Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1917 — MILITARY TERMS EXPLAINED [ARTICLE]

MILITARY TERMS EXPLAINED

You will for some time road in the newspapers about military matters. Post up on your reading. We will help yot| from time to time. A “rookie” is a recruit, 'An officer never “enlists.” He is 'commissioned by the President of the. United States. Only private soldiers, including? corporals and sergeants, can “enlist.'’ To be “drafted” means to be forced into the military or naval service. .■ . , ■. To “volunteer” means to go into the ■service willingly. •'Rank and file” do not mean officers and enlisted men. •Rank" Is a row ol soldiers and “file” represents a map in the front rank with the man or men directly behind him. "Squad” is a ; art of a company. A captain com m andsa. compah y and he has under him a first lieutenant and a second lieutenant. A major commands a battalion, which is' made np of four companies; A regiment is commanded by a colonel and it comprises three battalions, so that a regiment is made up of twelve companies. A brigade is three regiments. A division is three brigades. A corps is three divisions. A general of the Army corresponds to an admiral of the navy. Lieutenant-general ranks with viceadmiral and a major-general with a rear-admiral. Since Dewey’s death there is no American admiral and wo have no vice-admirals. Neither is, there a general or lieutenant-general. Our chief of staff is a major-general. The titles of lieutenant-general

’and general, vice-admiral and admiral must be--especially created by act of congress. President Wilson is commander in chief of both army and navy and has the right to ‘take direct command of the 'fleet or the army of 1,000,000 men. Every President 'during his term, of office stands at •the ton of both the army and navy I— stands there as the supreme commander. 1 He can dismiss any officer, howlever high or low the rank. He apipoihts all officers.