Evening star., 1925-08-09

Lieut.. Col. John
siaS-s.zz-.saa 5 o t, executive
II CoI Iobr Scott officer of h e
Org iZe d Re
serves in Washington, in commenting
upon the new governing factors OF
the corps, ''and no particular pres
sure is placed on an officer who Is
unable to further his military quail
tications. However, if an officer de-
Sires to advance in promotion. 1t
Will require a considerable amount
of work and thorough qualification.
The correspondence course which
will start about October will paral-
lei and cover the same ground as
the requirements for promotion, and
an officer who passes the test on a
correspondence course on any par
ticu!ar subject, will be exempted from
examination for a certificate of ca
pacity on that particular subject.
1T is being planned to base the
organization assemblies to be held
at reserve headquarters, starting about
October !. on the promotion eXami-
nation with view to assisting the
officers to take the test for promo
ton"
Washington reserve officers have
evinced a great deal of interest in
the new regulations and numerous
applications for promotion have been
received. Future examinations to be
held at these headquarters will be
based on the new promotion specifica-
tions. Officers contemplating taking
the examination should BECOME fa-
miliar with the scope of the eXamina
ton and make reasonable prepara-
tion before submitting their applica-
tions. As a general policy hereafter,
the written examination for promo
tion will be held once a month, prob
ably the middle of the month, at re-
serve headquarters.
Space in this column imposes a
limitation on announcing the knowl-
edge qualifications of all of the arms
of the service at one time which will
he given at the examinations. so one
branch of the service will be published
each week until all branches are COW
cred. Beginning with this issue. can
didateS taking the entrance eXamina-
tion for appointment as second ieuten-
ants of Infantry should possess a
thorough knowledge of the following
qualifications which are prescribed in
A R. 14o-31. General education, close
and extended order drill, weapons,
musketry combat practicel, scouting
and patrOlling. combat principles. in
dividual equipment exclusive of weap-
ons) interior guard duty, physical
training, Workmanship. material tcare
troop movements, signal communica-
tions. Under the heading of ability
qualifications, the candidate viii be
required to command rife platoon
in close and extended order drill, to
command a rifle, a machine gun, a
tank or a howitZer platoon success
fully in a field problem involving the
application of the principles of mus
kerry. combat practice, technique of
S7-mm. gun fire or 3-inch trench NOR
tar fire as applied to the particular
unit selected, map reading and sketch
ing. the ability to apply the combat
principles of any one of the above
mentioned platoons, and machine gun
company, headquarters company, and
tank units.
A second lieutenant taking the
examination for promotion to first
lieutenant should be thoroughly con
versant with the following knowledge
qualifications: The qualifications pre-
scribed for second lieutenants with
the addition of the following:
Organization of ground, hygiene
and sanitation, military law, customs
of the service. courtesy and military
discipline, Army organization, ad-
ministration Gncluding mess manage
ment), map reading and sketching
liability to read a map accurately and
rapidly and TO make road and posi-
tion sketches), machine gun company,
headquarters company and tank
units Under the heading of ability
qualifications the candidate must be
able to apply the principles of organi-
zation of the ground to the actual
terrain, he must have the ability to
read a map accurately and rapidly
and make a position sketch or road
sketch and he must have the ability
to command a rifle, or machine gun,
or tank, or howitzer platoon in a
field problem.
Examinations to determine eligi-
hility for a certificate of capacity of
a first lieutenant for promotion to
a captain will be limited to the
following subjects: Gas defense,
methods of training, organization
brigade and regimental staffs, care
of animals and stable management,
logiSticS, messages, orders and re-
ports, signal communications, organi-
zation of ground, combat principles,
company supply, military law, and
administration Gncluding mess man
agemenu. The ability qualifications
in this examination involve the ap-
plication of the principles governing
the organization and development of
a strong point in the presence of the
enemy. and the ability to apply the
combat principles of the rifle, ma
chine gun, howitZer and tank com
panieS
The examination of captains going
up for promotion to the rank of
major will embrace the following sub
jects: Physical training, combat
orders and solution of problems. the
battalion regimental and brigade
staff: combat principles. the aSSo-
ciated arms, methods of training. The
ability qualification in this eXamina-
ton involve the application of the
combat principles of the battalion,
regiment and brigade. including its
relation to the next higher organiza-
tion.
The examination of majors for pro-
motion to lieutenant colonels will con-
sist of the following subjects: A work
ing knowledge of organization, orders,
map reading, field engineering, tao
tics and technique of the combat
branches, tactical principles, com
mand, staff and logistics, special sub
jects, which includes working knowl-
edge of, combat~ssltelligence methods
of training and troop leading; corps
and Army troops; the corps; corps and
Army operations. A reserve officer
taking this examination must have
the ability to solve a map problem in
volving a decision, an attack order
for an infantry regiment acting alone,
and with tanks, cavalry, air service
and artillery attached.
The knowledge qualifications for
promotion to lieutenant colonel, given
in the preceding paragraph, is the
same governing the promotion of lieu
tenant colonels TO the grade of colonel.
The tests specified in the regulations
will be omitted if the candidate has
previously qualified under them for
certificate of capacity for the grade of
lieutenant colonel.