The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-06-30
JOINING The ARMY

There are many opportunities open
10 the mun who enlists in the United
States army and wears the uniform
Of Uncle Sam with honor to himself
and his country. The pay Is good, the
food is good. and the chances for ad.
vancement are numerous. II is up 10
the individual man himself to make
good and to take advantage Of the
situation.
Writing In the Columbian Magazine
on army affairs, Edward Marshall in
| discussing the status Of the enlisted
man says:
Summarized, this is what d man
who thinks Of marching for his Uncle
Samuel as an enlisted man has to con-
| slider:
On first enlistment the soldier for
Old Glory nowadays gets $40 month,
far better pay, for instance, than the
| average clerks, for board, lodging and
clothing are furnished by the govern.
ment II he qualities as marksman
he adds 81 to his pay; II as sharp
shooter he gets So in addition; II MS
an expert rifleman a full third more.
Thus he may at once get $50 monthly
| cash and found II he ia able and keeps
| busy.
II he enlists as a musician he gets
S21 monthly to start of with, the
| highest rockies" pay. In the signal
corps, the hospital corps and the en-
gineers' corps 6rst class privates get
$1S monthly, and second class privates
get $15.
Upon enlistment every man Is allow
ed $3.50 for his uniforms, etc, and
afterward $13.54 twice annually. At
least one.half the men save money on
| their clothing allowance, which is more
than ample. Privates' pay increases
So a month for each three year en-
listment An expert rifeman who
never gets to be a petty officer, there
fore, can run his pay up, with good
conduct and intelligence, to 1876 a
month and oil his necessaries found
| in Ave enlistmens covering fifteen
| years.
Noncommissioned officers are taken
| from the ranks on recommendation Of
their company or troop commanders
and are often given their posts upon
their first enlistments. These men are
really well paid. sergeant major is
allotted to each regiment. He receives
$45 monthly when he is appointed and
81 additional per month each time he
re-enlists. Regimental commissary ser.
geants, regimental Quartermaster's ser
| geants and the three battalion ser
geants in each regiment get the same
high pay. Each company has first
sergeant at S45, with an increase Of
"a upon re-enlistments; a second ser
geant at 500, with So increase for each
re-enlistment; corporal at SIS, with
So each for re-enlistments. The gov
eminent acts as banker for the SOL
diers, too, II they desire to have 1t, and
noncommissioned officers have left the
service with as much as $4,000 saved
mot one, but many. II he sticks tight
to the service for full thirty years a
noncommissioned officer is entitled to
retirement on pay ranging from one
half to three-quarters Of bis service
pay. Seventy dollars monthly is not
unusual pay for "noncom" to retire
on. And every year of service seen
outside the United States counts as
two years at home post A man,
therefore, after fifteen years Of service
in the islands may retire on his half
pay.
| The food the "noncoms" and the
other enlisted men are given is whole
some and well cooked. the medical at
tendance free and able. post and gar
rison schools have been provided at
all posts for the primary branches.
and at several posts trade schools
have been established. A worthy
man, no matter where he may be sta
toned, is almost certain to get trans
fer to a "school post" If he asks for
1t. Cooking. baking, blacksmithing,
veterinary surgery, electrical and sta
tonary engineering, all are taught at
these trade schools, as well as many
other things. Thus a boy who has
had little chance to get an education
may, after he has Joined the army.
get very good one.
There seems to be but one thing
which army life does not offer to the
| ehiistSN Aau. oul 'nat ohe uihS 10
home.
In its degree indeed the life Of the
enlisted man now offers more induce
ments than the life of the West Point
err. The commissioned officers pay is
small when his expenses and the eff
fort he must make to get commission
ed are considered, and, furthermore,
the noncommissioned officer Is not so
subject to political influences as the
West Pointer. who gives him his COM
| io