Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-29
LESSON NO. 4.

Your real training for your duties
as a soldier will begin after you and
your comrades are assembled at the
training camps. However there are
few simple things you can do during
the next few weeks which will be of
decided value in getting you started
along the right lines.
The simplest thing, and perhaps the
most useful of all, is to BEGIN at once
to practice correct habits of standing
and walking. Even in civilian life a
mans reputation in his community
fyes. and for that matter his own self
respects determined to a surprising
extent by his bearing. The man who
sIouches feels like a SLOUGH. The man
who holds his head up faces the world
with confidence and courage.
If this is true in civilian life, it is
ten times more true in military life.
For a soldier must always be strongly
marked by his snap, his precision, and
his vigor. He can not have these traits
unless he carries himself like a sol
der.
The Bearing of Soldier.
Few people without military train
ing have a correct idea of what is
meant by the position and the bearing
,of a soldier. They are apt to imagine
that it means a strut or an extremely
strained attitude Or, more frequently,
they think that the term can properly
be applied to any erect position. The
truth of the case, however, is that
there is a definite procedure to follow
in order to place yourself in what is
known in the army as the position
Of a soldier" it is the position which
the dismounted soldier always as
sumes at the command Attention"
except as it may be slightly modified
to enable him to carry properly any
arms he may have in his hands.
1t will be well for you to memorize
paragraphs l of the Infantry Drill
Regulations, which gives the COM
plete and accurate description of the
slider. The paragraph IS slightly
paraphrased and simplified in the fol-
lowing: Keep in mind that there are
ten elements which must be properly
adjusted to each other, and check
yourself up to see that each one of
them is properly placed.
1. Heels-on the same line and as
near each other as possible; most men
should be able TO stand with heels
touching each other.
2. Feet-turned out equally and
forming an angle of about As degrees.
3. Knees-straigh without stiffness
4. Hips-level and drawn back
slightly body erect and resting equal
ly on hips
). Chest-lifted and arched.
6. shoulders square and falling
equally.
Z. Arms-hanging naturally.
s. Hands-hanging naturally, thumb
along the seam of the trousers.
9. Head-erect and squarely to the
front; chin drawn in so that axis of
head and neck is vertical (means THAI
a straight line drawn through the CEN
ter of head and neck should be YER
ticaD eyes straight to the front
10. Entire body weight of body rest
Inc equally upon the heels and balls OF
the feet.
Note especially that you are not re
quired to stand at strained attitude.
You are to be alert but not tense.
One of the very best things you can
do today is to spend fifteen minutes
practicing this position, getting it
right. Keep this up every day until
you report at camp. In the army, as
in every day life, first impressions are
important. The first impression you
make on your officers and fellows will
depend, more than you probably