In this country we are liable to have the necessity forced upon us of turning out troops in the shortest possible time. We shall have to use troops not fully trained; we shall have to employ them as soon as they can be used at all. Of course this system will be frightfully costly in blood and money. In war imperfectly trained troops must pay with their lives for all mistakes. The better trained they are, the fewer mistakes, the more skill they possess the more cheaply can any desired result be obtained.

It is the duty of all officers who may be charged with the responsibility of preparing this mass of untrained men for war service to give the subject careful thought, to study the question carefully and to be prepared on short notice to take charge of such work and produce the best results possible in the shortest time.

Success in this hurried training can only be secured if the man in charge thoroughly appreciates his task and follows out a well prepared and systematic course.

There are three phases of the problem: Our regular regiments must be raised from a strength of about 65 men per company to nearly 150. The national guard regiments, less well prepared, will have, as a rule, to stand a still greater increase of new men, and there will be hundreds of entirely new regiments to be raised.

In outlining or suggesting a possible course to be pursued in such cases let us take the new regiment. The regiment must first be enlisted, organized and equipped. This first step will not be considered further than to say that in its organization it is absolutely necessary that its commander be an active, competent officer, one who can train it and prepare it for its work. In no other way can the regiment be prepared to do anything within a reasonable time.

To appoint an incompetent commander to such a regiment would cost many lives, would be a crime closely resembling murder in the second degree.

An effort should be made in every new regiment to have a reasonable number of subordinates competent to act as instructors.

Under modern conditions there is a minimum amount of training that is absolutely necessary before an organization can be put in the field. The number of men lost to an organization from disease depends on how well the men are trained in caring for themselves and how well the officers do their part.

Time is the all important element; we must have these organizations in such shape that they can be used as quickly as possible and be as nearly good as possible. Of course they will constantly improve in the field and become excellent, but they will have to be used before that state is reached. The occasion for organizing such regiments will only arise in case of great national danger, when the utmost can be demanded of all. Hours of work should then be all that can be profitably employed. Most of the recruits will be men accustomed to at least eight hours work a day.

All that has been said previously as to variety in the work, keeping up the men’s interest, explaining and giving the reasons for things done, applies even more to a new volunteer regiment than to our regular companies. Essentials only must be taught at first, bearing in mind that discipline is most essential and the use that can be made of close order drill in obtaining it. Those things that should be a habit must be drilled carefully and frequently. Other essentials may be hurried through for the first time, to give the men the best general idea possible in the shortest time, and then repeated and perfected as time and opportunity offer.

As a rule our men will be intelligent and quick to learn. Every little taught them, if they have understood the reason for it, will help them to do what is required even if their instruction is not complete. With such volunteers much instruction should be given not as a drill but as a sort of lecture or talk. The average American works better when he knows the why and the wherefore. Remember how different are his new life and surroundings from what he is accustomed to and how very little the average American knows of an army and how much of that little is not so.

In submitting a proposed schedule of training it is fully appreciated that conditions will vary greatly and any schedule must be suited to conditions as they exist; it is doubtful if the one here proposed would ever exactly fit. It is only offered as a possible help.

It is assumed that the colonel is thoroughly competent and that there are several men in the command with some military training, such as ex-regulars and national guardsmen and those who have had training in a college battalion. This latter assumption is a safe one in this country.

It is very probable that every company will have a cook that enlisted as such and knows something of the art. But handling the ration and army cooking have features that are different from what he is used to unless he has been trained in the army. The company kitchen must be correctly run or training will be difficult. Discontent and a big sick report are fatal to success.

The first thing, then, is to instruct the cooks and mess sergeants. Some one must be found competent to do this and he must look after the kitchens, correct mistakes and give instruction until they are all running properly. The new captains must learn how to look after this work properly if they do not already know. If the colonel can find nobody else to do it he must do it himself. It must be done. It is a very important part of the foundation upon which success must be built.

The necessary records and papers should be properly kept and made, both at regimental headquarters and in the orderly room. This is important but not so much so as the kitchens. The mistakes in paper work only cause annoyance and confusion off the battlefield and possibly will lose somebody some money; but the other causes loss of life and prevents efficiency. This work should be properly taught. Some competent non-commissioned officers or officer should be given the task of instructing the clerks and first sergeants. It is not difficult, at least the essential parts, and it should be promptly attended to upon organization but so as in no way to interfere with training. An ex-regular sergeant major, first sergeant or clerk would be very valuable here. So far as possible such a man should be made adjutant of every new regiment of volunteers. His value as an instructor in many things would be great and he would save the colonel much trouble and annoyance.

From the first day of training the band should be turned over to the surgeons for thorough instruction as auxiliary sanitary troops. At least two hours a day should be devoted to this work until they become proficient, after which, an hour or two a week, to keep them so.

The band must also receive the necessary drill so that it can be maneuvered as such. Callisthenic drill, practice in marching, care of themselves in the field, individual cooking, and tent pitching must be taught. Three hours daily should be devoted to this instruction until satisfactory results are obtained, after which only occasional drills are necessary. This may interfere somewhat with their music, but that can wait.

The regimental surgeon must also carefully train his detachment. His officers must not only be doctors but medical officers; his men must be trained for field service as well as for hospital attendants.

The training of the machine gun company and mounted detachment must begin from the start and follow generally the lines proposed below for the companies. More attention must be paid to their tactical instruction than even to that of company commanders. They must know their function and how to do their part. The instruction of these men as to field service, care of themselves, callisthenics, cooking, etc., must be the same as in the company. They must be taught how to care for the animals and in the case of orderlies how to ride and to scout.

The company musicians will receive the following instruction with their companies: callisthenics, first aid and personal hygiene, individual cooking, tent pitching and rifle firing. They make all practice marches with their companies. They will be grouped by battalion and given at least one hour a day of instruction in signalling, and the musicians of the regiment assembled under the drum major for instruction in the necessary marching and maneuvering and practice with their instruments. They should work about the same number of hours per day as the other men.

Those armed with a revolver must be instructed in its mechanism and care, and firing practice frequently held.

In the proposed schedule given below for the companies an effort is made to provide for the necessary muscular development referred to before. The amount of this drill is not as great as desirable but as the men progress bayonet exercise and pointing and aiming drill answer fairly well to supplement this work. Some will object to any callisthenic drill, under the assumed conditions, as a waste of time. They are wrong—it will save time in the end, keep down the sick report and give better results.

The colonel should carefully inventory his command for instructors and drill masters. In the early stages when divided into small groups many are required; fortunately but little military training is necessary for this preliminary work.

Owing to shortage of good drill masters groups for this preliminary work will have to be larger than is customary in peace time in the regular service, not less than eight men to a group from the start, and these should be combined into groups of two squads each then into platoons, as soon as their work permits. The best instructors should be kept as drill masters after each consolidation.

For the callisthenic drills from the very start the men can be combined into large groups and instructors found who are already competent to drill their squads in the school of the soldier. The other squad commanders who are imperfectly prepared must be assembled at this time for drill and instruction under the best officers and non-commissioned officers in the regiment. They will be carefully taught the next movements to be given to the men and how to teach them to their squads.

As these squad leaders are selected as far as possible from those having had some military training and the others from the brightest and most intelligent men, it is believed possible for them to keep ahead of their squads. It becomes easier as the groups grow larger and fewer instructors are required.

The drill will be given to the officers who do not know it. The officers being formed into a squad by themselves.

All trained officers must be on the drill ground during all these drills by squad, supervise the work, correct mistakes and help out the poorer instructors. The other officers not acting as instructors should be required to attend about half to learn from seeing it done, the other half of this time they should be required to be drilled themselves and to study the drill regulations. There should be no hesitation in having lieutenants drill squads during this period provided they are better at it than some of the enlisted men and are not needed to supervise the work of several squads.

There should be an officers’ school every evening except Saturdays and Sundays. This should be conducted by the colonel himself. The first subject taken up being the drill regulations. Lessons should be short as well as the sessions of the class and the work thoroughly done. The student officer must learn the text and the instructor fully explain it where necessary. Much explanation will be required in Part II.

The class must keep well ahead of the outdoor work.

Besides the Infantry Drill Regulations, in this school must be taught early in the course, parts of the Guard Manual and Small Arms Firing Manual. The essential parts of the Field Engineering will be taught, and, those not proficient therein, how to read military maps. Lastly take up the Manual of Courts Martial.

The more important parts of Army Regulations should be included in the above course. Better results will be obtained if the lesson each day includes two or three selected paragraphs from this book than by taking it up as a whole and by itself. In its use this is largely a book of reference. In this proposed way the officers become familiar with it and how to use it and the relatively few paragraphs they must positively know are learned.

If, beside the colonel, the regiment has three or more thoroughly competent officers, the colonel will not require the others to attend officers’ school but will order schools for non-commissioned officers with these others as instructors. The classes should not be larger than one composed of all the non-commissioned officers of a battalion and, if instructors are available, those of only two or three companies should form a class.

The work of this class will be largely confined to Infantry Drill Regulations. First the drill then combat and covering detachments must be fully explained and the principles of patrolling taught. If time is available these schools will also take up other subjects taught in our regular indoor course. Care must be taken not to give the men more in one lesson than they can learn.

If there be one, and less than three, competent instructors for these non-commissioned officers, a class will be formed in each battalion and only two sessions held weekly for each, the instructor taking them in turn. Lessons in this case may be longer but the work cannot be so well done.

If there be no one available except the colonel, each captain will be required to have a school in his company at the most convenient hour and try to transmit to the men what he has learned in the officers’ school.

The following instruction should be given by demonstration or by talks given to the men assembled and sitting.

Part of it will be given by battalion, part by company, 2 and 4 should be given by squad or platoon, the leaders having first been instructed. In the schedule this instruction is designated by the word “verbal”. Its value will depend on the instructor.

List of subjects for instruction by talks and demonstrations:

Most of this is only preliminary to explanations and instruction the men will get in their drills. It is a start, and at the beginning of his training will help to arouse interest and gives some variety at the time when, in the regular drills, but little variety is possible and the drills are least interesting. A good instructor will make this pay.

It is assumed in this schedule that the season is between May and October. Work beginning on a Monday.

Reveille at 6 A. M. Breakfast immediately after. Necessary police between that and 7 A. M. No drill Saturday afternoon except one hour for instructors; none on Sunday.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE

1st, 2d and 3d Days.

4th and 5th Days and Morning of the 6th Day.

The same as above except that the drill from 9 to 9-45 A. M. and 2 to 2-45 P. M. will be in the manual of arms.

Some camp guards will probably be necessary. This should be done by platoon and this time on guard used to the utmost to teach this duty.

2d Week.—During this week drills will be in the school of the soldier without and with arms, the proportion with arms steadily increasing.

Commencing Thursday one-half hour each half-day will be pointing and aiming drill.

3d Week.—Squads combined in pairs. Drill will be with arms. Part of each drill will be pointing and aiming drill and extended order, close order work being continued. Beginning Thursday an aggregate of half an hour daily will be given to bayonet exercise. The drill must be varied, change made every 15 or 20 minutes.

4th Week.—Squads are combined into full platoons. Five or six men are selected from each company to form the signal detachment of the company. These men are required to do at least one hour’s work a day at this from now on until thoroughly proficient, and excused from a corresponding amount of other work, preferably police and close order in the afternoon.

5th Week.

6th Week—Company.

7th Week—The Company.

8th Week—Battalion.

9th Week. Target practice on the range with ball cartridges.

If the pits are not large enough so that each company can have three targets, only part of the companies should go at a time so as to give that number of targets. It should be completed by end of 9th week and may have had to come earlier for some companies.

If the range is right at the instruction camp it would be much better to have the companies shoot only a couple of hours a day beginning with 7th week and reduce the other instruction by that much, but so that at the end of the 9th week the work accomplished is the same.

10th Week.

11th Week.

Regimental work. Colonel uses it to best advantage.

One afternoon practice march. Regimental dress parade 4 evenings. School, 7 P. M. as before.

Saturday, regimental review and inspection.

12th Week.

A seven days’ practice march under war conditions with as much instruction as possible in field service, care of men, especially the feet, and of course in loading wagons, making and breaking camp.

Marches, especially the first two or three, must not be long.

13th Week.

Work each forenoon from 7 to 11-30 in what, by careful observation, the colonel finds is most needed.

No work in the afternoon except as follows:

Each man to have gallery practice once, ten shots. Each man to estimate distance once. Companies to have bayonet work for at least two half-hour periods each week and pointing and aiming drill once for some length of time.

Dress parade by regiment three times during week.

Regimental review and inspection Saturday.

School as usual.

This regiment can be used at the end of this three months. It will not be completely nor even well trained but it is believed to be the best that can be done in that time.

Can we have even this much time without great sacrifice and loss? It is very doubtful, and yet it is not believed practicable to use volunteers with less training except in fortifications.

The work has been very strenuous for all; the weaklings will have been eliminated. Any one fit for a soldier in war could have stood the strain, and the others had better be eliminated before taking the field.

If at the end of our 13th week we find we have more time, the work for the week following should be reduced to three hours per day and the schools, after that we may resume the long days of work.