The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-03

Ussued by the War Department
and all rights to reprint reserved.)
This course of thirty daily lessons
is offered to the men selected for
service in the national army as a
practical help in getting started in
the right way. 1t Is informal in tone
and does not attempt to give binding
rules and directions. These are con-
tanned in the various manuals and
army, to which this course Is merely
LESSON NO. 10.
GROUPING MEN INTO TEAMS.
Note.-This lesson is based upon
the present organization of the Unit
ed States army. Some changes may
be made later.
preceding Lessons: /. Your Post
OF Honor. 2. Making Good as Sol
der. 8. Nine Soldierly Qualities. 4.
Getting Ready for Camp. 5. First
Days in Camp. 6. Cleanliness in
Camp. 7. Your Health. s. March
ing and Care of Feet. 8. Your
Equipment and Arms. 10. Recrea-
| ton in Camp. IL. Playing the Game.
IL. Team Work in the Army.)
The smallest unit or team" in the
army is the squad. A squad usually
consists Of eight men, one Of whom
is the leader; he is called the cor
poral" You will be assigned to a
squal almost at once on entering the
army. At first, you may be shifted
about considerably from one squad
to another, but within a short time
you and seven other men will be
brought together as a permanent
team. This means that you will work
together, drill together, and sleep in
the same tent or in the same section
of the barracks. You will come to
know the other men in the squad
through and through and they will
become equally we'll acquainted with
you. Some of them will probably
grow to be your close and lifelong
friends. On the other hand, there
may be one or two men whom you
dislike or do not respect.
The Squad Unit.
In any case remember this: The
eight men in a squad form a team
in the same sense that a baseball
nine or a football eleven is a team.
Your squad Is competing with all
the other squads in your company.
Whenever IL shows itself especially
we'll drilled, quick to learn new
duties or careful in respect to
cleanliness and general bearing, you
pile cup a few points in your favor.
The umpires are the officers of your
company; and you may be certain
they are watching your squad every
minute Of the day-not watching for
chances to criticize but watching
hopefully for signs Of soldierly spirit
and intelligence.
It is your first duty to help your
own squad make a good showing.
Also 1t is to your own interest to do
so. There is no more pleasure or
reward for you in belonging to a
poor squad than there is for ball
player in belonging to losing team.
Take pride in your squad and its
good work. If you find you have
one man among you who Is lazy or
childish, try to get him into DIFF
ferent attitude. Every squad has at
least one weak link. The best way
to handle him is to talk to him until
you get him as much interested az
you in making your squad rank as
the best in the company.
Incidentally, your captain Is not
likely to overlook the best squad
when it comes to picking men for
promotion.
The Platoon and the Company.
Two, three, or four squads (usual-
ly three) may be joined in the next
higher unit, which Is called q
platoon" The platoon, however, Is
not so permanent as squad, but is