California: One brigade of three regiments of infantry, one squadron of cavalry, one battalion of field artillery, one company of signal corps, one ambulance company, one field hospital. Idaho: One regiment of infantry. Montana: One regiment of infantry. Oregon: One regiment of infantry, one troop of cavalry, one battery of field artillery. Utah: One squadron and two separate troops of cavalry, one battery of field artillery. Washington: One regiment of infantry, one troop of cavalry, one company of signal corps. Organizations were required to recruit to the minimum prescribed by the President's call before leaving company rendezvous. The necessary equipment, funds, quartermaster, ordnance, and medical stores, furnished by Federal supply departments, were so promptly delivered that in many instances they reached State mobilization camps before the troops began to arrive. In no case could it be said that troops of this department were slow in assembling. The dates of departure of organizations for the Mexican border will indicate the degree of promptness with which troops of the different States of this department assembled, transferred property, and were mustered into the Federal service. As above stated the call was received on the night of June 18 and was made known to all concerned on June 19. Organizations entrained and left for the border fully equipped for field service as follows: Utah: One battery of Field Artillery left June 27; six troops of Cavalry mustered in June 29 and left July 3. Oregon One battery of Field Artillery left June 27; Third Battalion Infantry left June 27; Second Battalion, June 28; headquarters and First Battalion, June 29, 1916; one troop of Cavalry left June 28. Washington: One regiment of Infantry left June 26; signal company and sanitary troops left June 30. California: One squadron of Cavalry left June 29; Second Infantry and one battalion of Field Artillery, July 1; Fifth and Seventh Infantry, July 3; brigade headquarters, signal company, ambulance company, and field hospital left July 4, 1916. Montana July 2, 1916. One regiment of Infantry mustered in June 29 and left for border Idaho: One regiment of Infantry in camp June 26, mustered in July 3 and left July 7, 1916. Washouts on the railroad caused several days' delay for companies of Montana troops, but all organizations were at the mobilization camps seven days after date of call. Question. (b) The degree of preparedness evinced upon assembly, covering organizations, supplies, equipment, etc., so far as lies within the responsibility of the State. Answer. (b) All troops brought to camp their equipment to include minimum strength. Such shortages as existed in equipment were at once supplied by the States from State arsenals. Some confusion existed due to the fact that several officers in some organizations had been found physically disqualified for service and their places had to be filled by others with little or no military experience or knowledge of the duties required of them. Several companies had been declared deficient by the Militia Bureau as a result of 1916 Federal inspections and had to be reorganized. The transformation from peace or below peace strength to war strength created confusion. The supplies, equipment, etc., so far as lies within the responsibility of the State, were generally ample and indicated a proper degree of preparedness. Question. (c) The degree of progress made in training by the troops thus mobilized. Orders given or measures taken for instruction of National Guard troops at their mobilization camp after muster into the service of the United States. Answer. (c) Training orders were published by most States, but no attempt was made to carry them out. The organizations were held at State camps for a short time only, during which the members of the commands were physically examined, inoculated for typhoid and smallpox and were called upon to perform various other duties in connection with the establishment of camp so that but little progress was made in training. The State of California published a very complete order for the mobilization of United States Militia, which included a schedule of instruction. Question. (d) Criticisms and comments on regulations and methods with suggestions and recommendations which will enable the department to inaugurate such changes as will insure greater smoothness and expedition in future mobilization. Answer. (d) The United States Mustering Regulations appear to have answered the purpose for which it was intended until the passage of the national-defense act. The changes in laws, methods of procedure, and the adoption of new blank forms have rendered the present mustering regulations practically useless and have been the source of much confusion, delay, and extra paper work on the part of those connected with the work of mobilization. The mustering regulations should be revised to conform to the new law, modifications in forms, and other changes which the War Department has, through experience, found necessary to make by telegraphic orders. Physical examination.-It should be specifically stated in the mustering regulations what the physical examination for muster in shall consist of and what blank forms are to be used. Questions regarding finger prints, outline finger cards, typhoid inoculations, vaccination, kinds of forms to be used, etc., have been the source of much telegraphic correspondence. Transportation. The travel pay or transportation to be furnished upon muster out should be clearly stated in regulations. The various interpretations placed upon War Department telegraphic orders on these subjects have given rise to much unnecessary correspondence. Companies should be recruited to war strength before leaving company rendezvous. Several new units were organized after the departure of troops included in the first call. 2. The entire work of mobilization was promptly and successfully accomplished. WM. L. SIBERT, Brigadier General, U. S. Army. INSTRUCTION OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. 1. The instruction of the National Guard may be divided into two periods; first, that received at the mobilization camps, and, second, that received at the border. 2. The periods of time during which organizations were at mobilization camps varied from a few days to several months. For those organizations at the mobilization camps, two weeks or less, the amount of instruction received was negligible, due to several reasons, among which may be mentioned that the time of officers of the Regular Army, who were their instructors normally, was wholly occupied in mustering duties involving the supervision of paper work and the inspection and transfer of property. Had additional Regular Army officers been detailed to mustering duty leaving the inspectorinstructors to continue their duty with the National Guard in their capacity of instructors, not much better results would have been attained, for the reason that the time of the National Guard officers was almost wholly absorbed in preparing the necessary muster-in papers, in equipping and handling the large influx of recruits for which they had no prior records. A little was learned, no doubt, in the nature of messing, interior economy, camp sanitation, personal hygiene, and perhaps individual instruction not beyond the school of the squad and company. 3. For those organizations at the mobilization camps more than two weeks, the instruction in general was still unsatisfactory, due primarily to the lack of Regular Army officers to act as instructors; to the unsuitability of the ground in the vicinity for tactical instruction, the organizations being confined to the roads; the lack of suitable target ranges; and in the case of mounted troops, to the lack of animals for mounted instruction. 4. The organizations arriving on the border were in different stages of instruction, though the difference was not very great due to the large number of recruits without prior service in all organizations. It was therefore necessary to devote a large amount of time to the elementary recruit instruction. The standardization of the subjects and methods for the necessary instruction in the different arms was not available for ready reference with regard to troops in the status of approximately one-fourth partially trained troops, three-fourths recruits, and many of the officers only partially trained. Even with an exact and approved method of training, the results will always depend upon the individual experience, energy, and ability of the instructors. 5. These organizations were not sent to the border in their partially trained condition for the purpose of instruction. They were sent for duty there in a grave emergency, because they were the only troops. available, even though not yet ready and fit for active field service. The instruction that could be given at that time was incidental to service. However, it was soon realized that additional instruction should be undertaken, and a number of Regular Army officers were assigned to the organizations as instructors. At least one to each battalion or squadron was needed, but that number could not be spared from the regular organizations. Instruction and responsibility for discipline and efficiency go hand in hand. Neither these 72031-16-10 |