Evening star., 1931-04-12
District National Guard

Onicers OF the National Guard of tht
| District Of Columbia are to be held t
! a strict accountability for the shooting
efficiency of the enlisted personnel o.
their respective commands during Tho
! current target season, 1t was indicated
! in a general order issued by the brigade
! headquarters last week.
! THE chief of the Militia Bureau.
! the order says. has brought to the
! attention OF this headquarters the fact
that target practice. musketry train
( ing. and combat firing in general are
! not satisfactory in the National Guard
throughout the country. An eXami-
, nation OF target practice reports fol
| the year 1880. indicates that this un-
: satisfactory condition pertains in the
| District of Columbia National Guard
! Our equipment and the accessibility
| II our target range is such that the
, District of Columbia should be out
| standing in the matter Of qualification
voluntary practice before and Rfte.
the field training camp heretofore fol-
lowed has proved unsatisfactory and no
doubt he's resulted III this condition.
The target season will extend from
January ], TO December 81. During
this period every member of a unit
will be required to FIRE the practice
course and the record course unless
excused by proper authority.
The commanding officer, 12lst
Engineers. will detail units OF that
regiment. to report at the target range.
Camp SimmS. under armory drill pay
to engage in target practice. The
period May ! to September 80 will
be utilized fer this purpose Units
will be designated to report at a
specific hour for duty and will remain
on duty at least for the period required
for armory drill.
In case OF inclement weather the
drill will be held at the armory at
the tine prescribed. Battalion COM
manders will make decisions as to
wheather the weather is suitable for
outdoor target practice for units under
their command.
"A roster will be maintained to see
that all units are ordered TO have for
mat'on for target practice
Company commanders will maintain
record Of the firing OF members OF
their commands to insure all personnel
firing in a progressive, systematic
manner.
Company A. 372d Infantry. will con-
duct target practice at its field training
encampmenJ.
The commanding officer, 26Oth
>
command TO duty at the target range
for pistol practice. He will set aside
in his schedule such targets or periods
each day as may be requested by the
commanding officer, Special Troops,
10Th Division.
Copies Ct schedules prepared by the
commanding officer, 12lSt Engineers,
and the commanding officer, 260th
Coast Artillery, and the commanding
officer, Special Troops, 29th Division.
Will be submitted 10 this headquarters
prior to April Is. 1881.
"Regimental and separate unit COM
manderS will submit an explanation at
the close OF the target season as TO the
failure Of members OF their commands
TO complete both practice and record
firing
Unit commanders will provide for
the necessary preliminary instruction of
members OF their c-mmands before they
are sent to the range for target prac-
tice. Proper records OF this instruction
will be maintained and individuals pro-
vided with cards showing the sstisfac-
tory completion OF such preliminary in
Structicn.
"Regimental and separate command
erS Will submit recommendations Tor
training in musketry and combat FIR.
ing"
In the past the system for target
practice, in use by the local Guard. has
been made voluntary. Officers have
been at the range on Sundays, end have
helped men who presented themselves
for training Prior to ti1e Wcrld War
1t was the practice to send each unit
to the range for two days.
With the examination showing that
the local Guard. along with other mill
~ efz- -
their rife shooting, the officers have
determined to make it mandatory for
the men TO report at the Congress
Heights range at certain periods for
drill. which will take the form CT target
practice.
owen A. Chambers. Company z,
12lst Engineers has made application
for permission to take course at one
Of the Citizens Military Training
Camps. The application has been for
warded to the commanding general Of
the Sd Corps Area at Baltimore, Md. =
All mess sergeants and cooks have
been ordered TO attend the school for
mess Sergeants and cooks to be estab-
lished at the Sixth Street Armorv at
BIS pm. on the following dates: April
"A, 81 and 2s May 19 and 26; June
?, 9. IS, % and 30. and July 7.
II was announced that the school TO
be conducted on the Tuesday evenings
specified will be in lieu of all other drill
fer these ratings until the close of the
course or until an individual Is re-
lieved. Uniform will be worn by per-
sonncl attending the school and unit
commanders are authorized to permit
personnel detailed for this duty to keep
their uniforms at home during the pc
riod Of the course, II necessary.
Unit commanders have oeen instruct
ed to submit TO the instructor, Mess
Sergt. Ernest j. Powers and to the bri-
gsde headquarters through regimental
and separate battalion commanders. the
names OF enlisted men designated to
take the course. Capt Claude Bur-
lingame has been made responsible for
the operation OF the school and for the
maintenance OF attendance and other
records.
This school is a feature added to the
Guard curriculum last year 10 train the
men in preparation of balanced rations
for the troops during the field training
encampments and TO aid them in order