Military Instructors Manual Part 41

9. OFFICER OF THE GUARD.--Faces about and commands: "Prepare for inspection."

10. ADJUTANT (after the inspection is ended, and after posting himself 30 paces in front of and facing center of the guard--at the same time the new Officer of the Day takes position about 30 paces behind the Adjutant, facing the guard, and with the old officer of the day 1 pace in rear and 3 paces to the right): 1. Parade; 2. Rest; 3. Sound off.

(The band, playing pa.s.ses in front of the Officer of the Guard to the left of the line, returns to its post and ceases to play.) 1. Guard; 2. Attention; 3. Close ranks; 4. March. (As in the School of the Company.) 1. Present; 2. Arms. He then faces the new officer of the day, salutes, and reports: "Sir, the guard is formed."

11. NEW OFFICER OF THE DAY (returning salute): "March the guard in review, sir."

12. ADJUTANT.--He carries saber, faces about, brings the guard to the order and commands: "1. At trail, platoons right; 2. March; 3. Guard; 4. Halt." The band takes post 12 paces in front of the first platoon, the Adjutant 6 paces from the flank and abreast of the Commander of the Guard, and the Sergeant Major 6 paces from the flank of the second platoon. Adjutant commands: "1. Pa.s.s in review; 2. Forward; 3. March."

13. COMMANDER OF THE GUARD (as the guard reaches a position 6 paces from the Officer of the Day): 1. Eyes; 2. Right; (at 6 paces beyond the Officer of the Day) 3. Front.

At 12 paces beyond the Officer of the Day the Adjutant and the Sergeant-Major halt, salute and retire.

14. COMMANDER OF THE GUARD (as the Adjutant and the Sergeant Major retire): 1. Platoons, right by squads; 2. March. The guard is then marched to its post; the old guard is then relieved and sentinels posted according to the principles laid down in the Manual of Interior Guard Duty. (See diagrams at the end of this chapter.)

GUARD DUTY IN THE TRENCHES.--It differs from guard duty as we are accustomed to it. The challenge is not "Who is there?" but rather a sudden and imperative "Hands up." The party challenged throws up his hands and gives the countersign in a low voice. Sentinels are posted in the front line and in the line of dugouts, one at each entrance to a dugout to give immediate warning. Watchers are posted at places having a good range of view; at night they keep watch over the parapets rather than through the loopholes since the latter afford only a narrow range of view. Auto riflemen (6 or 7 to a post) are used as watchers, one being on duty at a time. They should have a favorable background to provide concealment.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 14]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 14A.]

CHAPTER 13.

Company Administration.

Company administration is a very broad subject and can be really learned only by experience. However, this chapter will attempt to point out a few suggestions and practices that may prove of some a.s.sistance, particularly to the new officer. We shall treat briefly of the first organization of the company; then we shall try to reproduce in some slight measure the actual work of a day in camp (more particularly of a training camp such as Plattsburg); then finally we shall treat of the orderly room and some of the problems that come up in army paper work.

Notes on Organization.

(By MAJOR W.H. WALDRON, Twenty-Ninth Infantry.)

1. PREPARE IN ADVANCE TO RECEIVE MEN a.s.sIGNED TO COMPANY.

(a) Detail one of the Lieutenants in charge of the company mess.

DUTIES.--Secure the necessary kitchen and dining room equipment and prepare everything to start the mess; make up a bill-of-fare for a week based on the ration components and supplies available; secure the rations and issue them to the cooks daily. Train a mess Sergeant in the duties that fall to him. In fine, this Lieutenant will have complete charge of the company mess, the cooking, and serving of the meals, training of cooks and men detailed for duty in connection with the mess.

(b) Detail the other Lieutenant in charge of property.

DUTIES.--Procure all the articles of individual and company equipment from the Regimental Supply Officer. Get into the company storeroom and prepare it for issue. Train the Company Supply Sergeant in the duties that will fall to him.

(c) This leaves the Company Commander free to organize the orderly room and make the necessary preparations to receive the men as they report.

IF IN CANTONMENT.--Lay out the quarters into platoon sections and subdivide these into squads, allowing s.p.a.ce for platoon leaders and guides. Starting at the end of the quarters plainly mark each squad section, 8 beds, four on each side of the aisle with the number of the squad--first squad, second squad, etc.

IF IN TENTS.--Number the tents, one for each squad, leaving two tents in the center for platoon leaders, guides, etc. Prepare a sheet having a s.p.a.ce for each squad, large enough to enter eight names in it.

Prepare a measuring post where the men can be measured for height as they report.

2. MEN REPORTING:

(a) When the men arrive they will be sent to Regimental Headquarters direct. There they will receive their a.s.signment to a company. When so a.s.signed they will be directed to join the company.

(b) A table on which is spread the squad a.s.signment sheet is located at the head of the company street. Nearby is located the measuring post. When a man reports, look him over, receive him in the company, make him feel at home. Make him feel that he is welcome. This little act will pay you large dividends in contentment and company _esprit de corps_ later on. Turn him over to the man in charge of the measuring post to get his height. a.s.sign him to a squad corresponding to his height. Enter his name in the squad s.p.a.ce to which he is a.s.signed and send him to the section of the cantonment designated for that particular squad. Detail a few of the first men who report for duty to a.s.sist in this work.

Say you have 16 squads. They will run in height about as follows:

1st squad, over 6 feet; 2nd, 6 feet; 3rd, 6 feet; 4th, 5 feet 11 inches; 5th, 5 feet 11 inches; 6th, 5 feet 10 inches; 7th, 5 feet 10 inches; 8th, 5 feet 9 inches; 9th, 5 feet 9 inches; 10th, 5 feet 8 inches; 11th, 5 feet 8 inches; 12th, 5 feet 7 inches; 13th, 5 feet 7 inches; 14th, 5 feet 6 inches; 15th, 5 feet 6 inches; 16th, 5 feet 5 inches. If there are more squads put them in the 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 9 inches cla.s.s.

(c) As soon as practicable place one member of the squad in charge for the ensuing 24 hours, change this detail every day until every man of the squad has had an opportunity to demonstrate his ability. This will a.s.sist you greatly in the selection of your non-commissioned officers.

(d) Should the entire company be a.s.signed in a body, line them up in a row according to height and a.s.sign them to squads. Place the most likely looking man in each squad in charge for the time being.

3. ISSUE OF EQUIPMENT:

(a) The articles of camp equipment, bedding and poncho should be issued as soon as practicable. These are necessary for the immediate comfort of the men.

(b) Hold the articles of personal equipment for issue later on. Do not dump the entire equipment on a man all at once. There is nine-tenths of it that he knows nothing about. He does not know what it is for. As the training progresses you can issue it to him, an article or two at a time until he has finally gotten all of it. Before issuing an article, explain at a company formation, what it is for, the purpose it serves and where it is carried.

(c) Uniforms and clothing should be procured as soon as practicable.

The commanding officer will indicate whether or not the clothing will be requisitioned for in bulk or on individual clothing slips. The supply officer will provide a quartermaster publication which shows the sizes of clothing by the numbers. Seek out a couple of tailors in the company, have them measure the men and make a record of the sizes of clothing that they require. Shoes will have to be fitted to each man. Make them large enough. The average recruit will want to wear a shoe at least one size too small for him. When he gets the pack on and drags it around all day his feet will swell and fill his small shoes to the bursting point. Do not let the men decide what size shoes they will wear; you decide it for them and make them plenty big. This work of measuring the men can be started right out the first day. The captain that gets in his requisition first, properly made out, will be the first to get his clothing.

4. ORGANIZATION:

(a) As soon as practicable get the company organized into permanent squads. Try out squad leaders for a few days. You will soon be able to select the men that you will want for non-commissioned officers. Be careful in their selection so that you will not have to make many changes. Don't be in too much of a hurry about making sergeants; try them out as corporals first. Try to get a good man and start him in as mess sergeant. A man with hotel experience, especially the kitchen and dining room end of the business, give him a trial. Your lieutenant in charge of the mess can tell in a day or two how he stacks up. Make it plain that the men detailed from day to day are merely acting non-commissioned officers and that you are merely placing them in charge to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their ability. It's better to work this proposition out in a systematic manner than it is to jump in and make a lot of non-commissioned officers that you will have to break later on to make way for better men.

Give your acting non-commissioned officers all the responsibility you can. a.s.sign tasks with their squads and see how they get away with it.

(b) At one of the first formations explain the rules of camp sanitation and personal cleanliness and the necessity for their strict observance.

(c) Start right out with a system of rigid inspections so that the men will acquire habits of cleanliness and tidiness of their surroundings.

Once this is acquired it is easily maintained. The reverse of this statement is equally true. Let a company get started in a slovenly, untidy manner and it is difficult to get it back on the right track again.

(d) As soon as uniforms are issued have every man dispose of his civilian clothing, dress suit cases, trunks, etc. There is no place for them in the cantonments or tents. Strip right down to uniforms and allow no civilian clothing around.

(e) Before issuing rifles provide places for their safe keeping in cantonments. If wooden trunks are used, a wire staple driven into the upright of the bed at the height of the slacking swivel forms an excellent support; simply hook the slacking swivel into the staple.

(f) Get every man interested in the company. Be personally interested in every man yourself. Do not permit any swearing at the men or around the barracks. Explain the idea of military courtesy and the salute and insist on its being carried out at all times. By doing all of these things and systematizing your work of training and instruction right from the start you lay the foundation for a "good company." Fifteen good companies make a "good regiment" and so on up to the division, and that's what we want "good divisions"--the basis of which lies in the "good company" which you are going to command.

DAY'S ROUTINE.--The day's routine will soon develop and cannot be a stereotyped thing. It will be determined to a large extent by local conditions. But in all training camps some such model as the following will no doubt be followed:

REVEILLE: First call, 5.30 a.m.

March, 5.40 a.m.

a.s.sembly, 5.45 a.m.