Second inspection of division houses and streets, or barracks, and reports of same.
9.15 " First call.
9.20 " Assembly and inspection of men by company commanders.
9.30 " Adjutant's call (second period).
9.45 “ Guard mount.
10.45 " Retreat from drill and reports to mast. Scrub clothing.
11.35 " First call.
11.40 " Assembly.
11.45 " Adjutant's call (march to dinner).
1:10 p.m. First call.
1.15 " Adjutants'. call (third period).
3.00 " Retreat, scrub clothing, and recreation.
4.35 " First call.
4.40 “ Assembly.
4.45 " Adjutant's call (march to supper).
5.50 " Swimming.
6.45 " First call.
6.50 “ Assembly (for muster).
8.55 “ First call.
9.00 " Tattoo.
9.05 " Taps.
It is found best not to compel apprentice seamen to scrub or wash clothes at any regular or routine hour, but to allow them to scrub and wash clothes at any time that does not interfere with drills and formations. The recruit knows that his bag must be ready for inspection at any time, and that clothes worn must be clean.
Oftentimes men turn out in the morning, and do not "feel up to scrubbing clothes, they may not feel well, and to be obliged to scrub clothes under such circumstances, particularly when you have not been used to such a thing, is liable to make the recruit shirk cleanliness.
The general mess system is employed at training stations, and commissary stores are established.
"ORDINARY SEAMEN FROM TRAINING STATIONS IN FLEET."
The object of the training service is to supply the fleet with fairly well trained men in the shortest possible time; to give such preliminary training at training stations as will avoid the delay in getting battleships ready for battle as would be caused if raw recruits were sent to the fleet. The present system of training has been in operation for the past five years, so that the results of the system should be apparent in fleet to-day. The writer is assured by commanding officers in fleet that these results are apparent, and that they are excellent. The training service effects the efficiency of the fleet by saving to the captain of a battleship, in getting his ship ready for battle, the time it would take this captain to raise the raw recruit to the standard attained at training stations. The fleet is part of the training system, and unless the preliminary training received by the recruits at training stations is continued in fleet the desired results (having finally able-bodied man-o-wars-men) will not be obtained.
The fleet is the best school for all concerned, from the commander-in-chief to the lowest rating of the enlisted force, and the battleship is the best training ship for recruits. If the conditions were such that 77 Per cent of our men were continuous service men, the battleship in fleet would be ideal for training purposes, the few recruits then aboard ship would make the question of training and instruction a very simple one, but with about 77 per cent of our men on their first enlistment, the battle fleet becomes a training fleet, and we get no permanent results because the personnel is continually changing. We no sooner make a trained man-o-wars-man than he leaves the service, and we have only to begin over again. It is so with many things in the navy. We progress to a certain stage, then, owing to present conditions, we have to begin over again. It is so with our tactical work. A flag officer brings his command to a certain stage of tactics, then leaves the fleet, another flag officer will come and begins anew with tactics. We are suffering from too frequent changes of flag officers in fleet, and too many recruits aboard our ships. We need flag officers with experience as such and continuous service enlisted men. Without these our fleet will ever be a training fleet, from the commander-in-chief down.
We know this to be a fact, but there is no systematic effort to change the condition, and I think it is because it is the business of no one in particular to do so, there is no head, no one to father reforms or changes for the better, particularly with reference to the enlisted force.
The Chief of Bureau of Navigation is unable to make changes to better conditions as far as the commissioned personnel is concerned, this requires legislation, but, with the enlisted personnel it is quite different, changes can be made and reforms instituted by changes in the regulations, but to do this it is necessary to have some one to father the subject, to study the requirements of the same, and to act (with proper authority).
At training stations every effort is made to develop the individuality of the recruit, and to impress upon him the military character of his business. Most of our recruits come from the West, middle West and lake regions, and represent, generally, a very important and intelligent class of our citizens. The pay of the enlisted force, with the possibilities of the future, makes it possible for the Navy Department, with its excellent system of recruiting, to compete successfully with civil institutions in getting our men, the question is, how after spending four years in educating the recruit, can we induce him to remain in the service.
It is for the Navy Department to thoroughly investigate the matter of the enlisted personnel, and to apply such means as will improve its condition, and it is the business of the fleet to so conduct the recruit through his first enlistment as to induce reenlistment.
Modern wars are short, the wars of the future may be shorter. There is no time to train recruits in time of war, the fleet must be manned by trained men to get the highest per cent of efficiency, and this can only be done by creating a large enough continuous service force, around which may revolve the corners and goers.
We find that about 77 per cent of the enlisted force are on their first enlistment, about 17 per cent on second enlistment, about 4 per cent on third enlistment, with the rest scattering. The number of our men who re-enlisted within four months of honorable discharge on continuous service certificates, in 1906, was 710, in 1907, it fell to 214, in 1908, it rose to 1150. This last increase was due chiefly to the opportunities offered by a cruise around the world, and to the bounty of $5.50 allowed for re-enlistment.
Theoretically, or on paper we have liberal and just retirement laws, but I think there are only about 50 men on the retired list after 30 years' service, and it can be shown that about two to three of these have spent the greater part of their service at shore stations. The problems of the enlisted personnel are not difficult, they need some one whose specific duty it is to look after them. The Bureau of Navigation has instituted many excellent reforms, but we need some capable officer in the Bureau of Navigation who should devote his energies, and his time to the study of the needs of the service, with reference to the enlisted force. No body of officers, or no officer, exists at the Navy Department with sufficient time, apart from his specific duties, to consider these problems or to work out any general plan for improvement, and to see that required measures are actually carried out. It is a fact that at present, the training service, and the enlisted personnel in general, is no one's particular business. The Bureau of Navigation has to do with the enlisted personnel, but it is most difficult, in fact impossible for the Chief of Bureau of Navigation to consider any detail of a policy, and the officer in charge of the office that has to do with enlisted force has not the time to handle such a matter. He is occupied with the detail of enlisted men, the recruiting service and the thousand and one details of his particular line of duty.
We have, at the Navy Department, officers with specific duties in every detail and branch of the service, excepting the enlisted personnel, and I submit that the question of creating a continuous service force is second in importance to no other question effecting the efficiency of the fleet.
Much has been written concerning the enlisted personnel, and many suggestions have been made as to how to encourage reenlistment, how lessen the number of desertions and how improve military character, etc., but there is no head to digest these suggestions with a view to having such of them as would add to the efficiency of the service put in force. We are serving in a military professional in a non-military country, which makes it particularly difficult to deal with the enlisted men to the advantage of the service, but if we wish to create a continuous service force, we must consider the demands of the American character, and the influence that our institutions have upon the character of our men. In foreign services particularly with the great military powers, there is a class of men who are content to remain subordinate enlisted men for all their lives, this class of men is acceptable and does comprise the enlisted force of foreign navies, but such a class in the United States, if it exists, is not acceptable to our navy. We must deal with men who are intelligent, ambitious and patriotic, according to American ideas and the American standard.
Many excellent reforms have been instituted in the past few years, and have had their effect in bettering the condition of the enlisted personnel, but these reforms have not been the result of a systematic study of the needs of the service, and generally they do not effect the service, as a whole.
With 77 per cent of our men on their first enlistment, and only about 4 per cent on their third enlistment, there is evidently something wrong. It would appear that we should apply a remedy at the third enlistment, but I submit that the matter requires investigation.
Though there is much that the Bureau of Navigation can do to improve conditions, there is much that can be done aboard ships in fleet under present conditions, and the question of how to handle the ordinary seamen from training stations to get desired results, becomes a very serious one and requires immediate study by the officers of the fleet. Most of our energies is spent in fleet in hitting the target, which without a doubt is the climax of our profession, but it would add greatly to gunnery efficiency if we could retain our gun pointers instead of forever having to create new ones.
It is found that the good results of the preliminary training received at training stations is evident in the ordinary seaman when he appears aboard the ships of the fleet, he is military in his manner and bearing, capable of taking care of his person and belongings, he is zealous and eager to learn more, he is well set up, and possesses an individuality that is the result of methods at training stations, but, after the ordinary seaman has been two or three Weeks aboard a ship of the fleet, he loses his individuality or identity, and becomes simply one of the ship's company, and learns only what he can pick up from the ship's routine. The ordinary seaman finds that the standard of petty officer aboard ships of the fleet, is far below what it is at training stations, that the petty officer does not amount to as much as he was led to believe, that there is no one to keep him in the strictly military line of his profession, his officers are not in the same close touch with him as they were at training stations, the influence of the personal interest in his behalf, so conspicuous at training stations, has disappeared, and unless he be a very strong character, he goes to leeward in his professional ambitions, and becomes simply one of many. It is claimed by officers of the fleet, that it is impossible with so many other things to do, to look after the particular interests of the ordinary seamen, but, it is absolutely necessary, if we wish to create a continuous service force from these ordinary seamen, that our officers, particularly divisional officers, be in the closest touch with them and the individual character of each ordinary seaman should be studied by his divisional officer with a view to learning the possibilities for continuous service of each and every one. Divisional officers have in their divisions representative men, of average intelligence and physique, yet you often hear divisional officers say, this or that man is "No good "; unless the man is an incorrigible, it is the duty and business of the divisional officer to make the man good, to devote his special energies to this particular man. The commanding officer should judge the incorrigible and deal with him. Though the officers in fleet may not be able to induce re-enlistment, they should so conduct the ordinary seaman that at the end of first enlistment he would be most desirable for re-enlistment, that the ordinary seaman from training stations should advance in professional knowledge and military character, instead of deteriorating.
"Trained Men Means Fleet Efficiency."