Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-08
: MILITARY TERMS OF
o NEW DEFENSE ACT
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

The new national defense act passed
by congress June 3 and just become
elective provides definite figures for
the peace and war strength of the
numerous units composing the various
arms of the United States military es-
tablishment.
The new law is explicit in it's defini-
ton of military terms frequently seen
by newspaper readers, particularly in
news dispatches from the Mexican bor-
der, such as company" troop" bat
terry" battalion" regiment" squad
ron" and brigade
Here is list of definitions Of these
terms and the strength of each unit,
together with the arms equipment of
each branch Of the service, as pro-
vided in the new act:
COMPANY-A company is an infan-
try unit composed of 100 men and
three officers (peace strength). There
are twelve companies to a regiment.
The enlisted men are armed with rifles
and bayonets, the officers with sabers
and automatic pistols.
TROOP-A troup Is cavalry unit
having three officers and little fewer
than a company Of infantry. The num-
Der Of troops to a regiment is twelve.
The enlisted men are armed with
sabers, rifles and automatic pistols
The officers with sabers and automatic
pistols.
BATTERY-A battery is an artillery
unit corresponding to a troop or COM
pany in general organization, and hav-
ing a few more than a company of in
fantry. There are four officers. The
field artillery includes the mountain,
light, horse and heavy artillery. There
are four guns in a battery. The Of
flcers wear sabers and automatic pis-
tolls and the men have automatic pis-
tolls.
BATTALION-A battalion consists
Of four companies in the infantry and
two OF three batteries in the artillery.
SQUADRON-A squadron is made
up of four troops of cavalry and is the
cavalry synonym for battalion.
REGIMENT-In the infantry regi-
ment consists of three battalions of
four companies each, or twelve COM
panies; headquarters company made
up of a band of twenty eight pieces,
regimental noncommissioned officers
and orderlies, machine gun COM
airy regiment consists of three squad
rons of four troops each, or twelve
troops; a headquarters troop, a. ma
chine gun troop, and supply troop.
Am artillery regiment contains six bat
teries, some consisting of two hattal-
ions of three batteries each. and some
OF three battalions Of two batteries
each. There is also the headquarters
company and supply company.
BRIGADE-The typical infantry bri-
gade contains three regiments of in
fantry, and a headquarters. The cav
airy and artillery brigades have the
same number of regiments.
/ DIVISION-The typical infantry di-
vision is made up of Headquarters.
three brigades of infantry, one regi-
ment of cavalry, one field artillery
brigade, one refiiment of engineers and
one field signal battalion, one aero
squadron, one ammunition train, one
supply train, one engineer train and
one sanitary train. The typical cav
airy division consisteds of headquart-
ers, three cavalry brigades, one regi-
ment of horse" artillery. one battalion
of mounted engineers, one aero sound
ron, one field signal battalion (nount-
ed. and the supply. engineer and san
tary trains.
ARMY CORPS-An army corps is
similar to division in construction,
only, of course, having larger units
of the various branches of the serv-
ice attached to it.
SIGNAL CORPS-The signal corps
is organized into companies and bat
talions. Ns.
AERO CORPS-The aero corps is a
part of the signal corps. Army Of
hclals expect to make the aero crops
a separate department from the signal
branch Of the service.
At war strength the commands mon
Toned in these figures are increased in
numbers of men by about one-thirG.