Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1917 — GUARD DUTY. [ARTICLE]

GUARD DUTY.

Just as outpost, advance guard and patrol work are pre-eminently important, all guard duty is serious business for the soldier. In, war time and in hostile territory It has been an Immemorial rule to punish with .death sentinels who fall asleep on their posts. And It Is as a sentinel that the young soldier may first contract’ that sense of personal responsibility which renders him not only a valuable member of his own company, but also prepares him for promotion. No man can rise from a private to a first-class private, from a first-class private to a corporal, from a corporal to a sergeant, from sergeant or first sergeant to commissioned officer, unless he has evinced a disposition to take responsibility. The men least capable of accepting responsibility lag longest in the ranks; the men who show earliest signs of assuming responsibility—gladly and capably—will be first to advance. Guard duty is prescribed in detail in a separate guard manual. This contains many regulations for the proper performance of this duty; but in general it may be said that guards in camp or garrison preserve order, protect property and enforce police regulations. A tour of duty for the guard is I twentyfour hours, out of which a sentinel is on duty two hours out of every six. He is under the supervision of the officer or noncommissioned officer of the guard, who In turn is responsible to the officer of the day. Guards receive two classes of orders —general and special. Special orders relate to posts with certain peculiarities and to particular duties. But the general orders for the guard, which every young soldier should promptly £ learn by heart, contribute, as has been said, more than anything else, perhaps, toward bringing him tq a realization of his personal responsibility. These orders, which he should repeat to himself from time to time on post, are as follows: “To take charge of this post and all government property in view. “To walk my post in a military maniner, keeping always on the alert 'and o'bservlng everything that takes place pvithin sight or hearing.

*To report all violations of orders I am Instructed to enforce. “To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guardhouse than my own.' “To quit my post only when properly relieved. “To receive, obey and pass on to the sentinel who relieves me- all orders from the commanding officer, officer of the day, and officers and noncommissioned officers of the guard only. “To talk to no one except in Una of duty. “In case of fire or disorder to give the alarm. “To allow no one to commit a nuisance on or near my post. “In any case not covered by instructions to call the corporal of the guard. “To be especially watchful at night and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.”