US Navy Recruit Training Command - Keel Yearbook (Great Lakes, IL)

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proving its many and varied training programs and facilities in order to keep pace with modern educational and technical advancements, and thus provide the highly trained and quali- fied personnel required to maintain and operate The greatest Navy the world has ever known. THE NEW CONCEPT OF RECRUIT TRAINING The recruit of today differs somewhat from his World War II counterpart. Today most of the men in recruit training are under twenty years of age. These men are young and impres- sionableg many of them are entering the Navy with definite intent to make the Navy their career. It is of importance to the Navy that these men get the best possible start in their new venture. The transition from civilian to military life must be smooth, indoctrination in the customs, traditions, and regu- lations of the service must be thorough, basic Navy knowledges and skills must be developed, pride in and love for the Navy must be carefully cultivated. Especially in time of peace must there be an increase in the emphasis placed on the mental, moral and social development of the individual. He must be led to a desire for self-improvement and advancement, a realization of his status in and importance to the Navy-a sense of belongingg and understanding of his place in a democracy as a sailor and a citizen-a fuller appreciation of the American way of lifeg the adoption, for himself, of high standards of responsibility, military performance and conduct. The Navyls stake in this enterprise is tremendous. From these men will come the petty oflicers, the warrant oilicers, and some of the officers of the Navy of the future. That Navy can be no better than its men. The goals set forth above are stated in terms of ideals, hence can never be fully realized. But it is in recruit training that progress toward these goals must begin. And continued progress, wherever these men may be through- out the Navy, will ultimately produce the strong, effective man- power required for the most powerful Navy in the world. Ziiiliiilliiliiiliiiliiill The information contained in this editorial, and in all other written presentations, features and captions appearing in this publication, was obtained from official United States Navy sources. The pictures illustrating this editorial are official United States Navy photographs. '- ' ' E-

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....L-ann, . by sea for the supply of all the armed services abroad. This problem seems to become more enormous and complex with each war. The Far Eastern operations are no exception as shown by the fact that the cargo discharged in that area has averaged more than sixty pounds per man per day. This is well above the World War II average of forty-four pounds per man per day in any theatre of operation. The tremendous and ever-in- creasing task of logistical supply to overseas bases will always remain a naval responsibility. SUPERIOR NAVAL STRENGTH Through all its varied components, the United States Navy exercises control of the seas and the coastal areas bounding them. All units of the fleet display unrivaled flexibility and mobility and, together, comprise a vast fighting potential- inimical to the interests of aggressive-minded nations-and a powerful safeguard of freedom. In measuring our own capabilities against a potential enemy, due appreciation must be taken of the factors of relative strength and weakness. We may, for example, find ourselves comparatively weak in manpower. We know happily that we -gwwi-nl 'A 'W 'P'v's W are superior in naval strength, which includes the strength of naval aviation. It is axiomatic that in preparing for any contest, it is wisest to exploit-not neglect-the elements in which we have superior strength. We must lead from strength-not from weakness. We should Accentuate The Positive. Thus it is that a policy which provides for balanced develop- ment and coordinated use of strong naval forces must be fos- tered if we are, within the foreseeable future, to meet the chal- lenge of arms of the forces which seem to oppose us. TRAINED NAVAL PERSONNEL The Navy's fighting ships and aircraft represent the results of America's most advanced scientific research and development. They are precision products of American ingenuity and indus- try. But scientific research, improved equipment, and new naval construction alone will not insure that the Navy can maintain its present World leadership. The need for highly trained and qualified personnel to man the ships and aircraft is now greater than ever. To meet this need, the Navy is constantly revising and im- if SQA

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REAR ADMIRAL E. P. FORRESTEL, U. S. NAVY Commandanf, Ninfh Naval Disfricf K VE? - :Ui ' 5uls'!::1- 'mx' CAPTAIN W. I.. HARMON U. S. NAVY Commander, Naval Training Center