Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 196, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1917 — HOME-READING COURSE FOR CITIZEN-SOLDIERS. [ARTICLE]

HOME-READING COURSE FOR CITIZEN-SOLDIERS.

The Army System of Training. — The average American who has a job assigned to him wants to do it well. He doesn’t care to dawdle over the job and make a mess of it. Nor does he care to make it a halfway success. He ‘is determined to make it a full and complete success in the shortest possible time. It is assumed that you are starting your army training in this American spirit. Since you are undertaking the job of becoming a citizen soldier you intend to be a good one. You don’t want to waste any time in the process. More than that, if you are ambitious and possess fair ability there is no reason why you should always remain a private soldier. You will not, of course, become a corporal or sergeant or win higher promotion until after you have’ thoroughly mastered the duties of a private. Nor will all the men who would like to win advancement easily obtain it. There is only one way to get ahead in the army, and that is to follow conscientiously to the end the regular system of training laid out for everybody. First, you will be instructed in the infantry drill. This is the foundation of all your training. It is divided into close-order drill and extendedorder drill. “Close order” is defined in the regulations a s“the formation in which the units, in double rank, are arranged in line or in column with normal intervals and distances.” Extended order, on the other hand, is “the formation in which’ the units are separated by intervals greater than in close order.” These technical definations are clear enough to those who are already familiar with military terms, but probably require some explanation for most of the men who are reading this course. The diagrams below show at a glance what is meant. Figure 1 represents a small body of men in double rank arranged in close order, as follows:

** * ♦ * « *' « The space between men standing side by side in rank is called the “interval.” In the American army the standard interval is 4 inches, measured from the elbow of one man to the elbow of the man next to him. This gives room enough for free movement and the proper handling of arms and equipment during drill. The space between a man’* in the front rank and a man directly behind him in the rear rank is called “distance.” The standard distance is 40 inches, mesaured from the back of the man in front to the breast of the man in the rear. A well trained soldier soon learns to gauge the distance with sufficient accuracy and al most unconsciously keeps himself properly placed in relation to the men about him. Figure 2 represents a body of men in double rank arranged in column. The same intervals and distances are observed as in the line formation: •» • ♦ •* * ♦ . I *♦ ♦ *

An extended-order formation, is presented below*: * * However, this is only one of an infinite number' of extended-order formations. Intervals and distances may be irregular. This is the formation used for skirmishing and at other times when it may be desirable to have each man control his own movements without attempting to conform exactly to the movements of the other men. You should get in mind at the very beginning these distinctions between close order and extended order. By understanding them you will see more clearly what is required of you and how you can get most benefit out of your training.