Evening star., 1936-09-13
COURSES CHANGED
FOR GUARDSMEN
Service School Curriculum
Modified to Improve
Militia Instruction.

Army service schools to provide better
nstruction-that Is. more scope-have
been initiated by the National Guard
for the benefit of militia officers. A
survey of the courses at the various
schools, together with the jobs the
officer graduates are expected to fill
on graduation, convinced the bureau
| that many of the courses were of in
sufficient scope to meet the needs of
the National Guard. It Is anticipated
that many new subjects will be in
cluded in the courses during the COM
ing year.
The Infantry, Field Artillery and
Cavalry Schools will train officers in
the following:
The tactical and technical duties of
the arm in abbreviated form to in
clude the regiment, with brief sum-
mary of the corresponding brigade
functions, paying particular attention
to the company, battery or troop.
Practical command OF units to in
clude the regiment and practical in
struction in the mechanics and en-
ployment Of weapons.
Staff duties to include the brigade
and proper methods of training.
1t was said that the Coast Artillery
School has heretofore held an eight
week course The battery officers
course was very limited In scope and
gave instruction only in gunnery, ma
teriel and target practice. An effort
is being made to extend this course to
IL weeks and to include subjects of
orientation, communication, tactical
command and staff functions to in
clude the regiment and methods of
training.
The course at the Signal Corps
School has been enlarged to make it
suitable for division signal officers;
that at the Chemical Warfare School
to make it suitable for division chem
ical warfare officers, and that Of the
Engineer School to give instruction in
the tactical and technical duties Of
the engineers to include the regiment
The Medical Field Service School
has installed a special National Guard
medical officers course to give train
ing in mobilization, training, admin
istration and staff duties pertaining
to medical department units of the
infantry and cavalry divisions. The
addition of certain subjects at the
Ordance Field Service School makes
this course better adapted to the needs
of the National Guard.
1t was announced that in view Of
the above changes at the various
schools the National Guard Bureau
plans to open practically all of the
courses to both company and field
officers under IS years of age who
have never attended a special service
school, Most courses will be known
as the National Guard and Reserve
officers courses 1t was said that be-
cause of fiscal limitations the number
of field officers that can be sent to
any one course cannot exceed 10 per
cent of the total number sent to the
course.
Practically the only change in Ma
| tional Guard enlisted mems courses
will be the reduction of the nom
commissioned officers course at the
Cavalry School from a six to a three
month course. The cost of the six
month course was said not to be COM
mensurate with the results obtained.
The National Guard Bureau, how
ever, has taken steps toward the es-
tablishment of three month refresher
courses for sergeant instructors at the
various branch schools. To date all
schools except the Air Corps, Coast
Artillery and Infantry have given
their assent to conduct such a course
to give these sergeants instruction in
the latest technique of their respective
arms or services.
The bureau said that 377 National
Guard officers and SO enlisted men
will have attended the various schools
this year, and approximately the same
number will be sent in the next school
year.
The bureau has called attention to
the fact that physical examinations
Of some Of those sent to the service
schools has not been thorough, as de-
fects have been found upon later ex-
animation.
In connection with the motorization
Of the National Guard, the bureau
says that with the savings from the
1886 appropriation and funds con-
tanned in the 1886 and 1887 appropria-
tions for motors, the bureau now is
purchasing some motors for the 1885,
millimeter Howitzer Field Artillery,
155-millimeter gun, Field Artillery
and Coast Artillery, the anti-aircraft
regiments Of Coast Artillery, division
signal companies, motor repair COM
panies. ordnance repair companies,
the division aviation units and two
ambulances per ambulance company
and ambulances to pools where States
have no ambulance companies.
1t will be the policy of the National
Guard Bureau to carry out the request
of the Executive Council of the Ma
tional Guard Association with any
savings that may be made available
from 1887 funds, to purchase some
additional motor equipment for the
75-millimeter Field Artillery. They
are in need of additional reconnais-
sance and wire-laying vehicles for
regimental and battalion headquarters
and additional cargo vehicles for
service batteries. It is also the desire
of the bureau to motorize the trans
portation platoon Of regimental head
quarters troops with two scout cars
and four reconnaissance cars and re-
ducing the horse allowances in these
organizations to 10. and to purchase
motors for Field Artillery and Coast
Artillery in the second increase OF
5000 troops.
Pvt. Dorwin j. Cunningham has
been ordered transferred from the
active to the inactive list OF the
Medical Department Detachment.
260th Coast Artillery, because Of re-
moval from the city.
Pvt. Walter A. Shea has been or
dered to the active list In the same
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