The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-30
MILITARY MATTERS;
 GUARD OF ALABAMA
Br D. VI. sacIvER.

then the company commander should have list, each night, of the absen- tees and as early as possible communi- cate with them, verbally or by letter. and ascertain the reason, and if the excuse is frivolous tell them so and make them understand that if they are not sufficiently interested to work for the welfare of the company 1t would be better for them to sever their connection. A man with any pride and self-respect dislikes the idea of being invited to get out of any organization. He would rather do It of his own voli- ton.
 In order to make the company drill interesting, the officers positively must plan their program or drill in advance, and make their plans cover movements that have not been executed or drilled recently or approach some of the old movements in a manner that brings out some of the small details that had before been overlooked or neglected in a way which will prove to a certain extent surprise to the men. If you have a military surgeon at your sta- ton persuade him to deliver short lecture to the men upon first aid to the wounded. teaching them how to apply bandages. and in order to get the in- formation fixed in their minds. have 2 few of the men remove Q portion of their clothing and the surgeon mark the locality of wounds of the nature he has described, and see how well the remaining members of the company can apply the bandages according to the methods explained by the surgeon. Get hold of something new in the order of military work upon drill, advance guard work, outpost duty, or anything out of the ordinary routine of armory drili or instruction, and read 1t to the company. Have frequent inspections of clothing and equipment. It has been proved Q good scheme to offer a cash prize, usually taken from the company treasury. or a prize of some kind do- mated by some friend of the company, or merchant of the city, for the man obtaining the highest marking at a number Of inspections covering some period of time Have these Inspections very rigid. neatness of the clothing. condition of the rife and bayonet, fit of the belt. polish of the bayonets and brasses. cleanliness and correctness of the collar. condition of the gloves and shoes, all to have a prearranged value in the marking. With very little ef- fort decided rivalry can be started, @hich will spread throughout the coni- pany, and after awhile the habit of having everything in proper condition becomes confirmed.
 It has been universally found to pro- duce excellent results when the non commissioned officers are required to pass an examination before being war ranted. The fact that they have pass. ed such an examination gives them prestige with their comrades. and 1t be- ing required of everyone. leads those ambitious of promotion to study to pre- pare themselvess and 1t naturally fol- lows that more or less discussion of military points. exchange of ideas and the habit of looking up and studying grows and widens continually. Tho n-commissioned officers should be givsn certain duties to perform, with the understanding that unless they promptly and efficiently perform those duties some one will be found to take thoir place who will. Give them reg possibility, make them feel that they have. to a certain extent, the welfare of the company in their keeping. Teach them that they are examples to the prf- yates. that they are expected to com mand their squads and must conduct themselves so as to gain the confidence of tho men in their ability. The use of the squad formation all the time, upon every possible occasion, is invaluable in developing habits of authority and command among the non-commissioned officers. and no company commander can afford to ignore Its possibilities to the least extent.