The Monticellonian., 1917-08-02
WHEN THE SQUAD IS ACTING
 ALONE IN EXTENDED ORDER.

The squad in combat drill is what might be called subsidiary first unit. The squad is not the regulation first unit-this is the platoon (one-fourth of q company roughly speaking), as will be explained later. But within a platoon. closer fire control is often necessary, and to this the squad organ ization is adapted. Particularly is this essential to firing by squads" which is, under certain circumstances, the most effective way in which the fire can be delivered.
 In addition, the squad is a most practicable unit for patrol and out post duty, since it places q small and flexible body of men Tn charge of noncommissioned officer for work which requires discretion and conceal ment. This is not to say that patrol or outpost duty is confined to squads, but it is often subdivided finally upon the squad basis. In any event. the squad in extended order work of all kinds has many occasions to work in- dependently, and il is then that the discipline and sense of unity acquired in close order drill will justify itself, as well as obedience and attention to the corporal.
 When the squad is deployed with other squads, the front and rear rank men place themselves abreast the cor poral at half-pace intervals, as we have seen, but when the squad is act ing alone, the skirmish line is formed in the same way upon No. ? of the front rank. No. stands fast in his place or continues the march, as the case may be. Meanwhile, the cor poral places himself in front lof the squad when advancing, and in the rear when halted When he is in line, the corporal is the guide; when he is not in line-that is, when he advances in front of the squad as it's commander No. front rank is the guide of the line, and it is the duty of No. front rank to follow in the tracks Of the cor poral, with the rest of the squad guid ing on No. ?.
 The command for assembling the squad may be given either as "Assem- | bly,, MARCH," or by the corporal's waving his arm in short circles above his head. At the command the men | move toward the corporal, wherever he has taken his station as a base, and form upon him, in their proper places, l in close order. If the corporal contin- ues to advance, they move in double l time, form. and follow him. The as-
 sembly, while marching to the rear, is | not executed.
 It will be seen that in deploying as skirmishers, the precise form of move
 ment prescribed for close order drill is not adhered to. A man has more
 ease and latitude in carrying out the
 movements. This is to make speed.
 While men in close order are com 1 peled to turn corners sharply and
 maneuver. so to speak, in angles, in ex- I tended order it would be inefficient for i a man to turn on an angle to reach his 1 position when he could make a straight
 cut for it.
 Yet this in no sense nullifieS the
 need for precision in close order drill.
 without it troops would become hope 1 lessly tangled up, and without it also there would not be the uniformity of l movement which would cause members
 of a squad in extended order instinct
 lively to choose the most direct-and
 in that sense, precise-short-cuts in the
 least possible time. In fact, without the
 close order, they could make no short
 cuts at all, for they would not know
 where to turn in order to find their
 places in the squad
 ~o-o~c~>o~>~~o~-o-oooo~rf~~~-o---