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

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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 .

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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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Company of Baliimore, and soon large crews of carpenfers, eleciricians, plumbers and hundreds of o1'her craffsmen and helpers were busily engaged in lhe rehabiliraiion work. In fhe succeeding weeks lhe progress of rehabilifarion was so rapid +ha'r The +arge+ dare for +he commencemeni of recrui+ iraining was moved ahead, and on April 5, I95I ihe firsl' recruifs reporfed aboard for rraining. The original inpuf of 500 recruirs per week was soon siepped up +o I000 per week and confinued ai fhai' rare. On June 23, l95I approximalely 500 recruils complefed iheir eleven week course of basic fraining. Every week 'I'hereaHer 'lhe number of re- crui'I's complefing 'lheir iraining are in direci' pro- poriion fo fhe currenf scheduled weekly inpu+. The U.S. Naval Training Cenrer, Bainbridge, Maryland, under rhe command of 1'he Cenler Com- mander, acfually consisfs of four subordinafe ac- 'rivi+ies, each under a Commanding Officer. These acfivifies are: The U.S. Naval Adminisfrafive Com- mand, rhe Recruii' Training Command, The Service School Command, and fhe U.S. Naval Hospiial. The Adminisfrarive Command serves as ihe sfaff of ihe Cenfer Commander in his direclion and ad- minisfraiion of +he o+her subordinaie commands, and performs for him all rhe adminisfrarive, op- erafional and logisfic 'funcfions nor specifically as- signed +o orher commands. These various 'funcrions include securify, fire profecfion, supply, disbursing, commissary, Navy Exchange, personnel and religious adminisirarion, medical and denial care, mainre- nance and repair, iransporrafion, communicarions and o+her viral services esseniial +o +he eFFicien+ and effecfive operarion of a communiiy 'rofaling ap- proximaiely 35,000 persons. A componeni' acfiviiy of fhe Adminis+ra+ive Command is ihe Denial Tech- nicians School whose mission is 'ro provide recruiis and fleef personnel wilh fhe fechnical knowledge and fraining required ro develop denial rechnicians for du+y wirh ihe fleef and shore based forces. The Recruir Training Command, rhe largesf of 'I'he four subordinafe commands, is responsible for +he Headquarters, Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Md.