THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1951
i
'
0
---ervists
Lead
ual
Life
Drat krobles Solved
For 'Week-End Warriors'
[I
A slight change of clothing and
location make all the difference in
the world for University students
who are organized Naval Air Re-
servistsi drilling at Grosse Ile once
a month.
Average raiseis and BMOC un-
dergo a complete metamorphosis
when they become part of the
42,000 Week-end Warriors in the
country who spend a few days
each month maintaining their
World War II combat efficiency or
learning the skills necessary to fly-
ing and servicing an aircraft car-
rier squadron.
AND THE WEEK-END is not a
lost one, from the ever-important
financial angle, either. Reservists
receive regular iavy pay for their
time spent at drills.
These student-reservists who
were the butt of many. "sailor
boy" and "week-end salt" jokes
in more peaceful times now have
the laugh on wisecracking
friends who are very eligible for
the draft after the end of the,
semester.
Of course reserve squadrons will
be activated eventually, but re-
servists may be around enjoying
the comforts of a certain Liberty
St. tavern and the frigid frenzy of
TRAFFIC COP-Seaman Recruit Dan Jackson, '52, splits his
weekend time between attending boot school and working in the
station's control tower directing runway traffic.
PRE-FLIGHT--Lt. jg Andrew Smith, '51A, plots a cross-country
flight by consulting the master map. Besides tactics, gunnery and
orientation flights, week-end pilots are sometimes e; d on to ferry
aircraft to distant points in the country.
PRESSING WORK-Airman Ray Wilkinson, '53E, makes a knee
writing pad for his squadron's pilots in the Station metalshop.
Wilkinson finds the practical work on drill week ends supplements
his class work at the University.
1-1 ft**nl --' ' - ,
football Saturdays after civilian
students have written their finals
and received their summons.
To date, one Navy reserve unit
has left Grose Ile, and two Marine
squadrons.
UNIVERSITY student reservists
perform a variety of tasks while
"aboard" the station for the week-
end. A few are fliers, piloting the
Navy's speedy Corsairs and Mar-
tin Maulers.
The island station recently re-
ceived six Phantom jets, and af-
ter the necessary 20 hours of
ground school, week-enders are
taking that big solo step :Into
single-place combat jets, with-
out the training in two place
jets.
The pilots fly cross country ori-
entation hops in addition to hours
of formation, tactics, and strafing
and bombing over the firing range
on Lake Erie.
* * *
ENLISTED MEN in the reserve
squadrons are expected to main-
tain high availability of planes for
the pilots, which means replacing
motors and making all repairs be-
sides gassing and oiling the planes
after every flight and warming
them up before the squadron takes
off.
Beginning as seamen recruits
when they sign up, enlisted men
are given six weekends of boot
training to familiarize them with
Navy regulations and procedures.
Most of the rated men are vet-
erans of World War II.
After completing boot school, re-
cruits are allowed to select the
type of work they wish to do, and
are placed in that department, re-
ceiving training from petty offi-
cers. There is a wide variety of
choices, ranging from the typing
and secretarial work of the yeo-
man to aviation mechanio or
weatherman.
ORGANIZED reservists also
complete a two week summer
"cruise" during the summer, which
may either consist of flight opera-
tions from an aircraft carrier or
from their home base or another
naval air station.
During these two weeks the
squadron performs highly in-
tensified maneuvers, including
much night flying. The cruise
serves the function of integrat-
ing the officers and men into
the close-working unit necessary
for efficient carrier work.
At present, men over 17 who
can qualify physically and who
haven't been classified 1-A may
sign up in the Voluntary Reserve,
and be tentatively assigned to a
reserve squadron.
These volunteer reservists, if
they attend drills regularly, may
become active reservists by filling
vacancies created in squadrons by
men being drafted or volunteering
for active duty.
Naval reservists can be drafted,
if they fail to attend 90 per cent of
their weekend drills. They are re-
ported to their draft boards and
may be called like anyone else.
Chances for promotion are regu-
lar, but the jump from enlisted
ranks to commissioned officer
usually requires a college degree.
Reservists also earn retirement
points in completing their sche-
duled drills, and can qualify for a
pension at the ageof 60 with 20
years of reserve duty.
Add to these advantages flying
trips to cities around the country,
and the chance of a weekend of
relaxation and dryness when the
rainy season descends on Ann Ar-
bor, and it's easy to see why many
students are joining the Naval Air
Reserve.
A
DAILY
PHOTO
FEATURE
x..
I
t.
I
A
4
4.
i~
LINK-TIME-Lt. jg Ted Herman, '51, checks over some last minute
points with Lt. jg Charles Meyers, '52E, before Meyers pulls the
hood over his Link Trainer and practices some blind flying. On
rainy week ends the pilots log Link time and attend ground school
to keep up on the latest developments in Naval Aviation.
TEAMWORK-Airman Apprentice Paul Sullivan, '52, hands a
newly made knee pad to varsity wrestling captain Lt. jg Bud
Holcombe, '53E, as he climbs into the cockpit of a' Phantom jet..
Their squadron is still flying Corsairs, but pilots are being changed
over to jets after necessary ground training.
F
II
7.
y
I
jll j
..........