Citizens Military Training Camp - Sentinel Yearbook (Fort Sheridan, IL)

Page 16 text:

EIGHT YEARS OF THE CMTC f f 5 I Q W4 Years ago President Harding said that he hoped for IO0,000 each year in the training camps and President Coolidge has frequently expressed his desire that there be a greater op- portunity for attendance each summer. The War Depart- ment is responsible for the enrollment of young men in the CMTC. Ap- plications always exceed the number of places available, and these are filed many months be- fore the opening of the camps. All training cen- ters could be filled by young men from one section of the country if such an arrangement seemed fair. Congress has expressed its desire, however, that this op- portunity should be freely open to candi- dates from all parts of the United States. With this in View camps have been located at no great intervals all the way from Maine to Calif- ornia and from the northern border down to the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, each of the CIr,uu.r:s P. Snmu-1n,u,i. xllujur flvrlfwll, li, S, .-lrnly Chief ul' Stull' CAVALRY TRAINING has its own appeal to the young men of the CMTC. I 'ngr Flftwf II .v.v-v.v.v-v.v.v.v.v-v-v-v-V.v-V-v-1-v-'N-VV-V-V - W ' ' r.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.mv.nv-v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.vv

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IJ EIGHT YEARS OF THE CMTC is f f t A----fs-r 4 ff5 'Yi'5-'? Qv? 5 THE BLU'E COURSE GRADUATES in one of the fifty camps throughout the country age Fo urrrf Il Army to whom is entrusted the welfare of their own sons during the thirty days of training. Nearly live hundred thousand fathers and mothers have sent their boys to the CMTC in these eight years and have found this slogan true, Send your son to camp and swap him for a man . The United States Army is no longer looked upon merely as a professional body for defense of the countryg commis- sioned officers and enlisted person- nel have become almost a part of the family of the nation. The Government offers an out'- door training of thirty days each year with all necessary expenses paid, including transportation, uni- forms, food, quarters, laundry and medical care. There is a four year course, the Basic for beginners and thereafter in sequence the Red, the W'hite and the Blue Courses. The Basic students are limited mostly to infantry instruction, but later each man selects the branch of the Service which he prefers, infantry. cavalry, artillery or signal corps, and his choice is allowed as far as facilities permit in the nearest train- ing center. There are fifty of these distributed in all sections of the country so that transportation costs are held to a minimum. Most camps give infantry drill but some are primarily equipped for instruction in cavalry or in field or coast ar- tillery. These training centers are on government reservations and are supplied with permanent mess halls and kitchens, while the young men are quartered either in barracks or in temporary tent cities. The growth of the CMTC has been phenomenal. ln IQZI Con- gress made provision for only 10,000 men, but the demand was so great that appropriations have been in- creased year by ycar until in IQZS there was room for 35,000. Appli- cations exceeded this nnmber from nearly 25,000 young men who could not be accepted for lack of space. ' V v v 'N v 'M'-vm'M,.,Jmv.,-,.,.,,,',,,,,,,,. 1 ' r.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.vmv.v.v.v.mv.vtv.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.n - o J B 54 i

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hxx EIGHT YEARS OF THE CMTC I,u'rz WMU. ' I' I U N 1 .llujnr wnwrfz , . i . 1 rmy The Adjutant General nine Army Corps Areas of the United States is assigned its quota for training and this in turn is distributed to the var- ious States and to the counties of each State so that nowhere the op- portunity for camp at- tendance shall be lack- ing. The Military Train- ing Camps Association has been chosen by the War Department as its primary civilian agency in the selection of young men for the camps and the association main- tains, therefore, a nation- wide organization of county chairmen and committees with Civilian Aides to the Secretary of VVar appointed on its nomination and from its membership for each State and corps area. This plan of enrollment makes possible the dis- tribution of the oppor- tunity for enrollment equitably to all classes and occupations. Cou- try communities are given an equal chance with the larger centers of population. W'age carn- ers have an equal Chance with college students. t Page Sixlm' n l AND THOSE CAISSONS GO ROLLING ALONG . .v.v.v. . .VNV v.1.v-vm .v.v.v.v.v.v. . 1' ' I.V.vwN-UN-v.v.v.v.v-vN.l.!.1 1.13 71V-7.1 V-V.