Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-18
LESSON NO. 4.
Getting Ready for Camp.

Preceding lessons: l. Your Post of
Honor 2. Making Good as Soldier.
3. Nine Soldierly Qualities.
Your real training for your duties as
a soldier will begin after you and your
comrades are assembled at the training
camps. However. there are few sim
pie things you can do during the next
few weeks which will be of decided
value in getting you started along the
right lines.
The simplest thing, and perhaps the
most useful of all, is to begin at once
to practice correct habits Of standing
and walking. Even in civilian life a
mans reputation in his community
yes, and for that matter his own self
respects determined to surprising
extent by his bearing. The man who
slouches feels like. a SLOUGH. The man
who holds his head up faces the world
with confidence and courage.
II this is true in civilian life. it is ten
times more true in military life. For
a soldier must always be strongly
marked by his snap, his precision and
his viger. He cannot have these traits
unless he carries himself like a soldier.
The Bearing of a Soldier.
Few people without military training
have a correct idea of what is meant
by the position and the bearing of
soldier. They are apt to imagine that
strained attitude. Or. more frequently.
they think that the term can properly
be applied, to any erect position. The
truth of the case, however. is that there
is a definite procedure to follow in
order to place yourself in what is
known in the army as the position OF
a soldier it is the. position which the
dismounted soldier always assumes at
may be slightly modified to enable him
to carry properly any arms he may
have in his hands
1t will be well for you to memorize
paragraph 81 of the infantry drill reg
ulations which gives the complete and
accurate description of the position of
the soldier. This paragraph is slightly
paraphrased and simplified in the de-
scription following: Keep in mind that
there are ten elements which must be
check yourself up to see that each one
of them is properly placed.
L. Heels-On the same line and as
near each other as possible; most men
should be able to stand with heels
touching each other.
2. Feet-Turned out equally and
forming an angle of about 40 degrees.
8. Knees-Straight without stiffness.
slightly: body erect and resting equally
on hips.
5 Chest-Lifted and arched.
6. ehoulders = Square and falling
equally
I. Arms-Hanging naturally.
=. Misunderstanding naturally, thumb
along the seam of the trousers.
q Head-Erect and squarely to the
front: chin drawn in so that axis of
head and neck is vertical (means that
a straight line drawn through the CEN
ter of head and neck should be YER
ticaD: eyes straight to the front.
10. Entire body-Weight of body
resting equally upon the heels and balls
of the feet.
Note especially that you are not re-
uuired to stand in strained attitude.
You are to be alert, but not tense.
One of the very best things you can
do today is to spend fifteen minutes
practtcfng this position, getting 1t
right. Keep this up every day until
you report at camp. In the army. as In
everyday life, first Impressions are i'm
portant. The first impression you make
on your officers and fellows will de-
pend. more than you probably realize,