The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-06
lLeSson No. 12.j
Teamwork in The Army.

Teamwork in The Army.
I So far in this course we have been
! taking up some of the problems
which each soldier has to lace ano
solve for himself; how to adjust him
! self as quickly as possible to the rou-
tine Of camp life: how to keep him
self and all his belongings clean IN
spite of the difficulties in the way;
how to look after his own health and
comfort; how to take care of arms
and equipment; and how TO get real
enjoyment, as we'll as benefit, out OF
Army life.
If the course were to stop just al
this point, it might leave in your
mind 4 false impression For after
all, the soldier is not an individual
player in the great game OF war; he
is valuable chiefly as a member OF
a team. 1t is a team OF enormous
size. 1t is organized in rather 2
complicated way. This team we call
the Army.
Your Army life will be more inter
estlng if you know in general way
how the team is organized. This will
enable you 10 see more clearly where
you fit in and what is expected OF
you.
If YOU have been working for a
business concern, you are already IA
miliar with many of the elements OF
Army organization. You have been
in touch with the same things under
different names.
In factory or store or office
wherever large numbers of people
are working together-there is al
most always some one in direct
charge of each group of workers.
This person may be called a foreman
in the shop, chief clerk in an Off
ce, a floor walker in d department
store. or by any one of a number OF
other titles; in the Army we call him
a corporal or a sergeant Going up
step, YOU know that in every large
concern there are numerous officers
who take charge of various depart
mentS of the business such as the SUI
perintendent, the traffic manager, the
advertising manager, the sales mana
ger. the secretary, the vice,president,
and so on; in the Army we call the
men in corresponding positions cap
tains, majors, colonels, and generals.
Finally you have at the top of the
business concern a president or
general manager who directs every
thing; in the Army he is a commando
ing general.
This general likeness between b. 6
ness organization and Army org Ii
zation is helpful, but must not be car
ried too far There is one vital diff
ference: The average business con-
cern is somewhat easy going; the re-
sponsibility for each piece of work =
not always detikitsly fAed.
Army everybody, on the other hS dd,
is held to the strictest account. There
is very seldom any doubt as to the
man to be held responsible for each
task.
Within each rank, from major
general to private, every man has his
individual ranking, depending upon
his length OF service in the office
which he holds. This ranking jnSures
that in every situation somebody al
ways has authority and is responsible
for whatever is done. Even if two
private soldiers are working together
without supervision, the one who has
been longer in the service takes
charge and the other must obey his
orders. This rule applies everywhere
In civilian life there is time for
argument. You may have better
ideas than your boss about how a
certain thing should be aone and
possibly may convince him and get
his original orders changed. In Ar
my life nothing of this kind can be
cd in oha
ways has the full responsibility
Whatever orders he gives must be
instantly obeyed. 1t is far better to
take action, even though the thing
may not be done in the best possible
way, than it is to stand still and de-
bate. Lack of immediate action in
the crisis of battle might mean
that the Army would be defeated,
thousands of lives lost, and possibly
the honor of the country stained.
Think over this difference between
Army organization and civilian orga-
nization. The longer you think about
it, the more clearly you will see why
your own interests demand that you
should fit into your place in the Ar
my and follow instructions much
more strictly than is necessary in
civil life.
The Army is governed by military
law. This means that soldiers are
not brought to trial in civil courts,
except for certain serious crimes, but
are subject to military courts of in
quiry, summary courts, and court
martial. However, this will never be
a question of much Importance to
r hn 10. Of,
tional Army.
Success in winning victories is the
object for which the Army exists. In
nothing else counts. Ev-
cry officer and every soldier must be
ready to make any sacrifice, big or
little. to accomplish this object. An
officer may spend years in working
out solutions to military problems,
only to find in the end that all the
credit for what he has done is swal-
lowed up in the general reputation of
the Army. If this proves to be the
case, he has no cause for complaint.
1t is the rule of the Army that every
thing must be done for the good OF
the service"
In the same way you may be call
ed upon to carry through some dan
gerous mission or to perform un-
pleasant duties. Every such call is
an opportunity to show your loyalty
to the service and to the Nation. Re-
member in all these cases that hun
dreds of thousands of other men in
the Army, from top to bottom, like
yourself are working first and all the
time for the success of the team.
1t is usually the Army with the
strongest team spirit that fights its
way through to victory. Try to cul-
tivate that spirit in the National Ar
my both in yourself and among your