Middletown transcript., 1917-08-18
THE COMPANY AND "SQUADS
RIGHT"

and starts to march in cl0Se-order drill,
the new soldier will find himself put
ting into application more and more
of what he has learned in squad drill.
This will be intelligent application, too,
for he will now be able to see what
it is all about. Previously it was nee
cssary for him to learn certain move
ments in the squad as unit, for it
would be impossible to explain to the
company as a whole the details of a
company movement which is based
upon a collective squad movement, I'M
less the squad movement itself were
first comprehended. The parts of the
machine must be perfected separately,
and then, as he has before observed,
be fitted together.
If the company is marching in line,
and hence forward on company front,
probably the first command which the
captain would give is, Squads right
Qeft) MARCH!" The purpose of this
command would be twofold. In the
first place, it would change the direc-
ton of the march by diverting it
squarely off to the right. In the sec
ond place, it would form the company
into a column of squads-that is, four
men abreast, in place of the company
line. This is far more flexible front,
and one more easily handled in march
ing.
The movement itself is executed
precisely as in squad right Ueft," as
already described in the school of the
squad. The new soldier would do
we'll to return and refresh his recol-
lections of the details.
As a practical illustration of what
has taken place following the COM
mand squads right" imagine that the
company is marching on an armory
drill floor. 1t is in line-that is COM
pany front-and is advancing up the
left side Of the hall. AS it approaches
the wall at the end of the drill floor,
it is necessary for the captain to
change the direction of the company
otherwise, the men would be compelled
to march head on into the wall. He
wishes to send them along the end of
the room, and in this he now has but
one choice Of direction-to the right.
So he gives the command, Squads
right" and the line Immediately
swings into column of squads, NOV
ing straight off to the right.
Assume that, while in column Of
squads and half way across the end Of
the drill hall, the captain desires to
return to the company front again,
either for the purpose of halting or in
order to advance across the drill floor
in the direction opposite to that Origi-
nally described. He would give the
command, Squads right" once more,
and this would execute the movement
as required.
| Being in line, at halt, if the cap
tain wishes to throw the company into
column of squads, he gives the COM
mand, Squads right, MARCH; COM
pany, HALT" This movement is exc
cuted in the same way as with an in
dividual squad in line.
BY this time-if not before-the new
soldier will have observed that squads
in the company are as row of state
room doors on a steamboat. The diff
ference is that they swing as if moved
with single lever. At one time they
stand open at right angles, thereby
forming a column of squads, and at
| another time thew GRO closed and form
the line, or company front. And the
Importance of the fixed pivot Con which
squads right QefD" is always execut-
ed) is to insure that the squads will
fit as exactly when they swing in and
out as the hypothetical row of doors.