Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-07-19

By uni,-d s..<. Amy ome-r
souAD-wHY AND WHAT 1T IS

SQUAD-WHY AND WHAT 1T Is.
The squad is the integral unit upon
which all collective movements are
based. Soldiers are grouped into
squads of eight for the purpose of in
struction and discipline; for control
as component factors In platoon or
company; and for convenience in ex-
ecuting orders which may call for
small number of men.
At the command 1'fall in," the eight
men line up in two ranks of four. The
man who stands at the left of the front
rank is the base of the squad, and 1t
usually forms up the position which he
has taken He is the squad leader-a
corporalEwhile the other seven men
In the squad are privates.
The corporal gives the commands by
which the squad, when an individual
unit, executes its movements. If the
squad is formed with the company, the
captain will give the commands con-
trolling example, but the corporal will
repeat to his men the preparatory
command.
When a squad falls In, all the men,
bers Except the corporaD assemble
in the order of height from right to
left. The rank falls in 40 inches be-
hind the front rank. This is called
distance. At the command fright
dressl'' each man places his left hand
fiat upon his hip, hand straight down.
ward, fingers and thumb extended and
touching. Each man, except the front
and rear rank man on the right of the
line. turns his head and eyes to the
right and takes steps of two or three
inches so that his right arm, hanging
in the position of "Attention," will
lightly touch the elbow of the raised
left arm of the man on his right; and
each man must also take position in
the line so that his eyes and shoulders
are in line with those of the man Cor
the first two or three men) on his right.
The two men in the right file keep
their head and eyes to the front.
The rear rank men cover in file
that Is, each man places himself direct
ly behind the man in front of him, as
well as on line with those to the right
of him. At the command Front ~ ev-
cry man drops his left hand to his side,
turns his head straight to the front,
and takes the position of Attention"
If the command is left
DRESSI" the squad dresses on the ex-
IRENE left man, who keeps his head
straight to the front; but in both
right DRESS % and left
DRESSI" only the left arm is raised.
By means of the raised elbow, the men
get the proper space Cor intervaD be-
tween them, and the command also
gains the proper alignment for squad,
q company, or a larger body of sol
diers.
In marching, unless otherwise COM
manded, the alignment described above
Is preserved. A guide is designated,
either s'guide right" or "guide left"
and the men maintain their alignment
by yielding to pressure from the side
Of the guide fright or left, as the case
may be), and resisting pressure from
the opposite side.
In order that each man may know
his place in the squad-for, as will lat
er be explained, the details of his own
movements will vary according to his
position in the unit-the squad lead
or instructor will give the command
"count Off" At this, each man, ex-
cept the right file, turns his head and
eyes to the right. The right file
(namely, the man at the extreme right
of the front rank and the man at the
extreme right OF the rear rank, ~
inches behind him) keep their heads
and eyes to the front. Simultaneous
ly, these two count "one!" the two
men in the next file, front and rear
rank, simultaneously count 'twoi !"
and as they count ''two." they swing
their heads in unison back to the po-
sition of attention. The same with
three and -four" When the count
is finished, the whole squad has re-
turned to the position of attention, and
each man knows thereafter exactly
what he himself is to do when certain
commands to the squad are given