Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-05-16
BOY REGIMENT At
CULVER STARTS0N
TRAINING COURSE
SIX HUNDREDYoUNGsTERs, SOME
Ks OF THEM FROM IOWA, BEGIN
MILITARY DRILL

Culver Ind, May 15.-Six hundred
boy soldiers started in the making at
the second annual military instruction
camp opened today by the Culver mill
tary academy. The embryo soldiers
are high school students gathered
from Indiana and adjoining states for
two weeks Of intensive military train
Ing. The boys will live in tents and
will undergo all the conditions of regu-
lar field service with the United
States army.
Iowa has delegation of boys In
camp and there are a number of stud
ents from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and
Kentucky, making the acquaintance Of
life in shelter tent.
The camp Is designed, according to
Col. L. r. Gignilliant, commandant, to
local schools contemplate the introduce
ton of military training during the
next school year and, 1t Is said, several
students are being sent to the camp
by municipalities with the object Of
making the boys the leaders in the
work of organizing the home school
for military training purposes. Two
weeks spent at Culver will enable the
boys to lend valuable service to their
schools and also will enable them to
add their part to the nations military
efficiency.
While the arrival here today will be
the first military experience Of many
Of the boys, yet they will not be en-
tirely ignorant of military affairs. To
each applicant for permission to enter
the camp, the Culver authorities sent a
book Of instructions, designed to give
the boy an idea of the work he will be
expected to do while at Culver Those
sufficiently interested to enter tie
camp, 1t is believed, will familiarize
themselves with large amount of in
structions, which he would, otherwise,
have had to learn in camp, such as
nomenclature of the rife, manual of
arms, elements of squad movements,
the signal code, elements Of target
designation and the like. This plan,
the authorities believe will give more
time for field work.
The course of instruction for the two
weeks is designed to take up as much
in detail as possible, the following
phases of military instruction: Manual
of arms, foot movements, squad drill,
company drill, battalion drill, extend
ed order, advance guard, outpost duty,
patrolling, construction of wire en-
tanglements, trench making. hipp.
ology, field signallying with telephone
buzzer, heliograph, semaphore, wig
wag and wireless, first aid, hospital
drill, care of transportation, care of
wounded, camp sanitation, camp cook
ing, shelter, tent pitching, elements
Of artillery drill, manipulation of
piecesm gallery practice, rifle practice
of range, map sketching, wall scaling,
and operating an automatic rife.
There will be number of hikes and
possible an over night camp. There
also will be number of field man.
euvers which will illustrate the ele.
ments Of combat and fire control.
While here, the boys will be organ
lied into companies OF fifty each, with
an officer of the academy in Immediate
command. Additional officers and non
commissioned officers will be chosen
from the experienced cadets at the
academy and from among the students
themselves that show special aptitude
for the work.
Culver authorities make 1t plain that
the campers will have plenty of work.
but add that there will be time for
considerable recreation each day.