Evening star., 1938-07-10
DC. Guard Starts on Summer
Training Schedule This Week
First of Divisional Units Leaves tuesday
toEstablish Camp Near Front
Royal, Va.

The first of the detachments of
the District National Guard to start
on its field training work will leave
here next Saturday. That is, the main
force will 60 then, but advance de-
tachments which will put the first
camp site In shape. will begin leaving
earlier in the week. These troops are
the National Capitals part of the
29th Division stan and headquarters,
which will operate in the Valley of
Virginia In the vicinity of Front
Royal.
The advance forces plan to leave
here Tuesday, with the large amount
OF field equipment which will be re-
quired to provide shelter and other
facilities for divisional reorganization
during the time that it is operating.
While there will be several camps
established during the campaign, the
one at Front Royal will be OF semi
permanent character, and most of the
supplies are being shipped there. The
other temporary camps, which will be
set up during the two-week engage
ment, will be made as the war pro-
gram progresses and the problems are
worked out. There Is even uncer-
tainty. according to the officers,
whether the training program will be
strictly adhered to, as to times and
dates for carrying out the various
events and for establishing the BIZ
vouacs.
The District forces will furnish most
OF the troops for the support Of the
operations Of the division headquar-
tiers, as most Of them are allocated to
the District Of Columbia. These will
include the divisional headquarters
special troops headed by Maj. William
T. Roy and the quartermaster units
headed by Maj. Fletcher F. Berns-
dor1. the latter of which will have
the very important task Of furnish
ing the supplies and shelter.
Brig Gen. Albert Cox, commanding
general Of the local troops, has been
invited by Maj. Gen. Milton A. Rec
kord. commanding the 29th National
Guard Division. to attend the divi-
sional camp and to participate in the
operations.
Bids for the supplies for the camp
have been opened. and the of1cers
are examining them with a view to
awarding the contracts so that they
can move out this week, except, OF
course. the perishable materials which
will be supplied to the central quar-
termaster camp from day to day Also
bids are being asked for the supplying
of food and other materials to the
l2lst Regiment Of Engineers. which
will 60 to camp after the divisional
troops. However the first four days
Of its training period will be held here
at Camp Simms.
brigade headquarters said. the local
guard was at the exact strength
authorized by the National Guard Bu-
reau Of the War Department. The
total number of enlisted men was
1903, and the fact that it reached this
SIdtQS WAS attributed 10 tNc recent
order increasing the size of the numer-
Gus units in accordance with the drill
strength maintained over certain Pc
RODS.
Maj. Arthur L. Smith, Chaplain
Corps. Of the local Guard, having
reached the statutory age of Ga years,
has applied for retirement. He is being
recommsnded for promotion to rank of
lieutenant colonel on the retired list,
because Of 13 years of commission
service in the Guard and as an en-
listed man In the Regular Army.
During the World War he served in
the Chaplain Corps of the Army, but
left 1t to do work with the Y. M. c. A.
forces assigned to the American Ex-
peditionary Forces in France. His en-
tire service, both civil and military,
1t was added, totals 20 years.
Brig. Gen. Cox paid visit to the
rifle range at Camp Simms last week
to obtain q first-hand view Of the
workings Of this important activity