Evening star., 1936-04-05

II ~ VI OI Lie
- National Guard of the Dis
trict of Columbia were announced
during the week by Col. John w
Oehmann, commander of the regiment
While the season for the qualification
firing actually opened on April !, the
firing will not not begin until today
when a group Of officers and enlisted
men will take charge of the range.
The objective Of the practice, as
announced in the orders, is to increase
the proficiency Of the regiment in the
use of weapons and to successfully
complete the prescribed courses in
target practice, together with adequate
training in musketry. The season will
extend until the date set for the regi-
ment to leave for the annual maneu-
vers, which are to be held this year al
Indiantown Gap, Pa, In conjunction
with other units Of the 29th National
Guard Division, which comprises the
citizen troops Of this city, Maryland
and Virginia, and q portion Of those
in Pennsylvania.
All personnel will be required To
complete the preparatory exercises
and all personnel will be required to
qualify in the small-bore course, that
Is the caliber % Those who have not
completed this course in the armory
will be required to take it at the range
before being sent to the long-range
butts. The period from April IL To
May 3 has been set aside to preparatory
exercises and the qualification in
small-bore firing.
Among those required to fire are
officers with less than IS years service
who have not qualified with the rife
either in 1884 or 1896, except those
who have qualified as expert rifiemer
at any time. All enlisted men of let.
tered companies armed with the rife
or pistol. and the Headquarters and
Service Company, who have not quail
fed with the rife in either 1884 OF
1885, will fire the rifle. Enlisted mer
armed with the pistol in lettered COM
panies will be required to fire the rifle
However, men in the Headquarters and
Service Company armed with the pistol
will not be required to fire the rife.
Battalion commanders and the CON-
pany commander, Headquarters and
Service Company, have been ordered to
submit. prior to May l, next, mus
kerry problem for each unit or organ
ization. Only men who have actually
qualified with the service rifle will be
permitted to engage in combat firing.
The order further stipulates that the
transfer of men from the inactive
National Guard Of the United States
to the active list after June /, 1886,
where such men have not qualified
target seasons, should be given careful
consideration, for the transfer Of such
unqualified men to the active list in
creases the units total number of men
required to fire and reduces its percent
age Of qualification. Such unqualified
men will be required to fire for quail
flcation prior to the close of camp.
The dates set for the various units
to use the range are as follows:
April II, 1st Battalion and Head
quarters and Service Company; April
10, I'd Battalion and Headquarters and
Service Company; April 26, lst Battal-
ion; May 3, I'd Battalion; May 10. 1st
Battalion and Headquarters and Serv-
ice Company; May II, I'd Battalion
and Headquarters and Service Com
pany; May "a, LIST Battalion; May 81,
I'd Battalion; June 7, 1st Battalion and
Headquarters and Service Company
musketry problem, and June IA. I'd
Battalion and Headquarters and Serv-
ice Company, mlsketry problem.
On June 81 and % the range will
commanders may deem necessary. The
indoor range at the armory will be
available on Tuesday nights during
the period May to June 80 for or
CARNATIONS next to fire on the out
door range.
Each man will be required to fire
the weapon issued to him, and the
pooling Of weapons at the range is
prohibited, the following reasons being
given in the order: 1t prevents the SOL
dier from obtaining zero Of weapon
issued to him; prevents the soldier
acquiring confidence in the weapon he
would have to use in an emergency;
results in poor organization showing
in firing combat and musketry prob
lens at the field training camps.
In the event of rain preventing fir
ing on the outdoor range, the unit
commanders are authorized to give
such instruction indoors as they deem
practical and to dismiss the uits after
l O'Clock pm.
Battalion commanders" the order
says, will bear in mind that this
schedule provides the only opportu-
nifty to. fire the prescribed courses in
rife craftsmanship before the annual
encampment. Company and platoon
commanders will be held strictly ac-
countable for the attendance Of their
units and a written report will be re-
quired for absentees. All members will
be required to fire the prescribed
WCdpOIl dAlu COuLSc, dil0 IAAOcC VIII
fail to do so will have court-martial
charges preferred against them unless
exceptional circumstances prevail.
Each unit will strive to increase its
efficiency in the use of weapons and tc
successfully complete the prescribed
qualification courses in range practice
If all the men of any unit required
to fire the prescribed record courses
with the service rife and the auto
matte rifle have fired such courses
prior to June /, 1886, such unit will
be excused from any further range
firing, except musketry problem"
The work Of members of the 260th
Coast Artillery during the recent food
here was described in a report which
was sent to the United States Army
engineer in charge Of this district By
Col. Oehmann.
Battery A (searchlights), 260th
Coast Artillery, anti-aircraft, District
of Columbia National Guard" the
report says, assisted by detachments
from other units of the regiment, re-
ported for duty and provided flood
lighting for the area in which dikes