Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-08-31
SELF HELPS for the
NEW SOLDIER
By a United State, Army Officer
seUAo-wHY AND WHAT 1T is.
rsrs"sr.rsrs"srsrsrsu.u. susr.r.,
Copyright, 1917, by tho Whesler ayndIeate. I'M

oION1-WHr AND WHAT " IL,
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 ana discipline; for control
as component factors In a platoon or
company; and for convenience in ex-
ecueng orders which may call for a
small number Of men.
AT the command "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 II
usually forms up the position which he
has taken. He is the squad leader-n
cOrpOral-whlle 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. II 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 II squad falls In, all the men,
bers Except the eOrporaD 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 E.
dress" 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 ana 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 Tor
the first two or three mem 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
~ 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 &. IL.
DRESSw the squad dresses on the ex-
IRENE left man, who keeps his head
straight to the front; but in both
fright .DRESSw and "left
DRESS!" only the left arm is raised.
by means Of the raised elbow, the men
get the proper space Cor interval) be-
tween them, and the command also
gains the proper alignment for a squad,
Il 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 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
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
the man at the extreme right
Of the front rank and the man at the
extreme right of the rear rank, 40
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 two"
md as they count two" they swing
their heads in unison back to the pO-
siton of attention. The sans 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
to the squad are given.