The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-30
staff Branches of the Service Eaphtinr Arms of Service

Ready for Camp. B. First Days Tn Camp. 6. Cleanliness in Camp. '. Health. g. Marching and Care of the Feet. g. Equipment and Arms. lo, Recreation in Camp. II. Playing the Game. 12. Teamwork in the Army. 1a csrouptnE Men into Teams. IA. The Tea1n Leaders. 15. Fighting Arms Of the Service. ), t
 Tn addition to the three fighting arfns--Infantry, Cavalry, and Artil- Iery--there are nine branches of the arrnv known as staff corps. and de- partment. In general their first and most important duty is not fighting. but assisting those who do right. py providing them with everything they need.X Very few people outside the army have a clear idea, of the organ Szatinn 7of these nine branches or of their. duties. Following are the staff corps and lsganartnnents: General Staff Corps, Adtutant generals Department, In wpectort Generals Department. Judge AdyocateE Generals Department, En- Rineer Corps, Signal Corps. Medical Department. Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Department.
 The first four Af the staff branches ijust named are composed entirely lof texperienced and capable officers The <A~~~>s~~~~ well as officers.
 The Brains of the Army
 The business of the General Staff Corps is to study military problems of all kinds, to work out the best SO 1utions. and to report to the Chief of Staff of the Army. It is often called the ssbradns of the Army and it would be hard to give a better des- crfptipn in a few words. The War ~ColleSe division of the General Staff Corps is devoted to the study and in vestiEation of new and special prob Jems.
 In tiisse of war some of the ndena-- 'bers of the General Staff Corps serve with the generals in the field and as- sist$ them in solving and handling their various problems. While on this duty the senior General Staff of ficer acts as chief of staff of the conn mandins general. This position is noe to be confused with that of Chief, of Staff of the Army, who has general lsupervfsio1a of all military operations, both at home and in che field.
 Hhe Adjutant GeneT4Fs departr1 ept has charge of all of the records relat- ing to officers and enlisted men. is- sues orders to carry out the wishes eof the commanding officer, ,ands carries on military correspon- .dence Tn every battalion and regi- ment one of the officers of the line ,fs detailed as adjutant to perform for his organization the duties just nam- ed.
 Military Observers
 The Inspector Generals depart ment observes everything that goes on and reports on the skill and gen. era1 fitness of officers and troops. Al intervals an officer from the Inspec- tor Generals department reviews the npen in each organization; examines e&sir arms. equipment, and supplies books over all records showing expen- Iditures of money or distribution o1 property; and sends in a complete report, pointing out the good and bad features of the organization. In this way the higher officers are kept in formed at all times as to the state of affairs in every section of the Army.
 The Judge Advocate Generals de. partment is the legal department ot the Army. It prepares opinions or legal questions for the guidance o other officers or departments; serves as the representative of the law il military courts, and keeps the lega records of the Army. Closely related is the office of Provost Marshal Gen eral, who has charge, among othel things. of enforcing the selective service law.
 Unless you work your way up t, a commission, 1t is not likely that yol will ever come in touch in any direc way with any of the four staff de kpartments just named. Their dutie are reviewed here simply because should be interesting to you to knov how the great Army machine is kep well oiled and running smoothly evel in periods of great difficulty.
 The Engineer Corps
 You will frequently see the. othe Efive staff branches in operation, how lever, throughout your army life.
 The Corps of Engineers are tn .Hld1led workrnen of the Army. The lay out permanent camps and en lfrenchments; build and repair nili Etary roads, railroads. and bridges ,dig saps and mines under the enemy frenches, and take care of other wor (which requires the technical skill c ahis character
 Theoretically the Engineer Corps ynot one of the fighting arms; but i Epractice they are often called upo Ito fight and to perform dangerou duties They may build bridges 0 ,dig entrenchemerts, for example, UT der the eneny's fire. In moder .warfars the engineers play a high1 important-an often a heroic par
 The Signal Corps ia the message ybSarer of the Army. It carries info1 smataon and orders from one head quarters to another. It is today 8 essential to the conduct of a gres army as the telephone is to the cor / duct of a great business
 The Signal Ccrrs
 At one time the Signal Corps trans united messages chiefly through tn use of flags, lanterns, heiiograpf E(mzrrofs so arranged as to reflect an flash rays of Hght), and the 1ik sThen came a period during which . Twas chiefly concerned with layin down and operating telegraph an telephone lines; and this Is still or of it's most important duties. How ever. the wireless is becoming n1or and more important. even on the ba, tIefield-
 A first-class signalman~ is expe1 with all these various methods. He Ayso asrpod horHeuany since .hee ruu
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