The Washington herald., 1917-09-05
LESSON NO. 20.
CLOSE ORDER DRILL.

Close-order formations are seldom
used in actual fighting: nevertheless,
they should be thoroughly mastered.
They have been worked out during
centuries OF experience as the best
menas Of training men In soldierly
habits of thought and action. They
teach precision. teamwork, and that
prompt and unhesitating obedience
which is so necessary to military con-
troll. The fact that you and your
comrades are thoroughly drilled will
be your best protection in the hour
of battle. 1t will give every man
confidence in himself and in his COM
rades and will insure steadfastness In
the face of the enemy.
However. close-order drill will not
yield these results-it will be worse
| than useless-unless 1t is learned
thoroughly and practiced with snap
and precision. You must drill. drill.
drill. 1t is one of the most essential
steps in your training. Enter these
drills with enthusiasm. Try to make
a distinct improvement every day.
Close Order Drill.
There are four sections or grades
of close-order drill. which are called
school of the soldier, school OF the
squad. school of the company. school
of the battalion. The word school"
as here used, means a fixed method
of training
First of all, you will get the train
ing included under the school Of the
| soldier" This training is in turn
divided into two parts Instruction.
without arms and the Manual Of
Arms.
The very first thing you will learn
Is the position of the soldier. which
has already been explained in lesson
four, then you will be shown. among
other things, how to face to the right
or left or about in soldierly man
ner, how to salute properly and how
| to march.
The Manual of Arms takes you a
step further. 1t teaches you how to
handle your rifle properly. 1t does
not. however. include practice in
firing or in bsyonet combat.
in the school of the squad YOU will
execute all the movements learned in
the school of the soldier; In addition
you will learn TO keep your correct
place in ranks, to stack and take
arms, and to march as a squad. The
school Of the squad includes also
some practice in extended-order drill.
The school of the company carries
You still further in your training. In
! the close-order drill you will be taught
| to march in line and in column and
to execute n number of simple but
very important movements.
The Battalion.
The school OF the battalion in turn
applies on a somewhat larger scale
the movements you have learned in
the school of the company. The COM
mands of the major will be repeated
to you by your own captain, or
through him by your platoon COM
mander.
The battalion is the largest unit in
which an officer can make his COM
mands heard and clearly understood
by all the men; hence, it is the largest
unit in which there is instruction in
close-order drill. Regiments, brigades,
and larger units are controlled
| through orders given to commanding
officers which they carry out by issu-
ing other commands or orders to the
officers or men Immediately under
| their control.
A very important thing for you to
remember is that this progressive
| training in the close-order drill is all
based upon some very simple move
ments which you will learn in the
school of the soldier and the school of
| the squad. II you get these basic
movements right so that you can per-
form them exactly and promptly
| and you ought to be able to learn this
in a very short time-you need have
no fear of the complicated movements
of the school of the company and the
\ school of the battalion. In reality.
these movements merely look more
complicated, because they are carried