THE CALL TO COMPANY FORMATION
UNIFORMED rookies at last!
How proud each of our young rookies felt when at last he had a chance to
survey himself in a glass.
Never, it seemed, had uniforms fitted quite as neatly before.
Never, at all events, had young recruits felt any keener delight than
did Hal and Noll when they found themselves in their first infantry
uniforms.
From that happy instant they were looked upon as the two brightest,
keenest recruits on post.
On the first day of their uniformed lives Sergeant Brimmer came to them.
"You are directed to fall in at parade, this afternoon, without arms. At
formation I will place you in the rear rank."
Though they had their uniforms, their rifles had not yet been issued.
"What does it all mean?" wondered Noll. "We're not promoted to the
company yet. We're not out of the squad work yet."
"We can wait to find out what it means," Hal answered. "It won't be
many hours till parade time, now."
Then, at the bugle call, these young soldiers hurried outside, where
Corporal Davis formed them and marched them away.
Having finished with the "school of the soldier" our two rookies were
now in the "school of the squad."
In a company of infantry the squad consists of seven privates and a
corporal. Marching in column of twos, or in column of fours, the
corporal's place is on the left of the front rank of the squad; he
himself makes the eighth man. But, for purposes of instructing recruits,
the squad consists of eight rookies and a corporal.
Davis now led them away to the field, where he halted them.
"We will first," he announced, "take up the six setting-up drills of the
manual, and go through with them three or four times. You men will do it
as snappily as possible to-day."
These exercises consist of various gymnastic movements with the arms, of
bending until the hands touch the ground, and of leg-raising work. The
setting-up drills are very similar to ordinary work without apparatus in
a gymnasium--but with this difference: the rookie is made to go through
with them more and more snappily each time that he is set to the work.
The result is that, within a few weeks, an awkward and perhaps
shuffling, shambling young man is trained and built into the erect,
alert, snappy and dignified soldier.
The setting-up work performed, Corporal Davis next drilled the rookies
in alignments, interval-taking, marchings, turnings and "about," which
corresponds to the old-time "about-face." It might be well to remark
that all military commands in these days, have been greatly simplified
as compared with the old style of doing things.
Davis was an alert and industrious instructor, yet he abused none of the
men, nor ever lost his patience. He was making rapid progress with this
squad.
"Fall out," he called, from time to time.
"To-morrow you will have your arms issued to you," he announced during
one of the rests. "Then you will learn the manual of arms, and also how
to march with arms. Your work will be harder, but you're being prepared
for harder work now."
By this time Hal and Noll had been in the Army nearly three weeks. Some
of the rookies in the same squad had been in the service considerably
longer. The length of time that he remains a recruit depends very much
upon the rookie himself.
"Our arms?" said Noll to his chum. "That's the last step toward being a
real soldier."
"No; the last step is when your company commander pronounces you a
qualified private soldier," rejoined Hal Overton. "And that's after
you've been drafted into a real regiment, at that."
The loneliness had all vanished now. Both Hal and Noll were now wholly
in love with the life, and anxious for the day when they should be sent
forth to their regiment. They had requested that they be sent to the
same regiment, and had little doubt but that their wish would be
granted.
No longer did the arduous work make them tired. Instead, the steady,
brisk and systematic exercise left them keen and very much alive when
the command "dismissed" came.
At last a bugle sounded the recall for the rookie squads. Corporal Davis
finished the instruction in which he was engaged, then called out:
"Halt! Dismissed."
In an instant the rookies left the ranks, glad of a bit of play-time
before supper.
But Davis called after two of them:
"Overton and Terry, don't forget that you're under orders to report at
company formation before parade this afternoon."
"We won't forget it, Corporal," Hal answered.
"Why are you ordered to company formation?" asked one of the men of the
squad curiously.
"We haven't the least idea," Hal answered frankly.
"Oh, well, I can be near enough to find out," rejoined the curious one.
"Say," suggested Noll almost excitedly, "it can't be that we're
considered far enough advanced to turn out with the company?"
"Hardly likely," murmured Hal, "when we don't know the manual of arms
yet."
"Then what----"
"Wait."
Yet Hal Overton was certainly decidedly curious, despite his coolness.
Both our young rookies hung about until they heard first call for
parade. Then they hurried toward the company parade ground.
Soon the fall-in order was given, and the older rookies fell in under
arms. Sergeant Brimmer, true to his word, stepped up and placed Hal and
Noll six paces to the rear of the second platoon.
"Obey all orders that do not call for the manual of arms," was his
parting instruction. Then Brimmer went to his own position.
The company was assembled, roll-call followed and there was a brief
inspection of arms. While this was going on the post adjutant appeared
and took up post.
"Publish the orders," commanded the captain, at last.
From the breast of his blouse the adjutant drew forth an official paper.
While the men in ranks stood at order arms, the adjutant read aloud:
"'For exceptional zeal, intelligence and loyalty in preventing the
escape and attempted desertion of a prisoner, Recruit Privates Overton
and Terry are hereby commended.'"
This was signed by the post commander.
Now Sergeant Brimmer stepped over to Hal and Noll with military stride,
saying briskly:
"Recruit Privates Overton and Terry dismissed."
That was all. Brimmer was already on his way back to his own post.
"Was that all we turned out for with the company?" asked Noll in a low
voice.
"Wasn't it enough?" retorted Hal in an equally low tone, as they watched
the manoeuvres of the company at a distance.
"There's one thing we didn't get commended for in that order," Noll went
on.
"What was that?"
"Well, we had to tackle an armed man when we went up against the
Shrimp. The order didn't say anything about courage."
"That's because only exceptional courage is ever mentioned in orders,"
Hal explained. "Any soldier is expected to have courage enough to face
firearms."
When Sergeant Brimmer returned to squad room after parade he came
straight over to Hal and Noll.
"That was a pretty good thing for you this afternoon, men," he commented
pleasantly. "It isn't often that a rookie gets commended in orders."
"Does it bring any more pay?" laughed Noll.
"No; but, my man, it goes on your record, and that's worth something.
The commendation that was read out in orders this afternoon goes forward
to your new colonel, when you're drafted to a line regiment, and that
commendation becomes a part of your permanent record in the Army. Isn't
that enough?"
"It's too much," Hal declared, "for such a little thing as we did."
"You men want promotion, don't you?" asked Sergeant Brimmer.
"Surely," nodded Noll.
"When you get to your regiment, and your company commander has occasion
to appoint a new corporal, he looks over the records of the men in his
company. Men, I guess you've each of you got your first grip on one of
the chevrons that Shrimp dropped."
For Shrimp had been tried by court-martial, three days before. The
findings, verdict and sentence had been sent on through the military
channels, and would not be published until approved by the department
commander. But no one at the island doubted that Shrimp would lose his
corporal's chevrons, would be dismissed the service and sentenced to
imprisonment in addition.
"I'd rather get chevrons, if they're coming my way, by some other means
than pulling them off another man's sleeves," thought Hal to himself.