Evening star., 1936-02-02
State staff Of the National
Guard of the District of Co
lumbia diligently set to work

last week making plans 10 pdI =
ticipate in the mobilization Of the
29th Nationa, Guard Division, which
it is tentatively proposed to hold next
Summer at Indiantown Gap, Pa.
Mai. Gen. Milton A. Reckord. COM
mander of the 29th Division and the
National Guard of Maryland, at the
divisional conference in Richmond
went over preliminary plans with the
officers from other States on his stan,
and outlined to them what he expected
each to do. While the proposal for
a divisional mobilization has not been
approved by the War Department. be-
cause of the necessity Of awaiting to
ascertain how generous Congress Will
be with funds for the annual field
training, it is necessary for the citizen
troopers to make plans long in ad-
vance The funds for the encamp-
ment will be in the Army appropria-
ton bill now before Congress to sup
port the military for the fiscal year
beginning July /, next.
Under the plan as tentatively laid
down there will be large mobiliza-
ton of Virginia troops at some point
in Northern Virginia, probably in the
vicinity of the Capital. on the Satur-
day before the two weeks set for the
encampment. Upon the reporting OF
all units of the Old Dominion State
the State officers will provide for
their transportation to Pennsylvania,
where the divisional organization will
take them in charge and function as
such a unit until the encampment is
over; that is, all of the maneuvers will
be on a divisional scale, and the sup
plies will be furnished through the
divisional organization.
The Maryland National Guard will
concentrate under the State officers at
the Maryland State Camp at Cascade,
Nd, and then will proceed as unit
over the road to the divisional mobil-
ization site at Indiantown Gap.
The District of Columbia units all
being in the city, they will mobilize
here and will proceed overland to the
divisional camp, according to tenta-
tive instructions issued by Gen. Reck-
ord, who. it is understood, has been
discussing the matter with Sd Corps
Area headquarters and the War De-
partment.
For the most part, the movement
will be made by motor train. While
the division does not have enough
such equipment to move all Of the
units, it was said that plan was to
be effected so that the motor equip
ment of the 28th Pennsylvania Ma
tional Guard Division will be loaned
to the goth Division, and in return
when the 28th goes into camp the
equipment of the 29th Division will be
loaned.
All of the Guard units have been
short of transportation since Congress
placed a prohibition on the use of
funds for the repair and maintenance
of the old wartime built equipment,
with which many of the National
Guard units were equipped.
While the State staff officers will
be expected to perfect the plans for
the movement to the preliminary con-
centration camps. and then move the
troops to the division, they neverthe-
less will have much divisional work
to do then, for it is planned to assign
them divisional tasks as soon as they
report with the troops.
The plan also calls for the 10th
Field Artillery. Maryland Guard, and
the l76th Field Artillery, Pennsylvania
Guard, which forms the 54th Artil-
lery Brigade Of the 29th Division, will
proceed direct to the divisional mobi-
nzation point.
Gen. Reckord also told the staff
officers that he hoped that all of the
units. with the exception of the Vir-
ginia Guard outfits. will have COM
pleted their long distance rifle firing
prior to the mobilization, so that the
range at Indiantown Gap could be
turned over to the Virginia units for
their long distance rife practice.
1t is probable that the 29th Divi- :
sional units will travel without the
heavy tentage and other camp equip
ment, as it is planned to use the ma
terial of the 29th Division already at
the site, and this included material
for the construction of mess halls and
other camp utilities.
Many of the drivers in the various
.quartermaster and service company
units will get more than their usual
l5-day camps this year, as it is
planned that when the motor trucks
are transferred from one division to
the other. the unit to which they are
allocated will furnish the drivers and
mechanics. Heretofore only the We
hicles have been loaned, but it was
deemed more advisab BILE, under the
plans now forming, to have the drivers
familiar with the, trucks handle them
on all of the contemplated move
mentS.
During the conference of the di-
visional officers. Col r. P. Lemly. U.
S. Army, instructor of the 29th Di-
vision staff, addressed the officers. out
lined the assistance which he hoped
to give the officers during their en-
campment and divisional maneuvers.
Officers charged with the RESPONSE
bility OF recruiting men for the new
units which it is planned to organize
here report that they are making
wonderful progress. Already, it was
said, approximately 25 per cent of the
number of men needed to form the
units have been enlisted in the Re-
serve and will be mustered into the
Federal system Just as soon as the
War Department saws that it is ready
to give Feoeral recognition.
Lieut. Col. Walter w Burns is ac-
lively makirg plans for increasing the
size of bis unit to a full regiment and
is making considerable progress, ac-
cording to report he has made to
headquarters. The 29th Division
Headquarters Company and the Med
ical Department Detachment, 29th
Division Special Troops. are being
formed under the direction of Maj.
William T. Roy, commander of the
division headquarters troops, and the
113th Motor Transport Company is