US Naval Training Center - Compass Yearbook (Bainbridge, MD)

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,,,,, , , .. way. O O O History ofthe The U. S. Naval Training Cenler, Bainbridge, Maryland, 'firsl came info being when fhe Presidenl of l'he Uniled Slales, Franklin Delano Roosevell, approved lhe sile and 'rhe purchase of 'rhe land and buildings from lhe Jacob Tome lnslilule in early I942. This properly, consisfing of aboul 330 acres wilh buildings of lhe Tome School for boys localed lhereon, was enlarged by lhe purchase of adiacenl parcels of land, and lhe conslruclion of over 500 addilional buildings, which broughl lhe 'lolal area of Bainbridge lo I,I32 acres. Bainbridge is localed on high rolling land begin- The beginning of our Navy life uuul Training ning al lhe 'lop of an escarpmenl' overlooking 'lhe small river I'own of Porl Deposi'I', Maryland, on 'Ihe norfheasl' bank of lhe Susquehanna River. The res- ervalion is 35 miles norlheasl' of Ballimore, be- lween U. S. Roules I and 40, and approximalely 75 miles from Washinglon and Philadelphia. The acl'iviI'y, being localed near lhe cenler of lhe Al'- Ianlic Seaboard, is under 'I'he mililary command and coordinalion conlrol of l'he Commandanl, FIFTH Naval Dislricl, whose headquarlers are in Norfolk, Virginia. Presidenl Roosevell named 'I'he Training Cenler Bainbridge for Commodore William Bainbridge, commander of lhe famous frigale CONSTITU- TlON which was immorlalized in fhe poem Old lronsides . In naming lhe Cenler for Commodore Bainbridge lhe Presidenl, il' is underslood, crediled him as a founder of lhe firsl Naval Training School, and expressed 'rhe wish l'ha'r lhe slandards firsl' eslablished by lhe Commodore would be carried on by lhe acfivily bearing his name. There is no queslion +ha+ Bainbridge has more lhan lived up lo Presidenr RooseveI+'s wish. The Bainbridge Training Cen'I'er was firsl ac'l'i- valed on Oclober I, I942, and len days laler was in operafion lraining lhe newly arrived recruils. A+

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A mill, NES X COMMANDER GEORGE P. SOTOSI U. S. NAVY Executive Officer Recruit Training Command Comwmuosn ozone: P. soros, u.s.N., became the Executive Olticer of the Recruit Training Com- mand in March 1951. Previously, he had been Military Training Officer of the Recruit Training Command at the U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois. While a student at the University of Chicago In 1940, he entered the naval servlce through the V-7 Midshipmen program, and received his first commlsslon In early 1941. Subsequently, he served afloat In the USS NITRO, USS PC-476, USS PC-451, USS WILLIS, USS THOMAS J. GARY and USS COLONIAL, In various capacltles ranging 1 4 NM! ff l p . ,.,. from Head of Department to Command responsi- bilities: and ashore under Instruction at several U.S. Naval Schools and training establishments. During World War II, Commander Sotos was the Gunnery Officer and, later, the Executive Officer of the destroyer escort USS WILLIS which operated as a unlt of an antl-submarine Killer Group in the Atlantlc Ocean area. The Task Unlt to which the USS WILLIS was attached was awarded the Presldentlal Unlt Cltatlon for outstanding often. sive operations against the enemy In which a total of elght enemy submarines, Including a Jap. anese cargo submarine, were sunk. X M E I .W .H

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' ,.lQ...4ns... Center at Bainbridge, Maryland fhe conclusion of hosfilifies on V-J Day, Augusf I4, l945, fhe Recruil' Training Command had lrained a lofal of 244,277 recruifs lo man l'he ships and far flung bases of our warfime Navy. In addifion, fhe Service School Command had lfrained and graduafed 24,484 men in fechnical rafings. From Augusf l945 'lo June l947h'l'he 'lraining acfivifies of fhe Cen'l'er decreased due fo posf-war condi- fions and l'he evenfual reducfion in fhe sfrengfh of fhe Navy. On June 30, I947 Bainbridge was de- acfivafed as a Training Cenfer, alfhough 'l'he Naval Preparafory School confinued fo operafe unfil il' was fransferred fo Newporf, R. I. in Ocfober of I949. Bainbridge, fhen, became a ghosl' l'own sfaffed wifh only a small Adminisfrafive and Se- curil'y Unif fo profecf fhe buildings from fire and l'he ever-mounfing ravages of fime and weafher. In fhe summer of I950, when fhe KOREAN crisis once more made il' evidenl' fhal' a large Navy is vifal fo our na'lion's defense, plans were formulafed fo reacfivafe fhe Bainbridge Training Cenfer fo pro- vide fhe needed inpuf of frained men fo man our rapidly expanding fleef and shore bases. Accord- ingly, on February I, I95I, fhe U.S. Naval Training Cenfer, Bainbridge, Maryland was reac'l'ival'ed and Capfain Roberl Hall Smifh, U.S.N. assumed com- mand of fhe Cenl'er in a brief buf impressive cere- mony. The Cenfer Commander and his small sfaff of officers and men found 'lhe vasf Cenfer fo be in a pafhefic sfafe of disrepair. The femporary build- ings in parficular, long unused and unheafed, were in need of exfensive repairs, replacemenl' ifems, and refurbishment A confracf fo resfore fhese build- ings, and fhe areas in general, 'ro fheir former use was awarded 'l'o fhe Consolidafed Engineering Headquarters, Recruit Training Command ..-A .