Evening star., 1936-02-02
DC. Guard Staff Making
Plans for Mobilization
Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord Outlines
Work in Connection With Sum-
mer Maneuvers.
mer ManeuVerS.

that with the increase in the size Of
the Guard with consequent increase
in the number of officers. there will
come the naming by the President of
of the United States of brigadier
general To take command Of the Guard
here
For two years the Guard has been
without a general officer. the vacancy
not having been filled since the death
of Mai. Gen. Anton Stephan. The
affairs of the organization are being
directed by Col. John w. Oehmann,
who also has the primary function of
directing the affairs of not only the
largest unit in the local militia but
who is the 29th Divisional engineer
officer.
Efforts. are expected to be made
within the next couple of weeks by
local civic units to have the President
make the appointment, after the War
Department has sent to him a recon-
mendation of an officer to flll the po-
sition. Aside from the importance OF
having general officer at the head
of the Guard to direct the plans for
/ the coming divisional mobilization, 1t
was pointed out that the increase in
the Guard makes it necessary to have
an officer at the head who can give
his time to direct the regiment as
whole and not one whose work must
necessarily be divided under the pres
ent set-up.
Aside from the strictly military work
of preparing for the mobilization,
there is the problem facing the Guard
of obtaining a permanent home suit
able to carry out the heavy training
schedule during the Winter months.
This matter is expected to come up in
Congress at the current session. In
addition to the necessity of urging
upon Congress the appropriation Of
funds for the construction of suit
able building, that body must be
asked to set aside ground for a site
for the proposed structure. Until
site is selected nothing can be done
in the way of providing for building.
and Congress is the only one which
can permit public ground in the Dis
trict to be used for the construction
of building.
Those familiar with Guard affairs
have been waiting for nearly two years
for the President to act, and have
been at loss to understand why the
appointment has not been made. 1t
is the longest period that the vacancy
has been allowed to exist.
Civic and veteran leaders point out
that the District Of Columbia should
have a brigadier general at the head
of the local outfit, because it is the
seat of government and the city has
always furnished large number OF
officers and men for evefT conflict in
which the United States has been
called upon to ask for volunteers to
Join the colors and take to the field of
battle.
While it does not have brigade Of
troops Of particular arm, according
to the Armys organization tables. 1t
was asserted that it has a brigade in
numbers, and the National Capital
should have a general officer to di-
rect its affairs not only from a military
standpoint but as matter of civic
pride. They should have man who
can obtain for the Guard the best
things needed properly to train the
Z officers and men in the units to be
ready to take the field on a moments
notice.
The following transfers have been
ordered in the 260th Coast Artillery
Regiment:
Second Lieut. Robert j. Martin from
the Headquarters Detachment and
Combat Train, 1st Battalion, to Bat
tery B.
First Lieut.. Max G. D Prentice from
Battery E. 260th Coast Artillery. to
regimental headquarters
First Lieut.. James 2 Angler from
Battery C, 26Oth Coast Artillery, to
headquarters, lst Battalion.
Pvt. Dee B. Thompson. Co. B, l2lst
Engineers. has been ordered honorably
discharged to enable rim to enlist IN
the United States Army.
Pvt. Harold P Davidson has been
OTQeTSQ JTOIIlOleO W Ut SCl5CoII AL
Co. B, 121st Engineers. while Pvt.
Frank j. Romph has been ordered
promoted to corporal in the same COM
mand.
Pvt. (First Glass; Louis Gallum has
been ordered promoted to corporal in
Co. D, 121st Engineers, upon recon-
mendation of the company COM
mander.
Because of business or educational
interference with the performance OF
military duty or temporary removal
from the city the following men have
been ordered transferred from the
active to the reserve lists Of their re-
spective units;
Pvt. Ordville A. Platt. Battery A,
26Oth Coast Artillery; Pvt. Henry G.
Nightengale. Medical Department De-
tachment. 260th Coast Artillery; Pvts.
Reed Carlyle and Alfred A. Long. both
of Battery E. 260th Coast Artillery.
Pvt. William w. Discus, Battery A,
26Oth Coast Artillery, mas been ordered
honorably discharged because of re-
moval from the city.
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