Citizens Military Training Camp - Defender Yearbook (Camp Meade, MD)

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+ THE DEFENDER thought and the act of preparation for service increase their patriotism. Association with men from all walks ol life em- phasizes our democracy. We talte the young man out of his local environment' and extend his acquaintance to men from different localities. These experiences in a large sense supple- ment the lrome ledlucatqion and these young men go back with expanded cnow et ge. ' Your month of training showed you that the XYar Department gave much thought to the Citizens' Camps of 1923. The General Staff administered twenty-tive of them under the immediate direction of Nlajor General John l.. Hines, Deputy Chief of Stall, and of Major General W'illiam Lassiter, head of the Operations and Training Division. The regulations formulated by them were interpreted and applied by oflicers especially concerned with the Citizens' Nlilitary Training Camps, Colonel lidgar T. Col- lins who was at Platts- burg Barracks in the early days of the train- ing camps, l.t. Colonel Royden lfi. lieebe and Captain Charles C. Lowe. To all these men and to your corps area, camp and com- pany commanders you owe and doubtless will pay the debt of grat- itude. The daily sched- ule of the camp took due consideration of your age and strength. hlilitary instruction was confined for the most part to the morn- ing hours and a large part of each day you could give to any one of a considerable va- riety of athletic sports under expert super- vision. This helped you to develop a habit of life which will lead to physical health and vigor. You had many forms of recreation for your leisure hours and the guidance of sym- pathetic and experi- eneedmcninthemain- tenance ofa high ideal of personal and civic conduct. You prob- ably increased in lOllNl4.lllNl'1S Pngr lflfcwz tllnf. Cyn. U. S. .flrmy 1

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THE DEFENDER X '4The value of this timated on a financial basis. The physical benefits derived by the participants will be invaluable. lt will add materially to the virility of our young meng it will teach them self-reliance, re- spect for law and or- der, and obedience to constituted au thor- ity-essentials that are absolutely neces- sary in a Republic like ours. james W. NVads- worth, Chairman of the Senate Commit- tee, made at the same time a prophetic state- ment, which the last three years have justi- fied: The great interest manifested by the country in these Camps will make it clear to everyone con- cerned with military affairs that thc prin- i ciple upon which they l are based is a sound ' one and that young America Welcomes the ciliNl'1RAl. -l0llN j. Piznsnixo idea of voluntary mil- itary trainingf, The same thought of service and the necessary preparation for it was impressively set forth by Secretary Wieeks when he said: I hope that the time is not far distant when every young man in the country will look forward, seriously and expect- antly,to his attendance at this institution for the moulding of men. If you want to test whether you have profited by your summer,as the men hope who started this movement,eompare the results in yourself with the benefits which General Pershing sees in voluntary training: lt develops the physical vigor and manliness of our youth and sharpens their mentality. It teaches self-discipline and respect for constituted authority. It encourages initiative and gives young men confidence in their abilities. The Pngf Tm i training cannot be es-

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--l' THE DEFENDER weight and heightg in any case you trained to a condition of bodily fitness. All these things you know but to some benefits for yourself and others you may not have given thought. Vv'hen you wrote your application for the Citizens' Military Training Camp you were given a physical examination, it was not very severe, but it served to impress both you and your friends with the importance of physical health. At the camp you passed another test and then entered on a course of training which has certainly given you a greater sense of physical well-being. You were taught also some basic facts of per- sonal and social hygiene and sanitation to carry back to your own home town and pass on to your comrades, thus becoming yourself the missionary of a new gospel of physical health and efliciency. Perhaps now you can get posted in your town hall or post oflice the printed standards of bodily condition and capacity and so help to make a new generation of able-bodied youth. Something, too, you learned at camp about the duties of a citizeng you must have felt occasionally, as never before, the thrill of patriotismg the whole train- ing tended to develop in you certain habits and ways of thinking which will make you more worthwhile in the town in which you live. You have found that a Citizens, Military Training Camp is a place where military, physical and civic training are combined to make a better citizen. . YVhen you heard about the training camps the idea aroused a quick response but you Wm. LAss1'r1zR Maj. Cm. U. S. Jrmy 1,11 gr Twrlve probably never thought how difli- cult it is to make this opportunity known to a million or more young men who come each year to the proper age for admission. The mere broad-casting of information about the camps is in itself a tremendous task. VVhen one considers the amount of time, energy and money,involved in an ordinary primary or general election even within the confines of one State one has some idea of what is needed in publicity. The VVar Department has en- trusted as far as possible the con- duct of these camps to the nine Corps Area Commanders through- out the United States. To each Headquarters is attached a Citi- zens' Military Training Camp Of- ficer, who is primarily responsible for recruiting within the area. The Corps Area Commander has at his service also for this purpose the Regular Army Officers, who are his Chiefs of Staff with the Reserve Divisions and also the Ofiicers who are detailed as R. O. T. C. instruc- tors at schools, colleges and uni- versities. In brief, the entire re- sources ofthe regular establishment are available and have been used effectively for the promotion of citizen training. For the past three years the War Department has had the help