the inspector cannot examine an organization in everything it should
know; he must choose certain things and judge from those of the
training of the company or regiment.
In making this choice the relative importance of the subjects must be
kept in mind. Of course every company must be tried out in the combat
exercises and in all the things that should be made fixed habits.
It is of equal importance that no stress be laid on non-essentials.
For the rest, he should select certain important things which every
company should know and inspect it thoroughly as to its proficiency
in those, examining the various companies at a post in different
subjects so that a captain would feel that anything in the whole
course might fall to his lot from properly making the pack to
establishing an outpost at night.
The inspector should make free use of the war game map, tactical
walks and every other recognized means of instruction to find out how
well the officers and men of the regiment are instructed and what
class of work each organization is doing.
In order to be fair to the organizations inspected the annual
inspection should be made late in the season. It should never be made
before the officers have had a fair show to instruct their commands.
[Sidenote: Company examination]
[Sidenote: Battalion examination]
The above inspection by an officer of the Inspector General’s
Department should not, however, be the only one. At the close of
each period of training there should be an examination of the
organizations on the work they are supposed to have done. The last
of March or first of April the field officers of the regiment, as a
board, should examine the companies on the results of their winter’s
work; a similar examination should be made at the close of the
period of company field training. When the battalions have finished
their period of field training the colonel and lieutenant colonel
should form the board to examine them. If the brigade commander be
thoroughly posted on all matters pertaining to infantry training
his presence at the examinations and careful supervision of the
work cannot fail to be very beneficial. His supervision should not,
however, lead to restriction of the proper latitude which should
be allowed subordinates; his mission should be to see that the
instruction given is correct and that the whole course has been
satisfactorily covered.
[Sidenote: National guard inspection]
The same general principles apply to the inspection of national guard
organizations. If anything is found wrong with them the inspector
should not keep silent at the time and content himself with rendering
later an adverse written report; he should tell the officer being
inspected what is wrong and take pains to show him how to correct the
error. A helping hand, offered in the right spirit, will always be
appreciated.
X
TRAINING A NEW REGIMENT
[Sidenote: Need for quick training]
In this country we are liable to have the necessity forced upon us of
turning out troops in the shortest possible time. We shall have to
use troops not fully trained; we shall have to employ them as soon as
they can be used at all. Of course this system will be frightfully
costly in blood and money. In war imperfectly trained troops must pay
with their lives for all mistakes. The better trained they are, the
fewer mistakes, the more skill they possess the more cheaply can any
desired result be obtained.
It is the duty of all officers who may be charged with the
responsibility of preparing this mass of untrained men for war
service to give the subject careful thought, to study the question
carefully and to be prepared on short notice to take charge of such
work and produce the best results possible in the shortest time.
Success in this hurried training can only be secured if the man
in charge thoroughly appreciates his task and follows out a well
prepared and systematic course.
There are three phases of the problem: Our regular regiments must be
raised from a strength of about 65 men per company to nearly 150.
The national guard regiments, less well prepared, will have, as a
rule, to stand a still greater increase of new men, and there will be
hundreds of entirely new regiments to be raised.
[Sidenote: The commander]
In outlining or suggesting a possible course to be pursued in
such cases let us take the new regiment. The regiment must first
be enlisted, organized and equipped. This first step will not be
considered further than to say that in its organization it is
absolutely necessary that its commander be an active, competent
officer, one who can train it and prepare it for its work. In no
other way can the regiment be prepared to do anything within a
reasonable time.
To appoint an incompetent commander to such a regiment would cost
many lives, would be a crime closely resembling murder in the second
degree.
An effort should be made in every new regiment to have a reasonable
number of subordinates competent to act as instructors.
[Sidenote: General principles of training]
Under modern conditions there is a minimum amount of training that is
absolutely necessary before an organization can be put in the field.
The number of men lost to an organization from disease depends on how
well the men are trained in caring for themselves and how well the
officers do their part.
Time is the all important element; we must have these organizations
in such shape that they can be used as quickly as possible and be as
nearly good as possible. Of course they will constantly improve in
the field and become excellent, but they will have to be used before
that state is reached. The occasion for organizing such regiments
will only arise in case of great national danger, when the utmost
can be demanded of all. Hours of work should then be all that can be
profitably employed. Most of the recruits will be men accustomed to
at least eight hours work a day.
All that has been said previously as to variety in the work, keeping
up the men’s interest, explaining and giving the reasons for things
done, applies even more to a new volunteer regiment than to our
regular companies. Essentials only must be taught at first, bearing
in mind that discipline is most essential and the use that can be
made of close order drill in obtaining it. Those things that should
be a habit must be drilled carefully and frequently. Other essentials
may be hurried through for the first time, to give the men the best
general idea possible in the shortest time, and then repeated and
perfected as time and opportunity offer.
As a rule our men will be intelligent and quick to learn. Every
little taught them, if they have understood the reason for it, will
help them to do what is required even if their instruction is not
complete. With such volunteers much instruction should be given not
as a drill but as a sort of lecture or talk. The average American
works better when he knows the why and the wherefore. Remember
how different are his new life and surroundings from what he is
accustomed to and how very little the average American knows of an
army and how much of that little is not so.
In submitting a proposed schedule of training it is fully appreciated
that conditions will vary greatly and any schedule must be suited to
conditions as they exist; it is doubtful if the one here proposed
would ever exactly fit. It is only offered as a possible help.
It is assumed that the colonel is thoroughly competent and that there
are several men in the command with some military training, such as
ex-regulars and national guardsmen and those who have had training
in a college battalion. This latter assumption is a safe one in this
country.
[Sidenote: Company Cooks]
It is very probable that every company will have a cook that enlisted
as such and knows something of the art. But handling the ration and
army cooking have features that are different from what he is used
to unless he has been trained in the army. The company kitchen must
be correctly run or training will be difficult. Discontent and a big
sick report are fatal to success.
The first thing, then, is to instruct the cooks and mess sergeants.
Some one must be found competent to do this and he must look after
the kitchens, correct mistakes and give instruction until they are
all running properly. The new captains must learn how to look after
this work properly if they do not already know. If the colonel can
find nobody else to do it he must do it himself. It must be done. It
is a very important part of the foundation upon which success must be
built.
[Sidenote: Paper work]
The necessary records and papers should be properly kept and made,
both at regimental headquarters and in the orderly room. This is
important but not so much so as the kitchens. The mistakes in paper
work only cause annoyance and confusion off the battlefield and
possibly will lose somebody some money; but the other causes loss of
life and prevents efficiency. This work should be properly taught.
Some competent non-commissioned officers or officer should be given
the task of instructing the clerks and first sergeants. It is not
difficult, at least the essential parts, and it should be promptly
attended to upon organization but so as in no way to interfere with
training. An ex-regular sergeant major, first sergeant or clerk
would be very valuable here. So far as possible such a man should
be made adjutant of every new regiment of volunteers. His value as
an instructor in many things would be great and he would save the
colonel much trouble and annoyance.
[Sidenote: Band]
From the first day of training the band should be turned over to
the surgeons for thorough instruction as auxiliary sanitary troops.
At least two hours a day should be devoted to this work until they
become proficient, after which, an hour or two a week, to keep them
so.
The band must also receive the necessary drill so that it can be
maneuvered as such. Callisthenic drill, practice in marching, care of
themselves in the field, individual cooking, and tent pitching must
be taught. Three hours daily should be devoted to this instruction
until satisfactory results are obtained, after which only occasional
drills are necessary. This may interfere somewhat with their music,
but that can wait.
[Sidenote: Surgeon]
The regimental surgeon must also carefully train his detachment. His
officers must not only be doctors but medical officers; his men must
be trained for field service as well as for hospital attendants.
[Sidenote: Machine gun company]
[Sidenote: Mounted detachment]
The training of the machine gun company and mounted detachment must
begin from the start and follow generally the lines proposed below
for the companies. More attention must be paid to their tactical
instruction than even to that of company commanders. They must know
their function and how to do their part. The instruction of these
men as to field service, care of themselves, callisthenics, cooking,
etc., must be the same as in the company. They must be taught how to
care for the animals and in the case of orderlies how to ride and to
scout.
[Sidenote: Musicians]
The company musicians will receive the following instruction with
their companies: callisthenics, first aid and personal hygiene,
individual cooking, tent pitching and rifle firing. They make
all practice marches with their companies. They will be grouped
by battalion and given at least one hour a day of instruction in
signalling, and the musicians of the regiment assembled under the
drum major for instruction in the necessary marching and maneuvering
and practice with their instruments. They should work about the same
number of hours per day as the other men.
Those armed with a revolver must be instructed in its mechanism and
care, and firing practice frequently held.
[Sidenote: Callisthenic drill]
In the proposed schedule given below for the companies an effort is
made to provide for the necessary muscular development referred to
before. The amount of this drill is not as great as desirable but
as the men progress bayonet exercise and pointing and aiming drill
answer fairly well to supplement this work. Some will object to any
callisthenic drill, under the assumed conditions, as a waste of
time. They are wrong—it will save time in the end, keep down the sick
report and give better results.
[Sidenote: Instructors and drill masters]
The colonel should carefully inventory his command for instructors
and drill masters. In the early stages when divided into small groups
many are required; fortunately but little military training is
necessary for this preliminary work.
Owing to shortage of good drill masters groups for this preliminary
work will have to be larger than is customary in peace time in the
regular service, not less than eight men to a group from the start,
and these should be combined into groups of two squads each then into
platoons, as soon as their work permits. The best instructors should
be kept as drill masters after each consolidation.
For the callisthenic drills from the very start the men can be
combined into large groups and instructors found who are already
competent to drill their squads in the school of the soldier. The
other squad commanders who are imperfectly prepared must be assembled
at this time for drill and instruction under the best officers and
non-commissioned officers in the regiment. They will be carefully
taught the next movements to be given to the men and how to teach
them to their squads.
As these squad leaders are selected as far as possible from those
having had some military training and the others from the brightest
and most intelligent men, it is believed possible for them to keep
ahead of their squads. It becomes easier as the groups grow larger
and fewer instructors are required.
The drill will be given to the officers who do not know it. The
officers being formed into a squad by themselves.
All trained officers must be on the drill ground during all these
drills by squad, supervise the work, correct mistakes and help out
the poorer instructors. The other officers not acting as instructors
should be required to attend about half to learn from seeing it done,
the other half of this time they should be required to be drilled
themselves and to study the drill regulations. There should be no
hesitation in having lieutenants drill squads during this period
provided they are better at it than some of the enlisted men and are
not needed to supervise the work of several squads.
[Sidenote: Officers’ school]
There should be an officers’ school every evening except Saturdays
and Sundays. This should be conducted by the colonel himself. The
first subject taken up being the drill regulations. Lessons should be
short as well as the sessions of the class and the work thoroughly
done. The student officer must learn the text and the instructor
fully explain it where necessary. Much explanation will be required
in Part II.
The class must keep well ahead of the outdoor work.
Besides the Infantry Drill Regulations, in this school must be taught
early in the course, parts of the Guard Manual and Small Arms Firing
Manual. The essential parts of the Field Engineering will be taught,
and, those not proficient therein, how to read military maps. Lastly
take up the Manual of Courts Martial.
The more important parts of Army Regulations should be included in
the above course. Better results will be obtained if the lesson each
day includes two or three selected paragraphs from this book than by
taking it up as a whole and by itself. In its use this is largely a
book of reference. In this proposed way the officers become familiar
with it and how to use it and the relatively few paragraphs they must
positively know are learned.
[Sidenote: N.C.O. schools]
If, beside the colonel, the regiment has three or more thoroughly
competent officers, the colonel will not require the others to attend
officers’ school but will order schools for non-commissioned officers
with these others as instructors. The classes should not be larger
than one composed of all the non-commissioned officers of a battalion
and, if instructors are available, those of only two or three
companies should form a class.
The work of this class will be largely confined to Infantry Drill
Regulations. First the drill then combat and covering detachments
must be fully explained and the principles of patrolling taught. If
time is available these schools will also take up other subjects
taught in our regular indoor course. Care must be taken not to give
the men more in one lesson than they can learn.
If there be one, and less than three, competent instructors for these
non-commissioned officers, a class will be formed in each battalion
and only two sessions held weekly for each, the instructor taking
them in turn. Lessons in this case may be longer but the work cannot
be so well done.
If there be no one available except the colonel, each captain will be
required to have a school in his company at the most convenient hour
and try to transmit to the men what he has learned in the officers’
school.
The following instruction should be given by demonstration or by
talks given to the men assembled and sitting.
[Sidenote: Talks and demonstrations]
Part of it will be given by battalion, part by company, 2 and 4
should be given by squad or platoon, the leaders having first been
instructed. In the schedule this instruction is designated by the
word “verbal”. Its value will depend on the instructor.
List of subjects for instruction by talks and demonstrations:
1. General duties of a soldier. His relation to his officers.
System of discipline. Military courtesy. Customs of service as they
relate to him. An outline of organization. Encourage the class to
ask questions on the subject in hand and kindred subjects and then
answer them.
2. The rifle, its mechanism and care and how to clean it.
3. Care of the other equipment, especially that of leather.
4. How to make the pack and adjust it.
5. Duties of a sentinel on the interior guard. Sentinels’ orders.
6. The most essential parts of the course in personal hygiene and
first aid.
7. Importance and necessity of fire control and distribution.
8. Instruction as to artillery with a view to diminish unreasonable
fear of its fire.
9. Principles of patrolling.
10. Objects of advance and rear guards and outposts.
11. Duties of a sentinel on outpost and conduct of visiting patrols.
12. If time is available give more instruction under 6.
Most of this is only preliminary to explanations and instruction the
men will get in their drills. It is a start, and at the beginning of
his training will help to arouse interest and gives some variety at
the time when, in the regular drills, but little variety is possible
and the drills are least interesting. A good instructor will make
this pay.
It is assumed in this schedule that the season is between May and
October. Work beginning on a Monday.
Reveille at 6 A. M. Breakfast immediately after. Necessary police
between that and 7 A. M. No drill Saturday afternoon except one hour
for instructors; none on Sunday.
PROPOSED SCHEDULE
1st, 2d and 3d Days.
[Sidenote: 1st week]
A. M.
6-30 to 7-45 Drill for instructors and officers only.
7 to 7-30 Callisthenics.
8 to 8-45 School of the soldier without arms.
9 to 9-45 Same.
10 to 10-30 Callisthenics.
10 to 10-45 Drill for officers and instructors.
11 to 11-45 Verbal.
P. M.
1 to 1-45 School of the soldier without arms.
2 to 2-45 Same.
3 to 3-45 Same.
4 to 4-30 Callisthenics.
4 to 5-00 Drill for officers and instructors.
7 School to last from ½ to ¾
of an hour at first, later the time to be
extended.
4th and 5th Days and Morning of the 6th Day.
The same as above except that the drill from 9 to 9-45 A. M. and 2 to
2-45 P. M. will be in the manual of arms.
Some camp guards will probably be necessary. This should be done by
platoon and this time on guard used to the utmost to teach this duty.
[Sidenote: 2d week]
2d Week.—During this week drills will be in the school of the soldier
without and with arms, the proportion with arms steadily increasing.
Commencing Thursday one-half hour each half-day will be pointing and
aiming drill.
A. M.
6-30 to 7-45 Drill for officers and instructors.
7-00 to 7-30 Callisthenics.
8-00 to 9-15 Drill—school of the soldier.
9-30 to 10-15 Verbal.
10-30 to 11-45 Drill.
P. M.
1-00 to 2-00 Drill for officers and instructors.
1-30 to 2-00 Callisthenics.
2-15 to 3-45 Drill
4-00 to 4-30 Callisthenics.
4-00 to 5-00 Drill for officers and instructors.
7-00 School.
[Sidenote: 3d week]
3d Week.—Squads combined in pairs.
Drill will be with arms. Part of each drill will be pointing and
aiming drill and extended order, close order work being continued.
Beginning Thursday an aggregate of half an hour daily will be given
to bayonet exercise. The drill must be varied, change made every 15
or 20 minutes.
A. M.
7-00 to 7-30 Callisthenics.
6-30 to 7-45 Drill for officers.
8-00 to 10-45 Drill.
11-00 to 11-45 Verbal.
P. M.
1-00 to 3-45 Drill.
4-00 to 5-00 Monday and Wednesday—estimating distance.
Tuesday and Thursday—intrenching, using the small tools.
Friday—Instruction in guard duty by company.
7-00 School.
[Sidenote: 4th week]
4th Week.—Squads are combined into full platoons. Five or six men
are selected from each company to form the signal detachment of the
company. These men are required to do at least one hour’s work a day
at this from now on until thoroughly proficient, and excused from a
corresponding amount of other work, preferably police and close order
in the afternoon.
A. M. Each drill to be divided approximately
7 to 11 as to time as follows:
DRILL 30 minutes pointing and aiming drill.
20 minutes bayonet exercise.
1 hour close order drill.
Remainder of time extended order drill.
11 to 12 All non-commissioned officers
have gallery practice and instruction
in use of range finder.
P. M. The best officers of the company
1 to 4 for the work take one-half
DRILL the non-commissioned officers
of the company for work in patrolling.
The two sections alternate
as to days. Remainder of
company will be divided into
groups. All must have gallery
practice at least 5 shots per man
P. M. daily. Only one group at target
1 to 4 at a time.
DRILL Each group to have estimating
distance twice during week. Each
group to have individual cooking
twice.
Each group to have one hour’s instruction
during week in first aid
and care of feet on a march.
All to be taught to form for and
pitch shelter tent camp.
If the necessary masks and plastrons
are available practice in bayonet
fencing at least three times
during week for each group. If no
fencing rifles are available, poles
the length of the rifle and bayonet,
with a good pad fastened on the
end, answer the purpose. If
masks are not available bayonet
exercise and close order drill will
fill up the rest of the time.
In arranging this work the best
man for it should be put in charge
of each class of work.
4 to — Company formed with full kit,
except rations and ammunition,
and marched first day about
twenty minutes, lengthening the time
each day by 10 minutes.
7 P. M. School.
5th Week.
[Sidenote: 5th week]
A. M.
7 to 11 Drill same as last week.
11 to 12 Same as last week.
Gallery practice same as last week.
Patrolling same as last week.
First aid, same as last week.
Estimating distance, once during
week.
Bayonet fencing or exercise for at
least one hour during the week.
P. M.
1 to 4 Each platoon to be posted as a
picket of an imaginary outpost
line and men instructed twice
during week.
11 to 12 Each squad as above once as a
sentry squad.
A wall prepared and men given instruction
in scaling it.
Any time left over to be used as
thought best.
4 to 5 March with pack as before, giving
instruction in advance and
rear guard.
7 School.
6th Week—Company.
[Sidenote: 6th week
Company]
A. M. One hour close order, remainder
7 to 11 extended order drill.
DRILL Much practice in attack as explained
in Chapter IV.
11 to 12 Same as last week.
P. M. Gallery practice as last week,
1 to 4 except on Friday.
Friday whole company as support
of an outpost, sentinels and patrols
carefully instructed.
Each non-commissioned officer,
twice during week, to conduct a
patrol, instructing privates.