Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-08-18
WILL
GET 6 OFFICERS
REORGANIZATION OF FORCES uNLER
PERSHING PLAN IS PUT INTO EFF.
Feet BY WAR DEPARTMENT.

- ~
plete reorganization Of all branches of the
army to conform with European
standards, n recommended by MAJOR
General Pershing, Is provided for IN army
orders revealing that the recently an
nounced divisional reorganization plan II
to be carried into regiments and compa-
MES.
The administrative unit OF the infantry
army hereafter will be "A company with
$50 enlisted men and six commissioned Of
iicers. in place If something over one hun
dred men and three officers.
The company will be divided into four
platoons. each in command Of a lieutenant.
There will lac two captains "a first and
second command. one first lieutenant and
three second lieutenants. Reports Of the
review OF American troops in France yes
.terday show that this plan already has
been carried out IN General Pershing ;
forces.
The object of assigning two captains
to each company. il i understood, i to
provide against Reorganization of the
VIII lui'l-H " tVNN VI -
The second captain. under the European
system. does not 20 into battle line with
the company II his senior j. present. lie
Is held as a reserve Ia %reorganizc the
company II necessary.
Under the new plan each regiment will
have three battaliouS Of four companies.
making n total Of three thousand men.
Supplemented hy the regimentai head
quarters, supply and machine gun organ
nations. the strength of the new regiments
viii he brought up 10 approximately 5000
men - against little more than 1000 III
existing war strength regiments.
The unit organization of field artillery
aud other arms of the service has not
been changed. As a result of reducing the
number 81 regiments III a division, that
unit instead of 5000 men will total here
after about 10000 men. $4,000 of them in
f%antry. The advantages Of the system in
addition In the better adaptation of the
divisional unit to trench warfare, lie chief
~ IN the reduction Of overhead Expense.
One colonel and hi regimental staff. in
GLIDING his three battalion commanders
will now handle 5000 men instead Of lit
tie more than 1000.
Today orders how hat provision has
been made fer organization of thirty-two
new infantry divisions IN addition Ia the
regular DIVISIONS IN addition t. the regular
divisions ont 40 troops airet ~ called -
the color. including the first increment
al 6s7 600 drafted men. 4 system Of
numerical designations have been worked
ont under which any division numbered be-
low twenty-six will he regulars. between
tweniy-six and seventv-five national
guard. and seventy-six and above national
army. Regular infantry brisade> viii be
numbered from one 90 fifty inclusive:
national guard from 81 To $50 and nation
nj army from l5l up.
Assignment of brigade. regimenial or
other numerical designation will he in ac-
cordance with the numerical order of di-
visions with the result that any person
familiar with the system will know that
the Thirty-fi infantry, for instance. j.
attached To the One Hundred and Sixty
seventh brigade of the Eichiv-fourth in
.fantry division, and that il i composed Of
national army troops. while Three Hun
dredth infantry regiment by the same pro-
cess would ~ ~ the One Hundred and
Fiftieth brigade and the Scventv-fifth
division, conp"Scl of national guard
troops.
The department approved today collar
insignia ~ designate the three elements uf
the army. Regular viii wear the stand
ard ~. -" monogram. nationa. guards
men will wear ~ similar monogram with
the initials ~. g." ~uperimpoSed. and
national army men will nave the initials
IN. A." s~uperimposed ON the II. S."