The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-04-05

aside by general orders from tn
adjutant general of the Army TO
the purpose of the celebration
which was originally sponsored b.
the military order of the Worls
War.
The question is often asked just
what does the Army consist of
How many officers; how many
men and what are their duties!
This is answered in the following
extracts from the report Of the
chief of staff, u. S. A., and fur
nished The Citizen through the
courtesy of Major w. w. Rhein,
commanding officer at Key West
barracks:
The strength of the Army as
fixed by congress in the National
Defense. Act was 100000. This
objective has never been obtain
ed, due primarily to lack of funds
for meeting the expense incipient
to maintaining such an Army.
The present strength of the Army
is a grand total of 1902 officers
and 125, 900 enlisted men.
About 1000 of the regular
Army was normally assigned to
Institutional work with the
civilian components. About AGO
are normally assigned to the Of
ficers' reserve corps in which
some $4,000 men carry active
commissions.
Another AGO are on duty as in
spector instructors of the Nation
al Guard, which comprises rough
ly some 400 officers and $4,000
enlisted men. Six hundred and
eighty are allotted to the Reserve
Officers Training Corps for a
student strength of $4,000.
These men and officers are
scattered far and wide over the
continental United States and our
foreign possessions, including the
Panama Canal Zone, the Philip
pine Islands, Hawaiian Islands,
Alaska and detachments in China.
Enlisted Forces
In the continental United States
there is today a total of some ST.
900 enlisted men of the regular
Army. Normally, about $4,000
of these, widely scattered in mill
tary stations throughout the whole
country, are available for assign
ment to combat units. In emer-
gency, many Of these would have
to turn Immediately to the per-
Torrance of important training,
organization, and mobilization
tasks. But others would neces-
sariIy move without delay to in
sure the safety of vital indus
trial and population centers and
TO protect against sudden raids
and attacks.
The Army in time of peace ID
called upon for a great many
things aside from the military pro-
fession. Under normal conditions
1t is the intention that all Of the
time would be devoted to training
the personnel 10 be effective in
time of war. This, of course, in
cludes the training of the civilian
eomponents of the Army, Nation
al Guard, Officers Reserve Corps,
the Reserve Officers Training
Corps and the Citizens Military
Training Corps.
It is not well known, but it is a
fact that many Of the officers are
on civilian work other than mill
tary. All our rivers and harbors
commissions are headed by Off
GERS Of the engineer corps.
Recruiting Of Units
Beginning with the present I'M
employment emergency, the Army
was called upon to recruit and
place in the field some 100000
men under the cCC. This in it.
self was a parallel situation con-
fronted by the Army in 1917.
The Army was called upon to
issue necessary clothing and
equipment, administer immuniz-
ing treatments for all recruits
and organize companies of APP
proximately 200 men each. There
after the Army's duty was to
transport each unit TO the rail-
read nearest It's particular forest
project and there turn il over to
the proper agricultural or interior
officials.
Because of its experience in or
ganizational work. the Army en-
eountered no unusual difficulty
Ia complying with every require
ment Of the restricted mission as
signed il. Subsequently the Army
WAS called upon to assume. under
supervision Of the director. COM
plete and permanent control OF
the Civilian Conservation Corps
project excepting only the func-
fions recruits and of supervising
technical work. in the forests.
II became problem at this
time 10 supply available regular
Array personnel Of officers TO adj
minister the t150 camps eventual
Is authorized. To supplement