The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-04-07

branches OF the Army, says Zap
tain Gregory-SoIdiers Trained t.
Be Bakers, Cooks and Horseshoers
Men Showing Aptitude Along Ger
tain Lines Are Given Training a
Special Schools.
Fort Riley, Kansas, the home of the
cavalry school, Is our most centrally
located military reservation, says
Capt. Hugh Mcneil Gregory, writing
In the United States Army Recruiting
News. According to engineers, the
center of the United States lies on
one of the promontories above the
buildings of the post. The climate OF
central Kansas is as average as could
be found in America. Here are all
the forms Of terrain a soldier could
hope to meet.
Captain Gregory says that years
ago forward-looking officers Of the cav
airy and artillery obtained the founda-
ton Of the mounted service school.
This was located at Fort Riley, and
concerned itself mainly with that
important subject-the army horse,
his feeding and care, and how to
ride him. With the war came the
realization that the school was not
teaching all that might be desired.
The artillerymen, says Captain Greg
DRY, asked why they should learn
to ride at one school and how to shoot
at another The artilleryman decid-
ed there was more that he might
profitably devote his time TO- AS a
result we now have at Fort Riley the
cavalry school, with the same high
ideals Of the mounted service school
as to the horse and with other de-
partments for rounding out the cav
alryman's knowledge of his profession.
School for Specialists.
Besides the school for officers, there
are at Fort Riley a number Of schools
for enlisted specialists. The army is
not so keen now as it once was on CIV
ing men an education and trade that
will encourage them to leave the serv
ice, says Captain Gregory but 1t is
lust as earnest as ever about making
them into good, intelligent soldiers.
Every outfit must have some men Of
special qualifications for important po-
sitions. Men showing aptitude along
these lines are given training at such
schools as that for bakers and cooks,
where ordinary soldiers are developed
into excellent bakers or tirst-class
cooks. Another school fits men to be
horseshoers. Soldiers who have
learned a little, in the troop shoeing
shop are sent here to be given expert
instruction.
There is also a course for stable
te, 70 fhfo
are given some instruction in shoeing
and some in veterinary medicine.
They study the horse, his anatomy and
physiology, his feeding his Ills and
his care. A graduated stable ser
geant, if he has applied himself, has
the knowledge necessary to make him
a first-class stable boss.
At such a post as this a good-sized
garrison is required. The troops at
Fort Riley have a threefold mission.
Besides keeping themselves in readi-
ness for any unlooked-for emergency,
and doing all that ordinarily falls
within the measure Of garrison duty,
the organizations at Fort Riley play
definite part in the instruction Of
the student members of the school.
They give demonstrations in all the
details of soldiers work.
Pass on Their Knowledge.
The personnel Of the cavalry
school proper is divided into the in
struction group and the student body,
each Of which plays vital part in
our performance, says Captain Greg
Dry. The instructors, drawn from the
whole service, are men who have dis
tinguished themselves in practice
along at least one important line. Off
GERS who have themselves been stu
dents at this and other army schools
are here to pass on their knowledge to
the rest of the cavalry service. Each
year a few students, those showing
the best work in the various lines, are
retained for q term as assistant in
structors. Continuing Captain Greg
DRY says:
"For the different officers making up
our student body the work is organ
lied in four courses. For the Ma
tional Guard and reserve officers q
short course has been arranged, CIV
ing them a start in the more impor-
tant phases of military instruction
and paying particular attention to the
possibilities OF their duty in civil dis
turbances The officer who is start
ing his career as a cavalryman finds
a basic course mapped out for him,
instead Of reporting direct to his regi
ment with little or no experience, he
goes after a year at the cavalry
school, well prepared to accept and
fulfill the duties OF a Junior officer
with q regiment.
1.-THE officer who has served his
day as a subaltern and probably COM
handed troop comes back to Fort
Riley for the troop officers course.
Here he perfects his horsemanship
1eepens his knowledge of tactics, fur
her prepares himself for the COM
nand Of troops, and looks forward to
luty as a field officer. For the field |
,fficer there is 'refresher course Of |
i've months. Only about one-tenth |
# the field officers of the cavalry can |
,erve with regiments and the others
II n <l~~A