Navy Recruitment

From the frigate under sail to the submarine powered by nuclear energy, and from the smooth-bore cannon to the guided missile, technological advances have in no way altered the fact that the heart of the Navy is the trained sailor; officer and enlisted man. However, the Bureau system, adopted in 1842 as the basis for the organization of the Navy Department, was singularly lacking in any specific provision for providing trained sailors for the Navy. At that time it was still the practice for the captain of the ship to recruit the crew locally and usually for only the forthcoming cruise. It was the responsibility of the Secretary of the Navy himself to handle the appointment, assignment to duty, and promotion of officers.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, the task of providing personnel, both officer and enlisted, became much more complicated than it had been before.

During World War I, all of the incitements were put on display with poster slogans such as “America Calls,” “I Want You for the US Navy,” “Follow the Flag” and “Come Along, Learn Something, See Something.” Images could be a powerful factor as well with soldiers holding a cross, Uncle Sam pointing a finger at you, or lady liberty shaking a hand. On March 19, 1917, the Navy officially authorized the enlistment of women with the Naval Reserve Act, which allowed for enlistment of qualified “persons” for service, without mention of gender. The influx of women in the service was meant to help alleviate a projected shortage of clerical workers as World War I began.

Naval aviation developed tremendously after World War I, with the result that the Naval Academy was unable to meet all Navy and Marine Corps needs for aviators. A Naval Aviation Cadet Training Program was, therefore, established as part of the Naval Reserve system for training naval aviators at government expense

At the outbreak of World War II, the procurement of enlisted personnel was following lines that had become traditional in the recruiting of men for the Navy. Recruiting stations were located in the principal seaports and other large cities of the United States; usually in post office buildings.