Manual of Military Training Part 133

=1523. Military Deportment and Appearance.= The enlisted man is no longer a civilian but a soldier. He is, however, still a citizen of the United States and by becoming a soldier also he is in no way relieved of the responsibilities of a citizen; he has merely a.s.sumed in addition thereto the responsibilities of a soldier. For instance, if he should visit an adjoining town and become drunk and disorderly while in uniform, not only could he be arrested and tried by the civil authorities, but he could also be tried by the summary court at his post for conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. Indeed, his uniform is in no way whatsoever a license for him to do anything contrary to law and be protected by the government.

Being a soldier, he must conduct himself as such at all times, that he may be looked upon not only by his superior officers as a soldier, but also by the public as a man in every way worthy of the uniform of the American soldier.

Whether on or off duty, he should always look neat and clean, ever remembering that in bearing and in conversation he should be every inch a soldier--shoes must be clean and polished at all times; no chewing, spitting, gazing about, or raising of hands in ranks--he should know his drill, his orders and his duties--he should always be ready and willing to learn all he can about his profession--he should never debase himself with drink.

A soldier's uniform is more than a mere suit of clothes that is worn to hide nakedness and protect the body. The uniform of an army symbolizes its respectability, its honor, its traditions, and its achievements, just as the flag of a nation symbolizes its honor, dignity and history. Always remember this, and remember, too, that the soldier who brings reproach upon his uniform is in the same cla.s.s as the priest who brings dishonor upon his robes.

It is not given to every man to wear the uniform of his Country's army,--it is an honor and a privilege to do so, and no individual has a right to abuse this honor and privilege by bringing the uniform into disrepute through misbehavior.

It should be remembered that the soldiers of a command can make the uniform carry distinction and respect, or they can make it a thing to be derided.

The soldier should take pride in his uniform.

A soldier should be soldierly in dress, soldierly in carriage, soldierly in courtesies.

A civilian owes it to himself to be neat in dress. A soldier owes it to more than himself--he owes it to his comrades, to his company--he owes it to his country, for just so far as a soldier is slack so far does his company suffer; his shabbiness reflects first upon himself, then upon his company and finally upon the entire Army.

It is a fact known to students of human nature that just in proportion as a man is neatly and trimly dressed is he apt to conduct himself with like decency. The worst vagabonds in our communities are the tramps, with their dirty bodies and dirty clothes; the most brutal deeds in all history were those of the ragged, motley mobs of Paris in the days of the French Revolution; the first act of the mutineer has ever been to debase and deride his uniform.

The man who misbehaves himself in uniform in public creates a bad impression of the whole command, as a result of which his comrades must suffer. Remember that a man in the uniform of a soldier is conspicuous,--much more so than a civilian,--and consequently any misconduct on his part is more noticeable than if done in civilian clothes. The man who deliberately besmirches the uniform of his Country's army by appearing in public drunk or by other misconduct, not only fouls his own nest, but he also dishonors the uniform worn by his self-respecting comrades.

It is a well known fact that laxity in dress and negligence in military courtesy run hand in hand with laxity and negligence in almost everything else, and that is why we can always look for certain infallible symptoms in the individual dress, carriage and courtesies of soldiers.

_Should a soldier give care and attention to his dress?_

Yes; not only should a soldier be always neatly dressed, but he should also be properly dressed--that is, he should be dressed as required by regulations. A soldier should always be neat and trim, precise in dress and carriage and punctilious in salute. Under no circ.u.mstances should the blouse or overcoat be worn unb.u.t.toned, or the cap back or on the side of the head. His hair should be kept properly trimmed, his face clean shaven or beard trimmed and his shoes polished, his trousers pressed, the garrison belt accurately fitted to the waist so that it does not sag, his leggins cleaned, his bra.s.s letters, numbers and crossed rifles polished, and his white gloves immaculate.

_Should a man ever be allowed to leave the post on pa.s.s if not properly dressed?_

No; never. The Army Regulations require that chiefs of squads shall see that such members of their squads as have pa.s.ses leave the post in proper dress.

_Should a soldier ever stand or walk with his hands in his pockets?_

No; never. There is nothing more unmilitary than to see a soldier standing or walking with his hands in his pockets.

The real soldier always stands erect. He never slouches.

_Is it permissible, while in uniform, to wear picture b.u.t.tons, chains, watch charms, etc., exposed to view?_

No; it is not.

_May the campaign hat or any other parts of the uniform be worn with civilian dress?_

No; this is prohibited by the Uniform Regulations, which especially states that when the civilian dress is worn it will not be accompanied by any mark or part of the uniform.

_May a mixed uniform be worn--for example, a cotton olive drab at and woolen olive drab breeches?_

No; under no circ.u.mstances.

When the company commander or any other officer sends for a soldier to report to him in the company office or any other place, the soldier must report in proper uniform.

=1524. Obedience.= _What is Obedience?_ It is compliance with everything that is required by authority--it is the mainspring, the very soul and essence of all military duty. It is said a famous general once remarked every soldier should know three things--"First, _obedience_; second, _obedience_; third, _obedience_."

Cheerful, earnest and loyal obedience must be paid by all subordinates to the orders of their superiors.

_A soldier should obey first and if aggrieved complain afterward._

All duty should be performed cheerfully and willingly. Soldiers are sometimes required to perform duties that are not pleasant--for instance, doing guard duty on a cold, rainy night, when tired and sleepy; digging ditches or cleaning up dirt and filth that have acc.u.mulated around the barracks, kitchens, quarters, etc., scrubbing floors, polishing stoves, cleaning knives, forks, pots, etc. However, by doing everything required of him in a cheerful manner, a soldier will soon earn the respect of his comrades and the commendation of his officers.

=1525. Respect and Obedience to Noncommissioned Officers.= In the orders and directions that they give, company noncommissioned officers represent the company commander, and they must be obeyed and respected at all times and under all circ.u.mstances.

Orders and regulations require that men respect and obey their noncommissioned officers, and discipline makes it imperative that they do so.

It is not for a private to question in any way the fairness, justice, propriety or wisdom of an order received from a noncommissioned officer. When ordered by a noncommissioned officer to do a thing, whatever it may be, do it promptly and thoroughly, and then if you feel that you have been injured in any way, report the matter to your company commander, who will see that you receive justice. If the noncommissioned officer made a mistake, exceeded his authority, or treated you unfairly, he will be punished by the company commander.

The company commander, and not the privates of the company, is to judge the conduct of his noncommissioned officers, who are directly responsible to him for every act of theirs.

If every subordinate were to question the fairness, justice, propriety or wisdom of orders received from noncommissioned officers or other superiors, there would be no discipline, and the Army would soon degenerate into a mob.

Remember, a soldier is supposed to obey _first_, and, if aggrieved, complain _afterward_.

And remember, too, that the authority of noncommissioned officers is not confined to the drill ground, the barracks and the post or camp.

Whether you are on pa.s.s, in a theatre, in a streetcar, on a train on the street or anywhere else, if you receive an order from a noncommissioned officer you are to obey it just the same as if it were given you at drill or in barracks.

=1526. Forms of Speech.= In speaking to an officer it is not proper for a soldier to say, "You, etc.," but the third person should always be used, as, for example, "_Does the captain want his horse this morning?_"--do not say, "Do you want your horse this morning?" "The lieutenant is wanted on the 'phone,"--not "You are wanted on the 'phone."

In beginning a conversation with an officer, a soldier should use the third person in referring to himself instead of the p.r.o.nouns "I" and "me." However, after the conversation has commenced, it is perfectly proper, and usual, for the soldier to use the p.r.o.nouns "I" and "me,"

but an officer is _always_ addressed in the third person and never as "you."

In speaking to an officer, an enlisted man should refer to another enlisted man by proper t.i.tle, as, "_Sergeant Richards_," "_Corporal Smith_," "_Private Wilson_."

Privates and others should always address noncommissioned officers by their t.i.tles. For example, "_Sergeant Smith_," "_Corporal Jones_,"

etc., and not "_Smith_," "_Jones_," etc.

When asked his name, a soldier should answer, for instance, "_Private Jones, Sir_."

When given an order or instructions of any kind by an officer, or noncommissioned officer, a soldier should always say, "_Yes, sir_,"

thus letting the officer or noncommissioned officer know that the soldier understands the order or instructions. Don't say, "Very well, sir," or "All right, sir"; say, "_Yes, sir_," it's the direct, military way of answering.

Short direct answers should be made in the form of, "_No, sir_,"

"_Yes, sir_," "_I don't know, sir_," "_I will try, sir_," etc.

Do not use slang in speaking to an officer.

Never interrupt an officer while he is speaking. Always wait until he is through talking before you begin to speak.

After a soldier has finished a thing that he was ordered to do, he should always report to the officer who gave him the order. For example, "The captain's message to Lieutenant Smith has been delivered."

If ordered to report to an officer for any purpose, do not go away without first ascertaining if the officer is through with you, as it often happens he has something else he would like to have you do.

After having finished the work given in the beginning, report, for instance, "_Sir, is the captain through with me?_"