Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-08-24
SELF HELPS for the
NEW SOLDIER
By a United States Army Officer
THE COMPANY HOME.
s-s-s.
Copyright, 1917. by the Wheeler Syndicate, Inc

The new soldier has been instructed
rs member of a squad, but the COM
pany is the unit with which he will
be permanently identified. He may be
shifted from squad to squad as the
strength of the company varies, but
he will in all probability continue to
be a member of the same company.
Owing to the loose and tentative Or
ganizatiOn of the squad-that is, so
far as individual members are con-
cerned-real esprit de corps does not
begin with the squad but with the COM
pany. Even when in camp and MEM
berS of the same squad are tentmates,
d change in the formation of the COM
pany may occur at any time which
would throw the new soldier into a
different squad.
The company Is different. 1t is q
fixed and continuous thing-a going
concern, so to speak. 1t Is the new SOL
dier'S military home, even on the
march or, to put it another way, it is
Allo LhLllluLJ Nitloo III lhC lSSlIuCl1lt
which corresponds to his military col
lege. Toward other regiments he feels
as he would toward a 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 $50 men
and three officers at war strength. The
three additional companies which go
to make up the 10 are headquarters,
SUPPLY and machine gun companies.
The captain is the commander of the
company. There are two subordinate
commissioned Ofticers-the first and
second lieutenant. These command
platOons, and, as 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 corpOrals, two cooks,
two buglerS, one mechanic, 10 privateS
Of the first class, and So privatcs of the
second ClasS-tOtal, 103. For war
strength there are added two SER
geants, six lCorporals, one cook, one
mechanic, nine privates (irst class,
and 81 privates (second class)-total,
1J3 men and officers.
A company is subdivided into pla-
toOns and squads. The number both
of plato0ns and squads varies accord
ing to whether the company is at
peace or war strength, or even below
tie authorized peace strength. Like
wise, the strength of a squad may vary
in order to extend the framework of
the company, except that no squad
may contain less than six men.
The company, then, is divided into
two, three or four platOOnS, each con-
siSting of not less than two nor more
than four squads. In other words, at
full war strength, there would be Is
squads, or 1913 men, in the four pla.
tooDs. The remainder besides the otli-
GERS has assigned positions such as
guides and file clOsers.
The sergeants, of whom there may
be II at war strength, will be found
to be of more Importance in the COM
pany than the corporal, who has no
authority except over the men of his
immediate squad. SergeantS are not
only in charge of two squads when so
grouped, but may be placed in com
mand Of platoon. In a company of
four platOons, two platoons at least
must be commanded by sergeants. The
new soldier will find that the sergeant
is the normal medium between the non
commissioned man and the officer, and
that sergeants are the supervisors of
all company affairs which relate exclu-
siYely to enlisted men.