Από την Κρήτη εθελοντής στον Αμερικανικό Στρατό., item 40

• October 31, 2018 16:44:21 Marios Georgiou

  THE DUTIES AND DEPORTMENT OF ENLISTED MEN

  The private soldier is the company. Upon his understanding of the word obedience depends the morale of an army. Obedience without zest is worse then useless. The captain of a good snappy company at drill is likely to the captain of an efficient company on the field of battle. The training of this company has generated a certain morale that will lead the men where others might lag behind. Days of relentless practice in ordinary drill produces this, provided the average soldiers understands exactly what obedience means.

  In the old days it was the custom for soldiers to be more or less individual, to depend largely on their dramatic courage in battle. Men rushed forth at the head of troops which were scattered this way and that, and the outcome of battles depended largely upon the individual staying power of the men. It was often difficult to decide who had won a battle.

  Nowadays it is the collective soldier-the entire army of a nation-who decides battles and wars.

  It is obvious that if this collective soldier were disinclined to obey orders, to endure hardships with patience, and to doubt the ability of the seniors in command, there could be no discipline, no results in warfare that could be figured out beforehand.

  And because of this we have drill and other forms of concerted action in order that the soldier may be taught to obey orders automatically.

  At first the recruit is inclined to resent the many details he is required to observe. He feels that he is as good aw the officer over him, and he doesn't understand why he should have to stand at attention while an officer speak to him; why he should salute at all hours of the night and day and wherever he happens to be. The incomprehensibility of it all is 

  
  

  
  

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