The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-11-04

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responsible to him alone. He attends
to the roll call, looks after the disci
pine OF the men, sees that company
reports are properly made out. o. KS
the pay roll, and does or gets done all
the details of company management
The pay of first sergeants is $45
month.
All non-commissioned officers are
required to attend. school for an hour
every day for instructions in their par
tlcular duties. which include guard
duty, minor tactics, and elementary
Spanish and to listen to lectures by
company officers.
The government permits those who
have served for two years and are still
under 30, to take the examination
for second lieutenant, even though
they are still privates. 1t is by no
means unusual for privates to reach
this post within two or three years
from their enlistment; but in most
of such cases the men have had good
educations before enlisting. The exam
ination is not particularly arduous,
except in the physical, the require
ments being about equal to a regular
high school education, which the am
bilious soldier can acquire by study at
night and when off regular duty; but
quire to take three years course in
school which is maintained at every
garrison.
The course is quite elaborate, in
Guiding full instruction In tactics, mill
tary hygiene and military law, CON-
pany organization, International law,
(such as might be useful in border
warfare), army regulations, field en-
cheering and regulat ions, hippology,
etc. After 1t has been mastered, op-
portunity is given for post graduate
work under the post commander.
Under the system Of seniority In
vogue in the army. second lieutenant
has to wait about six years before be-
ing promoted to first lieutenancy, and
for, say, nine years before becoming
captain. The latter has to wait in time
of peace for an average of Is years
before being made major; then four
years more for his lieutenant colo
nelcy, and after three more years,
when he is 81 or 60 years old, he will
be a colonel, the last highest Office that
comes by regular promotion. Brfgadier
and major generals are appointed by
the president, who generally selects
them from among the colonies, but &C.
casionally breaks the rule for special
reasons.
All of these promotions come only
after frequent and rigid examinations
have been passed; for the requirements
are absolute, and the man who goes up
through the ranks must possess the
same capability as the West Pointer.
Schools are maintained at all posts,
and after one has become captain
he takes a year at the military school
at Fort Leavenworth, and is permitted
to supplement this with another year
of special study at the army staff col
lege
So much for the boy whose ambi-
ton and talents place him among the
commissioned officers. But suppose
your boy never attains higher rank
than that of first sergeant-in other
words, remains an enlisted man, all
soldiers below commissioned officers
being known technically as enlisted
men? Well, in that event, when he is
no more than forty years old, probably,
he can retire from the army with
salary for life of at least $3.50
month
It is one of the rules Of the army
that on re-enlistment mans pay Is
increased. In the case of sergeant
this increase is four dollars a month
for each re-enlistment. Thus, first
sergeant getting $45 month, in his
second enlistment will get $40, in the
third $53, and so on up to and in
GLIDING the seventh enlistment, when
he will receive $50. On retirement he
is given for life three-fourths Of this
sum, besides $3.50 in lieu Of clothing
and substance, and 1925 in lieu of
quarters, fuel and lights. All service
abroad" (meaning in China, Cuba,
Philippine islands, Guam, Alaska and
Panama) is computed as double time,
and 1t is the army custom for the In.
fantry to spend two years abroad for
every three at home.
Therefore, your boy, If he enlists at
eighteen years old and becomes a first
sergeant, can retire at thirty-eight
with an income of $67.50 month, and
with a life of achievement without
needing to consider his bread and but
teri ahead of him. Besides this, he
has had the finest kind of training If
handling men, and can get position
at once as foreman or overseer with
contractors or others employing large
bodies of men. There Is great de-
mand for retired soldiers.
If your boy has special aptitude in
other directions, and does not wish to
advance in the line, he may be wa.
goner of cavalry, mechanic in field
artillery. an art1f1cer In the infantry,
or farrier and blacksmith or saddler
in the cavalry, at $21 month; fire
man in the coast artillery, at $50; chief
trumpeter at $40; become chief must.
clan, at SIS; master gunner, at $40;
master electrician at SIS, etc. In all
these mes the same custom obtains
with slight variations upon re-enlist.
melt and retirement as among the
regular enlisted soldiers. And the
same may be said of those who are
clerically inclined. The army's needs
are so varied that there is need fol
adherents of mostly all classes.
| copyright, 1910 by the Associated Lit
erary Press.)