41. The commander of the guard is responsible for the instruction
and discipline of the guard. He will see that all of its members
are correctly instructed in their orders and duties and that
they understand and properly perform them. He will visit each
relief at least once while it is on post, and at least one of
these visits will be made between 12 o'clock midnight and daylight.
42. He receives and obeys the orders of the commanding officer
and the officer of the day, and reports to the latter without
delay all orders to the guard not received from the officer of
the day; he transmits to his successor all material instructions
and information relating to his duties.
43. He is responsible under the officer of the day for the general
safety of the post or camp as soon as the old guard marches away
from the guardhouse. In case of emergency, while both guards
are at the guardhouse, the senior commander of the two guards
will be responsible that the proper action is taken.
44. Officers of the guard will remain constantly with their guards,
except while visiting patrols or necessarily engaged elsewhere
in the performance of their duties. The commanding officer will
allow a reasonable time for meals.
45. A commander of a guard leaving his post for any purpose will
inform the next in command of his destination and probable time
of return.
46. Except in emergencies, the commander of the guard may divide
the night with the next in command, but retains his responsibility;
the one on watch must be constantly on the alert.
47. When any alarm is raised in camp or garrison, the guard will
be informed immediately. (Par, 234.) If the case be serious,
the proper call will be sounded, and the commander of the guard
will cause the commanding officer and the officer of the day
to be at once notified.
48. If a sentinel calls: "The guard," the commander of the guard
will at once send a patrol to the sentinel's post. If the danger
be great, in which case the sentinel will discharge his piece,
the patrol will be as strong as possible.
49. When practicable, there should always be an officer or
noncommissioned officer and two privates of the guard at the
guardhouse in addition to the sentinels there on post.
50. Between reveille and retreat, when the guard had been turned
out for any person entitled to the compliment (see pars. 222 and
224), the commander of the guard, if an officer, will receive
the report of the sergeant, returning the salute of the latter
with the right hand. He will then draw his saber and place himself
two paces in front of the center of the guard. When the person
for whom the guard has been turned out approaches, he faces his
guard and commands: 1. _Present_, 2. ARMS; faces to the
front and salutes. When his salute is acknowledged, he resumes
the carry, faces about, and commands: 1. _Order_, 2. ARMS;
and faces to the front.
If it be an officer entitled to inspect the guard, after saluting
and before bringing his guard to an order, the officer of the
guard reports: "Sir, all present or accounted for"; or "Sir,
(so-and-so) is absent"; or if the roll call has been omitted:
"Sir, the guard is formed," except that at guard mounting the
commanders of the guards present their guards and salute without
making any report.
Between retreat and reveille the commander of the guard salutes
and reports but does not bring the guard to a present.
51. To those entitled to have the guard turned out but not entitled
to inspect it, no report will be made; nor will a report be made
to any officer unless he halts in front of the guard.
52. When a guard commanded by a noncommissioned officer is turned
out as a compliment or for inspection, the noncommissioned officer,
standing at a right shoulder on the right of the right guide,
commands: 1. _Present_, 2. ARMS. He then executes the rifle
salute. If a report be also required, he will, after saluting,
and before bringing his guard to an order, report as prescribed
for the officer of the guard. (Par. 50.)
53. When a guard is in line, not under inspection, and commanded
by an officer, the commander of the guard salutes his regimental,
battalion, and company commander, by bringing the guard to attention
and saluting in person.
For all other officers, excepting those entitled to the compliment
from a guard (par. 224), the commander of the guard salutes in
person, but does not bring the guard to attention.
When commanded by a noncommissioned officer, the guard is brought
to attention in either case, and the noncommissioned officer
salutes.
The commander of a guard exchanges salutes with the commanders
of all other bodies of troops; the guard is brought to attention
during the exchange.
"Present arms" is executed by a guard only when it has turned
out for inspection or as a compliment, and at the ceremonies
of guard mounting and relieving the old guard.
54. In marching a guard or a detachment of a guard the principles
of paragraph 53 apply. "Eyes right" is executed only in the
ceremonies of guard mounting and relieving the old guard.
55. If a person entitled to the compliment, or the regimental,
battalion, or company commander, passes in rear of a guard, neither
the compliment nor the salute is given, but the guard is brought to
attention while such person is opposite the post of the commander.
After any person has received or declined the compliment, or
received the salute from the commander of the guard, official
recognition of his presence thereafter while he remains in the
vicinity will be taken by bringing the guard to attention.
56. The commander of the guard will inspect the guard at reveille
and retreat, and at such other times as may be necessary, to
assure himself that the men are in proper condition to perform
their duties and that their arms and equipments are in proper
condition. For inspection by other officers, he prepares the
guard in each case as directed by the inspecting officer.
57. The guard will not be paraded during ceremonies unless directed
by the commanding officer.
58. At all formations members of the guard or reliefs will execute
inspection arms as prescribed in the drill regulations of their
arm.
59. The commander of the guard will see that all sentinels are
habitually relieved every two hours, unless the weather or other
cause makes it necessary that it be done at shorter or longer
intervals, as directed by the commanding officer.
60. He will question his noncommissioned officers and sentinels
relative to the instructions they may have received from the old
guard; he will see that patrols and visits of inspection are
made as directed by the officer of the day.
61. He will see that the special orders for each post and member of
the guard, either written or printed, are posted in the guardhouse
and, if practicable, in the sentry box or other sheltered place
to which the member of the guard has constant access.
62. He will see that the proper calls are sounded at the hours
appointed by the commanding officer.
63. Should a member of the guard be taken sick, or be arrested,
or desert, or leave his guard, he will at once notify the officer
of the day. ( Par. 23.)
64. He will, when the countersign is used (pars. 210 to 216),
communicate it to the noncommissioned officers of the guard and
see that it is duly communicated to the sentinels before the hour
for challenging; the countersign will not be given to sentinels
posted at the guardhouse.
65. He will have the details for hoisting the flag at reveille
and lowering it at retreat, and for firing the reveille and retreat
gun, made in time for the proper performance of these duties.
(See pars. 338, 344, 345, and 346.) He will see that the flags
are kept in the best condition possible, and that they are never
handled except in the proper performance of duty.
66. He may permit members of the guard while at the guardhouse
to remove their head dress, overcoats, and gloves; if they leave
the guardhouse for any purpose whatever, he will require that
they be properly equipped and armed, according to the character
of the service in which engaged, or as directed by the commanding
officer.
67. He will enter in the guard report a report of his tour of
duty and, on the completion of his tour, will present it to the
officer of the day. He will transmit with his report all passes
turned in at the post of the guard.
68. Whenever a prisoner is sent to the guardhouse or guard tent
for confinement, he will cause him to be searched, and will without
unnecessary delay, report the case to the officer of the day.
69. Under war conditions, if anyone is to be passed out of camp
at night, he will be sent to the commander of the guard who will
have him passed beyond the sentinels.
70. The commander of the guard will detain at the guardhouse all
suspicious characters, or parties attempting to pass a sentinel's
post without authority, reporting his action to the officer of
the day, to whom persons so arrested will be sent, if necessary.
71. He will inspect the guardrooms and cells, and the irons of
such prisoners as may be ironed, at least once during his tour,
and at such other times as he may deem necessary.
72. He will cause the corporals of the old and new reliefs to
verify together, immediately before each relief goes on post,
the number of prisoners who should then properly be at the
guardhouse.
73. He will see that the sentences of prisoners under his charge
are executed strictly in accordance with the action of the reviewing
authority.
74. When no special prisoner guard has been detailed (par. 300),
he will, as far as practicable, assign as guards over working
parties of prisoners sentinels from posts guarded at night only.
75. The commander of the guard will inspect all meals sent to
the guardhouse and see that the quantity and quality of food
are in accordance with regulations.
76. At guard mounting he will report to the old officer of the
day all cases of prisoners whose terms of sentence expire on
that day, and also all cases of prisoners concerning whom no
statement of charges has been received. (See par. 241.)
77. The commander of the guard is responsible for the security
of the prisoners under the charge of his guard; he becomes
responsible for them after their number has been verified and
they have been turned over to the custody of his guard by the
old guard or by the prisoner guard or overseers.
78. The prisoners will be verified and turned over to the new
guard without parading them, unless the commanding officer or
the officer of the day shall direct otherwise.
79. To receive the prisoners at the guardhouse when they have
been paraded and after they have been verified by the officers
of the day, the commander of the new guard directs his sergeant
to form his guard with an interval, and commands: 1. Prisoners, 2.
_Right_, 3. FACE, 4. _Forward_, 5. MARCH. The prisoner's
having arrived opposite the interval in the new guard, he commands:
1. Prisoners, 2. HALT, 3. _Left_, 4. FACE, 5. _Right_(or_left)_,
6. DRESS. 7. FRONT.
The prisoners dress on the line of the new guard.