The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-11-27

ping wood or cleaning pans to obey
the orders Of the corporal. Some there
are. of course, who have to be re-
ported to the first sergeant for con-
finement to the company street, or
whose repeated offenses lead to the
guardhouse. The corporal who proper
ly enforces his authority knows that
the whole iron system of discipline of
the army is behind him.
In the more purely military matters
the corporal is equally important. We
hear much of the recruit and the drill
sergeant. If a company has efficient
tcoFporals, it is more often the latter
who introduce the recruits to right
dress and port arms and explain the
nice distinction between squads right
and right turn.
Many a period of company drill be-
gins with the captains command:
"Corporals, take your squads for fif-
teen minutes in the school of the sol
der and school of the squad; and it
is there that individual attention can
be given. Close order drill is of course
in larger, units, but even there the
proper execution of company move
ment frequently depends on the cor
poral, and woe be to the one who fails
to distinguish between son right into
line" and Fright front into line" for
he will find his squad moving at right
angles to the rest of the company.
In open or deployed order, such as
would always be used under battle
conditions, the squad becomes the
smallest fighting unit and the corporal
becomes the leader whom the squad
must obey, follow and stick to. Here
he is usually under the supervision of
sergeant but it is to him that the
squad looks for orders, and the order
which can properly be used only by
corporal and which is the simplest in
the Infantry Drill Regulations "Fol-
low mel! is the one which. takes the
squad away from the column in which
it has been marching, arranges it in
its proper position on the firing line,
advances it by rushes and finally leads
it to the bayonet charge.
Guard Duty.
1t is the squad leader who is given
the target designation and range by
the platoon leader, and who is re-
Sponsible for the volume and accuracy
of the fire. The Infantry Drill Regu-
/ lations' say that Gin battle officers
and sergeants endeavor to preserve the
integrity of squads; they designate
new leaders to replace those disabled,
organize new squads when necessary
| and see that every man is placed in a
squad. Men are taught the necessity
of remaining with the squad to which
they belong, and in case it be broken
up or they become separated there
| from to attach themselves to the near
| est squad.s
A distinct form of the military duty
of corporal is the guard duty. This
may be in the nature of police duty,
such as having charge of the men
known as the military police, detailed
/ to preserve order in towns near a
camp. This work frequently requires
ta high degree of ability to size up
situation and act promptly.
/ More familiar In time of peace as
well as time. of war is what is known
as interior guard duty used "in camp
or garrison to preserve order, protect
! property and to enforce order, regula-
! tiOns." To the duties of the corporal
of the guard in this work the Infantry
Drill Regulations" devote five pages.
| quite the largest amount of space Civ
en- to him in this all-in,portant book.
1t Is summed up in one short para
graph, however: SIT is the duty of the
corporal of the guard to post and re-
| lieve sentinels and to instruct the
members of his relief in their orders
and Duties"
For the purposes of explanation, as
sumo camp with fifteen posts, which
must be patrolled each by a sentry.
The guard would then consist of 40
privates, divided into three reliefs,
each with a corporal. There would
be one or two sergeants, an officer of
the guard and an officer of tho day.
AS %NNASAS 'tooA0 NC Ou pOSL LHO
and off four hours throughout the "a
hours of the day on duty.
The sentry's orders are that Sin
cases not covered by instructions. he,
is to call the corporal of the guard"
At night it is the corporal who is called
to make the arrest in case the sentry
catches anyone trying to cross his
post; and he must be continually on
the job, not only when his relief is
On post but also during the preceding
relief.
Powers of Leadership.
But it is guard duty in time of war
that calls all corporal's powers of
leadership to the force. This is called
exterior guard duty and consists of
outposts during halt and advance,
flank or rear guards during an adj
vance or retreat. It includes all that
is commonly called patrolling. Bodies
for this duty may be larger than a
squad, and may be under the COM
mand Of sergeant or even a COM