Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-17
4 BY WALTER McCALLUM,

A three-star general in this mans
Array is pretty big fellow. Not
necessarily big physically, but a
lieutenant general, the three star
gent, carries a lot of authority
There are only Is of them in the
Army of the United States scattered
throughout the world.
So when 1t. Gen. L. j. McNair,
commanding the Army ground
forces, issued q directive ordering
military maneuvers in Louisiana and
Texas early this year, the Army sat
up and listened. 1t could be thai
some of the men who have been on
summer maneuvers in that area now
are elsewhere on the battle front in
THU global war, in the simmering
heat of the desert, in tanks; on
Guidalcanal facing the fire of IA
natcal Japs, or in Ireland or Eng
LAM. where Army forces are train
inglfor the final push.
The principal training objective
forlthis period" said Gen. McNair
in 3directive to Army ground forces,
ais the attainment and maintenance
of 4 completee state of readiness
for combat of all individuals and
unis. Upon completion of this
maheuver period all units will be
co1idered ready for actual combat.
Discipline Comes First.
Specific detectives are as follows:
(aAUnits of all arms and types able
to perate effectively in task forces
of flexible organizations; CD all
gro(nd units able to operate effec-
tiv@y with air units in accomplish
ings their joint mission; Co me-
ehahized and non mechanical units
abll to operate together smoothly
and effectively; I'd troops, includ-
ingbfficers, physically and mentally
to,ihened for all combat opera
tioA; (e) attainment of a state Of
dis(pline which will insure success
IN httle."
DIT that last point. It's the i'm
pol ant one, to which everything
slsdis subordinated.
On. McNair added: "The proges-
siv@ physical hardening of all in
divluals will be emphasized during
thekntire period. This will be done
by tse of obstacle courses, practice
ma&hes and other means. All units
mul demonstrate their ability to
mai a continuous foot march OF
Is lilies with full field equipment.
Il lat means a pack weighing 80
pojds. and a rifle, in the case of
theloot soldier, or heavy machine
eurbarrel, or something else pretty
heaE, perhaps the component parts
of amortar.
mo Parade Ground Stuff.
"he urgency of training is now
40 Neat and so apparent and the
field so broad that there is little
need for parade ground training,
Wild should be held to the mini
mud" All of which is meat to the
Am$can soldier, who doesn't care
mud for parades, but is at home in
the eld, left to his own devices.
Y1ve heard lot about the
toug fighting Commands, and the
abiliR of the Japs at infiltration
and lamouflage. Well, our Ameri-
can boys; who might have been
CLERK or stenographers or insur-
ance3alesmen year ago, are pretty
goodat that Commando stuff and
Naturalization business, too. In
his 1uth the American boy played
Indih. He learned how to take
covet how to use natural camou-
fiagd how to make himself invis-
ible 1t any range. Also how to
camAfage his arms. I Travelled
with maneuver umpire over fields,
throth rivers and through dense
wood in one of the ubiquitous jeeps
and bw them doing this.
Aninnocent fence line sprouted
a mfhine gun post. I tiny clump
of gi6s hardly big enough to shell
ter I rabbit, suddenly became an
anti hnk gun. They're called I'D
gunsln the Army. 1t means tank
destder, and that little 81 job is
sNet shooting chunk of lethal
dynamite, wrapped up in small
pacldge. 1t weighs just short OF a
thouhnd pounds and it is mounted
on lbber. Highly mobile" the
ARM calls it. To a tank it is con-
centbted death, for it opens up at
a lolof yards, has a fiat trajectory
snd makes a mighty small target.
Thd Nazis and the Japs already
knot the 81 nm. to their sorrow
Tank Men Are Tough.
II an innocuous patch of woods
mai be half a dozen tanks, re-