Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1918-06-17
100 STEPS ARE
NEEDED TO BE-
COME SOLDIER
RECRUIT HAS RIGHT TO BE MUDDLED
WHEN HE ARRIVES IN CAMP AND
BEFORE n ELS READY TO CALL
HIMSELF A SOLDIER.
SOLDIER MADE NOT BORN
(By Associated Press.l

FORT WORTH, Tex. June IA good
soldier is made. not born. They used to
think the best soldiers were born with the
fire of military genius; lacking which it
was impossible To make him into the best
quality Of war material. But in Camp
Bowie as well "a the other government
camps where national army men are being
received, teh work of making soldiers Is
progressing daily, much more successfully
than anyone believed possible.
But before the draft men get to be the
perfect fighting machine that the United
Staate needs, he has much to learn and
much to unlearn.
Their are nearly 100 steps necessary be-
fore he dons the khaki and by the time he
i ready To pin the L. :. on his army shirt
the army recruit has right to he bewil
dered.
The eighteen biggest steps. all having
subdivisions. from time the soldier i ready
TO register until he i useful part of the
army. have been outlined by Capt;lini W.
b. Pinncy, commanding the detention camp
here. They are: Registration, drawing
of number. physical examination. accept
ance notification of service, induction and
papers, journey 10 cantonment, reporting
for duty, registration again, acquisition of
bedding. assignment 10 company and tent,
preparation of bed sack. etc. second ply
steal examination. this time by army sur
geons, mental tests, personnel and Insur-
ance bureaus registration, drill in tempo
rary company, assignment 10 permanent
organization and beginning of squad and
company drills.
First thing the recruit does on reach
ing the camp j. to 90 to headquarters for
registration. Here there arc numerous
clerks who take the new mans name and
examine his papers. No one attempts to
Joke with these quiet, hardworking clerks
to whom al recruits look alike and who
send the arrival with all speed to the out
fitting office. If the recruit decides to
visit little with the sergeant in charge
and let him know how things are going
back to Kansas or I'liniois or Michigan or
wherever his home may be, he changes his
mind promptly when the sergeant cuts him
off. The only thing the sergeant cares
about j. To start the recruit off with his
cot. blankets, mess kit, etc. in the shortest
possible time.
If the arrival has heretofore been so
fortunate as always to have some one car
nv his bundles for him. he starts getting it
right away for he must carry his whole
outfit including his suit ease and an iron
case il no toy.
After disposing of his outfit, the ply
steal examination gets him. Here in addi-
ton to a new examination his measure
ments are made and recorded
| A giant of an athdete il being examined
along side of little fellow with sunken
chest. "They'll throw the little fellow
out" the observer hazards, but the sur
geon finds the big man gets through There
Tht fat -chasted man gets through. "There
Is nothing we can do for the big fellow"
says the surgeon, 'but we sure can make
the little fellows chest bulge out after we
have had him month";
After the examination. the new soldier
j. asked a. TO his age. religion, occupation,
salary with an occasional question inter-
spersed that seems ridiculous to the re-
cruit. If the questions seem foolish to
him. he Is safe for the physicians are
alert to see of he is bright enough to see
their absurdity and Judge from the an
swers "a to the conditions of the candi-
dates mind.
''liow would You like to get married,
now?" the examiner asks bright bay
I Married" laughed the boy. '.AIarried
:, on $50 month. You don't know Nellie
| like do"