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

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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

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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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lc. ' arf 1' in t . ve 'f 'xv , -Q 6' , K U UGHBQY5 The Infantry School offers great possibilities in case of a national emergency. It is the opinion that here would be located the great training center of Infantrymen and that instructors would be provided for Schools in the various corps areas. Fully 800 trained men could be graduated from Benning every ninety days: here might also be stationed the school for the 4th Corps Area. From four to five divisions could be trained here and dis- patched to any given point within a minimum of time should the need ariseg here would be the center of experimentation, development, technique and tactics of all Infantry weapons. The Infantry School wou'd become the center of wartime activities even as it is now leading the way in peacetime training. The Infantry School is dedicated to the Infantry and exists by and for the Infantry. The spirit underlying the institution is the same as that back of the Infantrymen, which spirit, to quote the words of an eminent and gallant soldier, himself a Doughboy. In response to America's call, wrote into the history of the World War an immortal record on the battlefields of France, winning at a cost of 89 percent of all American dead the greatest victory which has ever crowned the achievements of American arms. Which will continue by its willing and fearless acceptance of hardship and sacrifice to preserve all that is manly and noble in the military profession, and to insure to America the integrity of her splendid institutions whatever the source from which they may be threatened . Y I 9 I L! l 15, .I 0 v w if lg i t 0 e, 2 ,, It 4. - 5 -' 'Yr' 6 0 ' Q . . I ,- o s v, Q .. I qi 3 9 X JA! 4,,i in ' I X X I 4' v ,ff g Q i i g 1 -g ,gl 1-uv 1' -- - 11'-5 ' ' W 3? . ., , . W3 IES? r'l w'