US Army Infantry School - Doughboy Yearbook (Fort Benning, GA)

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Ja K- -N I . 4 i .. , 'xv , ' f, A3 p9z4- oousuaovjgk At the same time the name of the Field Officers' Class was changed to the Advanced Class, so at the present time we have the following courses presented: General Officers' Course Refresher Course Advanced Course Company Officers' Course National Guard and Reserve Officers' Course A notable achievement at Benning was the establishment of the first General Officers' Class in the history of the United States Army. This occurred during the term 1921-22 and consisted of but one officer, Brigadier General Fox Conner. His work was a general study of the work taught by the Infantry School coupled with observation of the application of these prin- ciples. The establishment of this class had two fold effect. It gave increased dignity to the work in the eyes of the junior officers and signified the pro- found depth of the study of military art. It demonstrated beyond equivoca- tion that in study the principles of war are never fully learned except in a relative sense. General Conner was enthusiastic in his approval and praise of the Infan- try School and the success of this first course led to its continuance in 1922-23 and the attendance of the following: Brigadier General William D. Connor, Brigadier General Richmond P. Davis, ' Brigadier General Edwin B. Winans, Brigadier General Malvern-Hill Barnum, Brigadier General Leroy H. Irwin, Brigadier General Frank Parker, Realizing that numerous officers in the field grades needed to refresh themselves on matters of latest development in the Infantry, the War Department ordered the establishment of an abbreviated course of ten Weeks duration to be called the Refresher Course. On the 14th of November, 1921 the first Refresher Class reported and consisted of five colonels and five lieutenant-colonels, with service of from 23 years for the junior to 35 years for the senior. The course continued until january 31st and the students departed after heartily indorsing the projectg and, as one officer stated, Henvying the junior officers who were fortunate enough to take the entire course. L Y i -, is Y r J 14' ix ' 'Y ' S ve -6 f fl. B' we r 'QQ ,rpm .iv- J l Imp

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.1 A Ci -so I 924 DOUGHBOY . Q 5 , x : lv 'l ' permanence. The battle for the survival of the Infantry School was Won after it had apparently been lost a dozen times. The first student classes reported to the Infantry School on December 2nd, 1918 to take a Combined Course, lasting until February 22nd, 1919. This was followed by another class starting on March 15th and graduating September 30th of the same year. These first classes were necessarily small and in the ten months from December 1918 until October 1919 a total of 161 officers of the Regular Army graduated. The majority were junior officers and commissioned dur- ing or after the emergency. In October 1919 the first long class was established, known as the Basic Course. This same year the first National Guard and Reserve Officers' Class was organized. A total of 115 Regular Army Officers and 27 National Guard and Reserve Officers graduated in the term 1919-1920, the student personnel still continuing to be small due to the scanty appropriations, and the fact that the fate of the Infantry School as a permanent institution hung in the balance. It was not until the Spring of 1920, following the bill appropriating 31,000,000 for the completion of the construction started and the purchase of real estate, that a decision was reached making the Infantry School a per- manent service institution. Following this the student classes were increased by leaps and bounds and in 1920-21 were graduated the largest number of men ever turned out at Benning. In that year the first Field Officers' Class and Company Commanders' Class were started. The Basic Class was continued in two sections, due to its large size and the National Guard and Reserve Officers' Classes also showed a large increase in attendance. In all 644 officers were graduated. These same classes were organized for the year 1921-22, with the addition of the General Officers' and Refresher Courses. The name of the Company Commanders' Course was changed to Company Officers' Course, without deviation in the curriculum. For the next year the Basic Course was discontinued, due to the reduc- tion in the commissioned personnel under the elimination act, and no lieu- tenants attended the Company Officers' Course except those who had been reduced from the grade of captain. This policy continued in vogue for the current year. My 1 15: is 'Q ' T , S Y . '41 ts, 1 Y! ll 4 'i I

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.1 A U r if p A! 5 3 5 1 X :viii N 1 ' 5 :3 I The Advanced and Company Officers' Courses are of about equal dura- tiong the Advanced class starting Sept. 15th, the Company Officers Class Oct. 1st, and both ending May 31st. It is about these classes that the school is built. The National Guard and Reserve Officers' Class is of three months duration and in some years as many as two classes are held. This depends entirely on funds available. One class reported this yearg starting March 1st and lasting through May. A glimpse at the roster of graduates from the Infantry School gives us the following interesting figures and shows that a total of 1919 officers have been made efficient Infantry leaders: 1919 Officers Graduating Regular Army 161 1920 Regular Army 115 National Guard Z7 142 1921 Regular Army 583 National Guard 8: Reserve 61 644 1922 Regular Army 437 National Guard 8: Reserve 81 518 1923 Regular Army 370 National Guard 8: Reserve 84 454 Total - 1919 The students for the current year number 231 from the Regular Army and 155 from the National Guard and Reserve, making a total of 386 who will graduate. It is believed that this will be the approximate number to take the work each year. Now that the courses have passed through the earlier formative stages and are becoming better, it is thought with a continuous output of graduates averaging 350 per annum, the Infantry School can adequately supply the Regular Army, National Guard, R. O. T. C., O. R. C., and C. M. T. C. 1 tag? -5 - I 2-5 Y ' , gf lf wi? 9 -6 W Y W - X ,J , ' 1 mi