Arizona republican., 1922-04-25
HIGH PRAISE GIVEN
BATTERYE OF MESA
BY MAI. GEN. HINES

MESA, April 24.-High commenda-
ton is paid to Battery e, 15Sth field
artillery, stationed in Mesa, by Ma
jor General Hines, commanding the
Eighth corps area, in a letter re-
Gently received by Capt ID. III. Berry
of Battery e. The letter is the result
of the inspection of the local or
ganization held here about a month
ago, when Agjutant General Walter
S. ingalls,, the instructor inspector
Of the state, and members of the
general staff of the state We're here
to pass on the battery and to secure
data for their annual report to head
quarters.
The letter says in part:
The corps area commander is
very much gratified to note in the
annual armory inspection report of
the above named unit that it stands
in the first rank of national guard
organizations in THE corps area, in
the care of federal property and in
the satisfactory completion or rec
ords as well as above the average in
many other respects.
1t is desired to point out that the
record referred, discloses that Bat
terry E is to be especially commended
for it's high average in attendance at
drills and instruction.
A further paragraph states THE
corps area commander further de-
sires that inform you that he would
like to have the organization know
how well they are doing.
BY command of Mai Gen. Hines.
J. p MOONEY,
Assistant Adjutant.
For a letter of this character to be
transmitte dto an organization Is
something out of the ordinary, for
the army operates on the assumption
that all activities and conduct Oh
units is perfect and that the only
comment necessary is made when
any unit falls below this standard.
Consequently the officers and men of
Battery e feel greatly pleased that
the organization has been given this
high praise.
Battery E has had an average of
81 men enrolled in the past year and
of this number over 10 per cent have
attended drill each time. This high
percentage has been maintained only
through the combined efforts of all.
OF the officers and the men of the
battery. The instruction is con-
stantly varied and covers a. wide
field and is given in such q way.
that it is very Interesting, and con-
sequently the men like to come to
drill. Perhaps the average person
has no conception of the scope of
the training of the men in a battery
of field artillery The work is di-
vided into departments and the men
are selected for each department ac-
cording to their witness for each.
The men who prefer work with the
horses become drivers and receive
instruction in care of animals, which
embraces shoeing, treating or SICK;
ness, proper feeding, conduct OF
stables Harvesting properly, driving
and many other things. For the men
who like the service of the guns, IN
struction in the school of the cam
noneer. how to serve the piece, the
struction of the various types OF
shells, fuses, explosives, etc. For the
men who excel in this work there le
a special rating of gunner, which en-
titles them TO more pay when in ac-
tive service. The special detail con-
sists Of the men who operate the in
struments, including the range find
er. aiming circle, prismatic COM
pases, battery commanders tele-
scopes. the communication, tele-
phones. switchboards, night lamps,
Wigwag and semaphore, and all the
service of communication. So a man
can find almost any kind of work ne
likes in the battery. The instructors
in each branch are competent, all
havig had previous service.
Following the usual custom OF
having a social night occasionally,
the battery will stage a celebration
after the drill is over Tuesday night.
The events will consist of initiating
the new recruits, boxing bouts,
wrestling matches, and will wind up
with a feed. Drill will commence
promptly at 80 and all men are re-
uuested to be there so that the cele-
bration can start promptly at 3.
In the past year the battery has
brought in the neighborhood OF $2O,-
600 into the community in the form
of payrolls, current expenses, forage
and in the Keeping of the horses,
thus proving that financially Battery
! E is an asset to the town.
Under the state law member
must have belonged to Battery E 80
days prior to encampment in order to
qualify for state pay during the en-
campment, and as there are NUM-