Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05

|
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia,
during the coming Summer, according
to preliminary announcement re-
| ceived last week at the headquarters
OF the National Guard of the District
| OF Columbia from the headquarters of
the area at Baltimore, Md. The ma
neuvers will take the form of what is
termed in military circles as a COM
mand post exercise. and the first an
! nouncement says that 1t will involve
| all componentS assigned to this area.
The information was impaired at
this time. so that officers and enlisted
| men of the Guard organization may
start course Of preliminary training
to prepare them for active participation
in the big war game, which is to be
held during the period from July
to July 10. The place for the exercise
is not given in the original commune
be held at Fort Meade, where there
is plenty of land available for the OPP
erations.
The Importance of this project from
training standpoint cannot be over
emphasized, says the letter from the
corps area headquarters; therefore, in
order that the maximum benefit may
be derived from interested personnel.
the intervening period must be eff
ficiently utilized With the above in
mind, 1t continues, the corps area
commander proposed to issue from
time to time certain data bearing on
the problem. This procedure will Ell
able responsible commanders to visualize
the contemplated exercise prior to ex-
ecution and to take necessary steps to
eliminate such obstacles as can be fore
seen.
The first week of the time allotted
hn uyill ha IN
preliminary organization, installation
of lines of communication and divisional
training; the first four days of the sec
ond week will involve the entire force
| in the actual solution of problems which
will terminate on the fifth day with a
general critique.
The problem under preparation at
the corps area headquarters involves
the use of an independent corps, COM
posed Of five Infantry divisions, one
Cavalry division and one Cavalry bril-
gade, charged with the mission of de-
| Tending vital area. Various phases
Of the problem will include the move
ment Of the integral parts of the corps
into the designated theater of opera
tons and its subsequent tactical en-
! ployment.
In SO far as funds made available
will permit, the following commissioned
personnel will take part in the exer-
| else: The commanders and essential
staff officers of all echelons, down to
and including the battalion: enlisted
! personnel of the headquarters and
communication units Of the echelons
| just mentioned.
A study now is being made at the
Baltimore headquarters to determine
the exact personnel permitted under
the allotment of funds now available,
and complete personnel tables will be
| furnished at an early date.
l. The corps area commander says that
| armory and inactive duty training OF
the elements designated to participate
should be stressed and their training
directed toward the smooth function
| ing of such links in the tactical chain
of command. To this end commune
cation units should be increased, by
| attached personnel If necessary, to the
approximate strength called for by the
tables of organization. In the signal
companies particular attention IS to
be given to the increase Of the operat-
| ing platoon and in the brigade and
| regimental communications platoons, as
the area commander says that the sue
cess or failure of a problem of the
nature contemplated depends to large
| extent upon communication.
Commanders of the higher echelons,
the corps commander says, should in
corporate in their training programs
necessary directives to insure that all
! officers pursue q course of collateral
study during the preliminary training
period.
Capt. Clarence s. Shields, command
| ing Company E, 121St Engineers, has
sent out formal notice claiming his
as the outstanding company of the 12lSt
Regiment of Engineers during 1929, ex-
cept in the matter of armory drill at
| tendance. He says that its annual Fed
eral inspection report was not surpassed
except for armory drill attendance; 1t
| took the gold medal for having the best
company at the annual encampment;
it won the infantry drill competition
at the annual camp; it won more points
in the field meet at the encampment
| than all other companies put together;
| it qualified more men with rife than
ever before, and more than any other
/ company in the regiment, or in the en-
| tire local Guard; its ordnance inspection
report was rated excellent; its rifle
team won the championship of the
Guard: It's pistol team won the Guard
championship: it averaged SO men in
| attendance for each drill during the
year; 1t has finished the year 1929 bet
ter and stronger than ever before, ex-
cept for drill attendance.
The basket ball schedule for Company
e, 12lst Engineers is as follows: jan
| uary 8, at Central High Gymnasium,
| with the G. P. o. Apprentices; January
9, at the Wilson Normal School with the
Monroe Athletic Club; January Is. at
Central High School, with the Spengler
Post American Legion; January 16, at
Eastern High School, with Trinity
Methodists; January %, at Central High,
with the National Press Cardinals; Jam
uary &c. at Central High School, with
De Luxe, champions in the light class
of 1929 and February S, at Central
High, with the De Molay team.
The applications of Second Lieut..
Samuel w. Marsh, Company E, 12lst
Engineers. and First Lieut.. John G. May
Officers' School at Fort Humphreys, Va,
next Spring. have been forwarded to the
Sd Corps Area headquarters, recon-
mending the detail, If it is found pos
sible to allot vacancy to the local Ma
tional Guard.
Lieut.. Marsh lives at 1929 Twenty
eighth street, and has been commits
stoned little more than a year, while
Lieut.. May, who lived at 1886 Meridian
street. has been commissioned slightly
more than two years.
Lieut.. Col. r. H. Smith, adjutant gen.
eral of the District of Columbia Militia,
In an address before the 260th Coast
Artillery, suggested that the battalion
adopt the slogan "Washington's own"
He said he considered this most appro-
pirate, inaSmuch as the battalion is
composed Of young men of Washington
and its first mission IN time of war will
probably be the defense Of the city from
aerial attack.
Maj. Walter w. Burns, commanding
the organization, expressed his thanks
for Col. Smiths interest, and. on behalf