Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 145, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1917 — HOW AND WHY, THE SOLDIER CHANGES STEP AND DIRECTION. [ARTICLE]

HOW AND WHY, THE SOLDIER CHANGES STEP AND DIRECTION.

The 30-inch step—known as “quick time” —is the’basis of all military movement. Nevertheless, a soldier should be no more absolutely* confined to this step than a baseball player is to, say, base-running. Otherwise, a soldier could not charge. \ For this reason “double time” is provided. The “double time” step (there Is no “double-quick”) is 36 inches. It is executed at a cadence of 180 steps a minute. There is, in addition, the “rout step,” for the march, whereby each man. can take the step which suits him best; yet after long training in the “quick time,” he will find that his rout step will approximate that measure. There is also the “half step,” 15 inches in quick time, 18 in double timg. At the command of “charge!” either from standing position, the quick step, or double time, the soldier breaks into a full run, In which the step is governed only by the reach of his legs. For the same reasons that all military movements cannot be reduced to a single cadence, it is no more practicable to limit a soldier to a single direction of advance. For this, the soldier is taught the side step and the back step, the “left face,” “right face” and “about face.” The side step, under the command “right step,” consists of carrying the right 15 inches to ttye right and bringing the left foot up beside it until commanded to “halt!” “Left step” is, of course, the reverse of “right step.” The back step is executed by taking steps 15 inches to rear at the command, “Backward, march!” and. continuing until brought to a halt The side step and ths back 1 step are almost invariably confined to short distances, and employed for the purpose of dressing a line. All steps, except “right step,” begin with the left foot.

The facings “right,” , “left,” and “about” are executed from the position of attention. In “right face,” raise the left heel and the right toe slightly; face to the right, turning on the right heel, assisted by a slight pressure on the ball of the left foot; place the left foot by the side of the right. The “left face” is the converse of this movement “Right (left) half face” is executed similarly to an angle of 43 degrees. -• v ' ,/. “About face” consists in carrying the toe of the right foot a half-foot length to the rear and slightly to the left of the left heel without changing the position of the left foot; face to the rear, turning to the right on the left heel and right toe; place the right heel by side of the left. *'