Evening star., 1898-07-23
BACKBONE OF THE ARMY
Duties and Position of the Nom Commissioned
Officer.
His Best Chance is to Shoot His Way
Into the Corridors Of
Oblivion.
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
The backbone of the army is the nom
commissioned man.-Rudyard Kipling
Lowest down is the lance corporal; high
est up are the regimentaI Quartermaster
sergeants, sergeant majors, ordnance SER
geants, and most picturesque is the first
sergeant. The backbone referred to by
Mr.. Kipling consists of the company mon
CONS" beginning with the corporal and
ending in the first sergeant. They are the
unglorified slnews of war, the Drawn and
muscle; the officer is the much heralded
brainy director.
The recruit to the army no sooner swears
that he will obey the commands of all
officers placed above him. than he falls in
to the hands Of corporal This soldier,
with the two clean white chevrons on his
sleeves, looks him over guides him to q
bathing place, and begins to lick him into
shape He begins by teaching him how to
stand, how to turn around. where to keep
his eyes, and all the small details of the
soldier business. He impresses on him the
necessity of quick doing and cautions that
the officers are there to think Then the
recruit is shuffied on to a sergeant who
places him in set of fours and teaches
Kim how to find his place and what to do
when he finds it. He finally falls into the
hands OF the first sergeant in company drill
he may get an occasional sight of his cap
tain, but he learns to know and emulate
his sergeant.
The "non-com." is the teacher. His un-
limited ability to work and his undying
patience straighten up round shoulders
lven up the shuffiing steps and make a
sturdy soldier of the raw recruit. He
works always and forever, and executes
the orders of his superiors quickly and ac-
curately. He serves as a model to be cop
led after by the private-he is the back
bone of the army.
A long time ago certain Sergeant Jasper
won permanent place in history and
more recently Sergeant Hamilton Fish died
bravely at the front. The "non-com"
works unnoticed like the line player in the
foot bail team because he doesn't run with
the ball, but he is the backbone that holds
the ribs together. When the battle is hot
and sweat mtngles with blood on the sod
den field, when bullets whizz and shells
scream when comrades sink to the ground
and turn on their faces, the officer lifts his
sword on high and steps forward into glory.
The "non-com." speaks the quiet Steady
boys" and walks into the Jaws of death
shooting his way into the corridors of OBJ
nv1on. The captain knows he will be IA
nous II he survives-famous If he dies
The sergeant or the corporal knows his
wife and children will weep over their loss.
his comrades that survive him will bury
MN In soldiers grave wrapped in his
blanket. He Is too numerous for the his
torian to mention; he was simply doing
his duty. Yet If the victory Is won 1t Is be-
cause he Is in his place and doing this
same duty.
Under the new tactics in use by the
United States army, companies no longer
fight with men shoulder to shoulder under
the direct command of the captain. Much
stress is laid on the skirmish drill, in which
sets of fours under corporals and squads
under sergeants fight in open order firing
at will after the captain has ordered com
mence firing" The corporal is responsible
Tor his set of fours and the sergeant for
his squad. The first sergeant is in a man
ner responsible for the entire company and
is ready to assume command when his Of
ficers are shot down. The new arrange
ment gives opportunity to the ''non-com."
to show himself. 1t remains to be seen
whether or not he will break into fame
1t is not in battle. however that the nom
commissioned officer earns the title of
backbone" for in the fight the sweating
private Is a necessary person. In the camp
the white-chevroned soldier makes his pces-
ence known and felt. The first sergeant
gruf, stern, severe, kind, man of all work
and all intelligence, father of his company
and mother, too, in camp, is in charge of
his men. He looks after the company quar-
tiers, tents bedding, clothing, knows all
about the kitchen and sees to the equip
ments. He calls the roll, details the guard,
knows the ability and willingness of every
soldier or his command and is the disci-
plinarian and mouthpiece of his company.
He is the go-between for privates and Of
fcers, adjusts quarrels and disseminates
advice. The company books, though not
intricate, are tedious, and are kept by him,
and he reports the dead to his captain He
seems to be in every place at the same
time. He is the model soldier.
The literature OF the present war is yet
unwrfttea Glorious victories have been
Won and admirals and generals have been
launched into everla sting fame. 1t is to be
hoped, when the war correspondents get
back to the quiet Of their desks, they will
not have been Blinded by the glare of up
Fitted swords and glittering shoulder straps
to the bravery and courage Of the mon
commissioned man." There Is room in his
tory for the backbone Of the army"