



Produced by Robert J. Hall




MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND PRIVATES OF INFANTRY OF
THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES

1917

To be used by Engineer companies (dismounted) and Coast Artillery
companies for Infantry instruction and training.


WAR DEPARTMENT Document No. 574 OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL




                         WAR DEPARTMENT,
                         WASHINGTON, _April_14,_1917._

The following Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates
of Infantry of the Army of the United States is approved and
herewith published for the information and government of all
concerned.

This manual will also be used by Engineer companies (dismounted)
and Coast Artillery companies in connection with Infantry instruction
and training prescribed by the War Department.

By ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

                                     H. L. SCOTT,
                          _Major_General,_Chief_of_Staff._

  OFFICIAL:
    H. P. McCAIN.
      _The_Adjutant_General._




TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND COURTESY
  Section 1. Oath of enlistment
  Section 2. Obedience
  Section 3. Loyalty
  Section 4. Discipline
  Section 5. Military courtesy
  Section 6. Saluting
  Section 7. Rules governing saluting
  Section 8. Courtesies in conversation
CHAPTER II. ARMS, UNIFORMS, AND EQUIPMENT
  Section 1. The rifle
  Section 2. Care of the rifle
  Section 3. Cleaning the rifle
  Section 4. Uniforms
  Section 5. The service kit
  Section 6. The surplus kit
  Section 7. Assembling Infantry equipment
CHAPTER III. RATIONS AND FORAGE
  Section 1. The ration
  Section 2. Individual cooking
  Section 3. The forage ration
CHAPTER IV. PERSONAL HYGIENE AND CARE OF THE FEET
CHAPTER V. EXTRACTS FROM INFANTRY DRILL REGULATIONS, 1911
  Section l. Definitions
  Section 2. Introduction
  Section 3. Orders, commands, and signals
  Section 4. School of the soldier
  Section 5. School of the squad
  Section 6. School of the company
  Section 7. Company inspection
  Section 8. Manual of tent pitching
  Section 9. Manual of the bayonet
CHAPTER VI. FIELD SERVICE
  Section 1. Principles of Infantry training
  Section 2. Combat
  Section 3. Patrolling
  Section 4. Advance guards
  Section 5. Rear guards
  Section 6. Flank guards
  Section 7. Outposts
  Section 8. Rifle trenches
CHAPTER VII. MARCHING AND CAMPING
  Section 1. Breaking camp and preparation for a march
  Section 2. Marching
  Section 3. Making camp
  Section 4. Camp services and duties
CHAPTER VIII. TARGET PRACTICE
  Section 1. Preliminary training in marksmanship
  Section 2. Sight adjustment
  Section 3. Table of sight corrections
  Section 4. Aiming
  Section 5. Battle sight
  Section 6. Trigger squeeze
  Section 7. Firing positions
  Section 8. Calling the shot
  Section 9. Coordination
  Section 10. Advice to riflemen
  Section 11. The course in small-arms firing
  Section 12. Targets
  Section 13. Pistol and revolver practice
CHAPTER IX. EXTRACTS PROM MANUAL OF INTERIOR GUARD DUTY
  Section 1. Introduction
  Section 2. Classification of interior guilds
  Section 3. Details and rosters
  Section 4. Commander of the guard
  Section 5. Sergeant of the guard
  Section 6. Corporal of the guard
  Section 7. Musicians of the guard
  Section 8. Orderlies and color sentinels
  Section 9. Privates of the guard
  Section 10. Orders for sentinels
  Section 11. Countersigns and paroles
  Section 12. Guard patrols
  Section 13. Watchmen
  Section 14. Compliments from guards
  Section 15. Prisoners
  Section 16. Guarding prisoners
  Section 17. Flags
  Section 18. Reveille and retreat gun
  Section 19. Guard mounting
  Section 20. Formal guard mounting for Infantry
  Section 21. Informal guard mounting for Infantry
  Section 22. Relieving the old guard
CHAPTER X. MAP READING AND SKETCHING
  Section 1. Military map reading
  Section 2. Sketching
CHAPTER XI. MESSAGE BLANKS
CHAPTER XII. SIGNALS AND CODES
CHAPTER XIII. FIRST-AID RULES
CHAPTER XIV. LAWS AND REGULATIONS
  Section 1. General provisions
  Section 2. The Army of the United States
  Section 3. Rank and precedence of officers and noncommissioned
             officers
  Section 4. Insignia of officers and noncommissioned officers
  Section 5. Extracts from the Articles of War
CHAPTER XV. ENGLISH-FRENCH VOCABULARY
APPENDIX. FORM FOR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT




CHAPTER I.

MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND COURTESY.


SECTION 1. OATH OF ENLISTMENT.

Every soldier on enlisting in the Army takes upon himself the
following obligation:

"I,--------, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true
faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will
serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies
whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President of
the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over
me according to the Rules and Articles of War." (109th Article
of War.)


SECTION 2. OBEDIENCE.

The very first paragraph in the Army Regulations reads:

"All persons in the military service are required to obey strictly
and to EXECUTE PROMPTLY the lawful orders of their superiors."

Obedience is the first and last duty of a soldier. It is the
foundation upon which all military efficiency is built. Without
it an army becomes a mob, while with it a mob ceases to be a
mob and becomes possessed of much of the power of an organized
force. It is a quality that is demanded of every person in the
Army, from the highest to the lowest. Each enlisted man binds
himself, by his enlistment oath, to obedience. Each officer, in
accepting his commission, must take upon himself the same solemn
obligation.

Obey strictly and execute promptly the lawful orders of your
superiors. It is enough to know that the person giving the order,
whether he be an officer, a noncommissioned officer, or a private
acting as such, is your lawful superior. You may not like him,
you may not respect him, but you must respect his position and
authority, and reflect honor and credit upon yourself and your
profession by yielding to all superiors that complete and
unhesitating obedience which is the pleasure as well as the duty
of every true soldier.

Orders must be STRICTLY carried out. It is not sufficient to
comply with only that part which suits you or which involves no
work or danger or hardship. Nor is it proper or permissible, when
you are ordered to do a thing in a certain way or to accomplish a
work in a definitely prescribed manner, for you to obtain the
same results by other methods.

Obedience must be PROMPT