and similar shows, more. The narrow scope of instruction followed in
some companies, and the seeking for the easiest way to kill the drill
hour by a few, has helped to give this its prominence in our training.
[Sidenote: Target practice]
Our target practice is open to criticism in some respects. Its
importance can not be overestimated and it must not be slighted, but
rational methods should be followed. It is necessary to appreciate
fully what is required and wanted.
The individual man must be a fairly good marksman for two reasons:
so that he can place his shots in a designated locality, and to give
him confidence in himself. The better the men can shoot, other things
being equal, the more confidence they have in themselves and in each
other. For practical results on the battlefield an expert rifleman is
of little if any more value than a marksman. Good, fair shooting by
every man in the company is what is desired.
On the battlefield much depends on the confirmed habit, this
habit-forming can not be done on the target range, but throughout the
year’s work. Not to exceed two weeks a year should be allowed to any
company for known distance practice on the range. If its work during
the rest of the year has been properly done, this is sufficient. The
rest of the time is needed for other work. But the time put on field
firing, where done in the solution of correct tactical problems,
cannot well be excessive. The more of this the better.
[Sidenote: Extra pay]
The law granting extra pay to expert shots, sharpshooters and
marksmen is not believed good in its effect; it gives undue
importance to range firing. An expert rifleman without other training
and discipline is of but little value on the battlefield, while even
a second class shot, well trained and disciplined, is infinitely his
superior as a soldier. This law should be amended so as to divide
the men into two classes: the best men in each company to be rated
as 1st class. To be so rated the man must be thoroughly well trained
in _all_ his duties, of excellent character and 1st classmen or
better in target shooting. The extra pay for 1st classmen to be so
alloted as to cost the government no more than is now paid for higher
classifications. Men have drawn this extra pay for qualification as
shots who were of but little account as soldiers.
[Sidenote: Rifle firing competitions]
Rifle firing among young men in civil life should be encouraged.
It is a necessary _part_ of a soldier’s training and is that much
accomplished toward making efficient soldiers of them if the occasion
arises.
Our rifle competitions take too much time and are allowed to
interfere too much with regular training. Officers should not be
allowed to compete. Their work during this season is with their
companies; they should be learning the duties of an officer not that
of the private in the ranks. It is undoubted that a man can not make
much of a success teaching what he does not know. The officer must
know how to shoot well enough to be an instructor, he must know the
theory and have the knack of instructing. He does not need to neglect
his regular work for weeks at a time several summers to acquire this
at competitions.
The best company instructor in rifle firing the author ever saw on a
target range was a first sergeant who himself never made better than
marksman. The company was very short on sharpshooters and experts but
was still shorter on 3d class men. The poorest instructor he ever
saw was an officer whose breast on state occasions was covered with
big medals for shooting. He had to spare his own eyes so as to make
phenomenal scores; the instruction of the new men in the company was
of little importance compared with the former.
[Sidenote: Proper garrisoning]
The proper garrisoning of the army, to avoid so much necessary labor
and afford better opportunities for training, has been given great
attention by the War Department. May it soon meet with success.
But much can be done even under present conditions to help in this
matter. This beautiful parking perfectly kept is pretty, but it takes
ground needed for other purposes and requires an immense amount of
“fatigue” labor. This labor could be reduced: the parks would not be
so pretty but military efficiency would be greater. For which does
the government spend its money?
[Sidenote: Strength of the company]
Our companies should be increased in size to 100 men in peace, in
war to 150. Our companies are now too small for good training; it
requires too many new men to raise them to war strength, and the
present strength is wasteful of money and effort.
With the companies at a fixed peace strength of 65 it means much of
the time still less. There are not enough men to drill in the regular
platoon formations. In our extended order work the captain is
reduced to the capacity of a platoon commander and platoon commanders
are out of a job. These men do not get practice in the handling of
their proper units and it can not fail to diminish their interest and
enthusiasm and result in poorer work as well as in incomplete work.
In the case of war we shall need our regular organizations very
promptly and as efficient as possible. At the same time these
organizations are certain to lose many officers taken for other
duties. The addition of much more than one man to each two then in
ranks, even if they have been previously trained, is a serious blow
to efficiency. The new men must either be untrained or men from a
reserve. If from a reserve they are rusty on many points and are apt
to be strange to the officers who change in a company so frequently.
Adding 50 reservists to a company of 100 men will do no harm; adding
85 to a company of 65 will be very different and, if the men added in
the second case be untrained recruits, we shall not have a trained
unit but a school of instruction.
A great objection to our present strength is the fact that it is so
wasteful of money and effort.
The object of the army is to have a trained force ready for action
and to help train the great mass of men that will be called out in
case of war. We want as many trained men as possible, both for the
ranks and to help prepare others. Since we cannot have a large army
we should do all we are able with what we have.
We have in the regular army an expensive plant; the interest on cost
and overhead charges form a large part of the annual cost, the cost
for privates is relatively small. There is a demand and need for the
output, trained soldiers; yet we produce less than half of what we
could for the same cost, except pay of privates. With no increase in
interest on plant and pay of officers and senior non-commissioned
officers and administration, we could more than double our output
of trained men and more than double our efficiency for war, and the
training would be much better.
A private corporation doing business this way would probably go into
bankruptcy.
[Sidenote: New organization in war]
One thing should be made a fixed policy and made positive law now so
that in case of a real war it will be carried out. All organizations
received into the service for the war must be at full strength.
We shall require in such a war a very large army which means the
utilizing of all the organizations we now have and forming many
new ones. By filling all existing organizations to war strength
we reduce the number of new ones to be formed and utilize their
training capacity to the best advantage; they can not be taken at
their existing strength and state of training and have much value in
battle. We shall need so many men that must be trained that we must
use what means of training we have to its utmost.
By reducing the number of new organizations, more and better officers
can be used for their training; there will be more chance of getting
the necessary instructors for them. A few of the right kind of men
can fit for service a full strength regiment as well as one of half
strength and better officers and non-commissioned officers can be
found for it, for there will be fewer required and the average can be
higher.
Besides the difference in cost, administration, road space on the
march, and the tactical handling when massed in great numbers, are of
great importance and are much better done with fewer organizations.
[Sidenote: The army’s responsibility]
Upon the army today rests a great responsibility. With our small
numbers and many faults in organization and stations we must be as
nearly ready for a great war as possible; not only personally ready
but do what we can to make the organization of a great and efficient
army, if it ever becomes necessary, a possibility.
This means we must study and know our profession thoroughly, give a
helping hand to the national guard when and where we can and to any
other organization that does something toward the military training
of men who may make up this great army if it has to be raised. We
must remember that there are many things to be taught a man before he
is an efficient soldier; all he learns before he joins a volunteer
regiment is that much of a help.
But our chief duty, after personal qualification, is to make the best
soldiers possible out of the men under us. This is what we are paid
for and this is worth much more to our country than anything else we
can do in peace. We should make the best we can of the conditions
as they exist at our post, they may not be favorable for getting
the best results but that is no reason for our not getting the best
possible.
The quitter, the man who does as little as possible, who always wants
to be away from troops because things are not as he thinks they
should be, or who does nothing because he cannot do it exactly as
laid down, is a curse to the army; he should leave the service and
sell ribbons.
Rational, systematic training besides producing the greatest military
efficiency will keep the men interested in their work and will occupy
more of their time; the men will be more contented. Interested and
contented men will furnish a smaller sick report and fewer deserters.
There will be less dissipation hence less punishment.
Discontent, ennui, a constant grouch, injure digestion and bring
on other physical ills. This is another responsibility resting on
officers—that for the men under them. With young men we have a great
influence on their characters and future careers. We make men better
fit for life’s work or turn them back worse than we found them.
To the credit of the army it can be said that in most cases an
enlistment served therein is a benefit to the majority who so serve.
The men are physically and mentally better for a short service and I
believe morally. There is certainly less excessive drinking among
our soldiers in nearly all regiments than in a corresponding number
of civilians in the same vicinity, and the same is true as to other
vices. In personal cleanliness, decency and politeness they are far
ahead of the average man of the same social standing as that from
which they come. Many employers have recognized this, and are giving
preference to discharged soldiers in employment. The uniform makes
the man conspicuous and one drunken soldier in a thousand will call
for more attention than ten drunken civilians out of five hundred.
The duty of trying to improve the men morally is a military as well
as a moral duty. It is in line with what has been said before: the
better the man, the more valuable the soldier, the more he can be
taught, the more he can help to train others, and the more likely is
he to remain in physical condition to be fit for service in the field.
“We have a profession not a trade.” Let us take it seriously,
appreciate our responsibility, make the best of conditions as we find
them, improving them where we can, and train ourselves and those
under us to be THE BEST INFANTRY.
Transcriber’s Notes
pg 21 Changed: Minature bridges were constructed
to: Miniature bridges were constructed
pg 41 Changed: take each major’s target and divided
to: take each major’s target and divide
pg 62 Changed: with fire must be largely theorectical
to: with fire must be largely theoretical
pg 72 Changed: The high explosive shel
to: The high explosive shell
pg 77 Changed: if the enemy is enountered
to: if the enemy is encountered
pg 94 Changed: it will not gain the necesary
to: it will not gain the necessary
pg 96 Changed: Having gone through such an exercies
to: Having gone through such an exercise
pg 98 Changed: When a recontre engagement occurs
to: When a rencontre engagement occurs
pg 107 Changed: very loose, should be unbottoned
to: very loose, should be unbuttoned
pg 110 Changed: The command should march to come point
to: The command should march to some point
pg 173 Changed: for officers or non-commisioned
to: for officers or non-commissioned