Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-08-23
SELF HELPS for the
NEW SOLDIER
D. . Uuisj Saa,es Amy Olhoss
the oMpAM NOME.

as a member Of Q squad. but the COM
.ury In the unit with which he will
he permanently identified. He may be
shifted from squad to squad as the
strength Of the company varies, but
be will in oil probability continue to
be q member Of the same company.
owing to the loose and tentative Or
ranizatIOn Of the squad-that Is, SO
far as Individual members are ton.
~cerned-real esprit de corps does not
begin with the squad but with the COM
Even when in camp and menu
bers Of the same squad are terminates,
a change In the formation Of the Gem
many may occur at any time which
would throw the new soldier into a
different squad.
The company Is different. 1t Is o
fixed and continuous thins-a going
concern, so to speak. Ii is the new SOL
d!er's military home, even on the
march; or, to put 1t another way, it is
his military class in the regiment,
which corresponds 10 his military col
lccc. Toward other regiments he feels
y as he would toward Il rival college.
The present regiment In the Ameri-
can army consists of Is companies.
These include II infantry companies,
authorized to have 100 men and three
officers at peace strength. and 100 men
and three officers ut wal strength. The
three additional companies which 90
to make up the Is are headquarters,
supply and machine gun companies,
The captain is the commander of the
company. There are two subordinate
commissioned oficers-the first aud
second lieutenant. These command
rlatoons, and. us need arises, in order
of rank take command of the com
pany.
Although the war department is con
sidering the organization of companies
Of go men, on the French plan, under
the Hay bill the company at peace
strength Is constituted as follows: one
captain, one first lieutenant. one sec.
ond lieutenant, one first sergeant, one
mess sergeant, one supply sergeant, SIX
sergeants, II corp0rals, two cooks
two buglcrs, one mechanic, 10 privates
Of the first class. and So privates Of the
second class-total, 103. For wnl
strength there are added two ser
sennts, six corporals, one cook, on
mechanic, nine privates (first class)
and 81 privutes (second c.ass)-total
1913 men and officers.
A company is subdiyided into pla
toons and squads. The number boil
Of platoons and squads varies accord
Ing to whether the company is u
peace or war strength, or even helov
the authorized peace strength. Like
wise, the strength of a squad may var,
In order to extend the framework o
the company, except that no squa'
may contain less than six men.
The company, then, is divided int
two, three or four p%latoons, each con
slsting Of not less than two nor NOR
than four squads. In other words, u
full var strength, there would be ]
squads, or 1923 men. in the four plf
toons. The remainder besides the off
GERS has assigned positions such a
guides and file closers.
The s~ergeants. of whom there ma
be IL ut wal strength, will be foun
to be Of more Importance in the con
pany than the corporal, who has n
authority except over the men of h
immediate squad. Sergeants are NJ
only In charge Of two squads when S
grouped, but may be placed in con
mand OF u platoon. In n company {
four plntoons, two platoons at len:
must be commanded by sergeants. TT
new soldier will find that the sergeaI
Is the normal medium between the MOI
commissioned man and the officer, an
that sergeants are the supervisors
all company affairs which relate excl
sively to enlisted men.