Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-06-20
MILITARY TERMS
You SHOULD KNOW
With the War on Now People Should
Know the Correct Interpretation
Of Military Terms.
MANY TERMS ARE
USED INCORRECTLY
The Following Terms Are Among
Those i'm Constant Use.

With the United States on the
eve of having troops in actual ply
steal contact in the European battle
front, an Interpretation of the mill
tary terms in general use will be an
aid to the general reader. The fol-
lowing are among those in constant
luse;
A corps is two or more divisions
commanded by major general.
A division is composed of two or
more brigades, also command, by
10 major general.
A brigade, commanded by a brig
Iadier general, is composed Of two or
more regiments and independent
companies or battalions
A regiment of infantry consists of
twelve line companies and three ad-
lditional companies. 1t is commanded
I'by colonel, with the following ad-
Iditional officers, One lieutenant
colonel, three majors fifteen cap
Itains as company commanders, three
of them also being members of the
cOlonePs staff as adjutant, quarter
master and commissary: two lieuten-
ants to each company, one lieutenant
acting on each of the three majors
staff.
A battalion is made up of four
companies and is commanded by o
major.
A company of infantry consists Of
about $50 men, divided into two
Iplatoons; pIatoons are divided into
squads. A platoon is commanded
by a lieutenant--a commissioned
officer; two or more squads are COM
manded by sergeant; a squad is
commanded by corporal and COM
prises seven men besides the cor
poral. r
'sTroop" For Cavalry.
Accompany OF cavalry is called a
troop and a battalion of cavalry is
Iealled squadron.
A company of artillery is called a
battery. 1t is divided into sections
and there may be different numbers
of guns, according to the kind of
artillery.
Three batteries of artillery make
a battalion.
The word company" troop" or
I"battery," should not be used before
the letter as Company B." 1t would
be the same as to say Street jack
soa." The letter comes first, just as
the numeral comes before the word
regiment: "2d Regiment. Not Regi-
ment I'd.
Troops are either "federals" Greg
l,,va nd q Ia
citizen of the United States between
the age of Is and As Is member OF
the militia. Never use the word
when referring to organized bodies
Iof troops.
There are no such things as
l''militia officials or army Official
in military parlance. They are ma
ltional guard and army officers.
/ A skirmish, engagement, brush,
fight or encounter is not a battle.
A battle is an engagement for the
possession of certain point and is
general In its character. Large bo-
dies of troops are engaged--more
than a brigade. Otherwise the fight
is an engagement, skirmish or an
lencounter.
Don't Carry Muskets.
l Never say Captain Jones AID his
soldiers of Company A. Say "a
company, commanded by Captain
lJones,'' cid go and so.
ANY irregular body of troops less
than a company, or troops, is called
la detachment, unless it is platoon
or SQUAD or section of artillery.
Never say, Lieutenant Jones and a
number of men, from such and such
an organization. Say: "a detach-
ment from A Company, commanded
by Lieut.. Jones'"
| Ammunition is spoken of in terms
lof rounds. Fifty rounds" means
fifty cartridges-fifty shots.
Never say muskets There are not
lany. Artillerymen carry pistols and
not revolvers.
Troops generally move in col
lumns. (The usual column is four
men abreast-two ranks comprising
la squad, with the corporal as the
man on the left in the rear rank.)
IThey go into the firing line in "ex-
Ifended order'rsometimes referred
Ito as a skirmish line. Troops are
sent into battle or engagement as the
firing line, the support and the re-
Iserve. The tactical unit in line OF
battle or engagement is the battalion.
Not "New Recruits"
A picket consists of several men
GENERALLY a squad. One OF Pic
lket is a sentinel or sentry. In front
land on the hanks of all troops In
camp are outposts-pickets. All
troops doing guard duty. picket du-
lty. outpost duty, etc., are command
ed by "The officers of the day." so
designated for period of twenty
-four hours as are the troops on guard
Iduty.
blankets. Not rain coats or rain
lcapes. Mounted troops and drivers
Iare equipped with "Slickers."