Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-17
TEN THOUSAND
N0N-C0MS TO
BE OFFICERS
StRGEAhTS WHO CAN PASS ExAMl-
NATIONS WILL SOON BE WEAR
ING SHOULDER STRAPS
ORIGINALLY PRIvATES.
YOUNG MEN WHO COME FROM SOL
DlEh TRAlNG CAMPS WILL BE
UNDER COMMAND OF MEN OF
LENGTHY EXPERIENCE

"'"- commissioning Officers IN the regular
army will 500 con the shoulder straps
that distinguish the commissioned off
Ger. They will become Officers in the bio
new army, IN most eases without The for.
mainly OF examination. These men today
are the backbone Of the enlisted personnel
hey are soldiers of the practical rather
than the theoretical Kind. They have
learned the game by experience. They are
the most valuable assets Of the United
States in finding officer, for the million
men which IT i proposed to draft during
the coming year.
The war department il not overlooking
The material II already has in the ranks. On
the contrary. it is relying heavily on these
non-comS 20 train and command the re-
cruits that will come under conservation.
Most Of these non-com> are not college
men. a lot of them are probably shaky
in the higher educational branches. II
would probably he impossible to find the
name of any one Of them in 4 social regis
ter or blue box. But they are skilled and
tried soldiers, having been in the army for
long periods. The best of them are about
To get their reward.
When the United States drafts n million
men 10 the colors it will need about 10000
new officers 10 command them. At least
q fourth of these Officers will come from
the present ranks. The same process Of
selection and promotion which has lifted
these men from the rank Of private To that
If corporal or sergeant will now operate
- put straps on their shoulders. In thou--
and> Of eases these men will not BE- com
PEELED To undergo the training and exami-
nation which is 10 bc required Of the civil
lans. who are rushing by drovcs 10 the Of
iicers reserve corps training camps for
a three months trvoui to determine their
adaptabihty and efficiency. The non
CONS have already passed their physical
examinations and thousands of them know
more about practical field work and the
command NJ men than the citizen recruits
can ever hope 10 know In three months
time. They are Injured 10 military di>ci-
pine and obedience. and d good many of
them nave seen fighting service.
When the war department last winter
submitted 10 congress it, estimates for the
regular army during the fiscal year begin
ning July ! next. it provided for 13i,773
enlisted men. Nearly 10000 of these men
held the rank of sergeant. while nearly
10000 corporal> were provided for. There
were l.ils First scrgeantS. Nearly every
one Of the latter will become IN officer in
the new army according 10 present plans.
They are the pick Of the enlisted personnel,
and every one IT them knows how 10 com
mand \ company Or hc would not hold his
job. Many OF them will become captains
at once. Others lieutcnant~.
The war department also provided for
l.104 ~ergeants of the first class and r.
sos second Sergeant>. All of these men
are valuable material from which To choose
Officers. There are also l.3ls supply ser
.cant~ and 1857 mess ~ergeani~. to say
nothing Of other men bearing the rank OF
sergeant.
There are many non-coms in the army
who are not Yet considered fiji for should
cr straps. Yet who are better prospects
than the civilians going INTO the officers
training camps. These men are deficient
in one branch Or another Of military train
ing. To bring them up TO the standard
required of Officers they are being given
short courses in those branches where they
need Improvement and a. they qualify they
will get their commissions
1t i probable that most Of the Young
officers who come out Of the civilian train
ing camps will find themselves under the
commend Of men who are today wearing
chevrun~ On the sleeves Of their regular
army uniforms. They may bc able I'd pass
\ better written examination than some
Of their >upcrior>, but they will not know
nearly - much about handling Il company.
taking care of it, health. maintaining disci-
pline and the thousand and other details
of being a practical soldier. The young
men who are 10 be drafted into the ranks
a privates need not fear that they will he
turned over To inexperienced officers. They
will find 4 lot Of seasoned war dogs on the
job. who have Just thrown aside their
rifle for side arms and whose shoulder
straps will 10 ~uSpiciou~ly new.
Not only will the new army get ten
thousand non-com> among the regulars.
hut hundreds Of officers will undoubtedly
he recruited from army privatc> who are
now taking examinations for such promo
ton. ANY army private who thinks he can
get through is entitled To take an exami-
nation for a commission and a few thous-
and of them are already making the at
tempt.