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

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J 2. i -N' .sal 35 X 924 DOUETIHOY A before or recently handled by the board are listed to show the general type. 1. Reduction of load carried by the Infantry soldier CSee Major Max B. Garber's article in February, 1924 Infantry journal on this sub- jectj 2. Improved Tripod for Browning Machine Gun, Caliber .30, involving New mechanical traversing mechanism with click detent of one mil and other improvements. 3. Study of Infantry Organization, involving all infantry organizations to and including the brigade. 4. Auto weapons test-will include all present caliber .30 weapons, also Garand and Thompson auto-loading rifles and will involve an expenditure of over 300,000 rounds of ammunition. 5. Communication Carts-One has been improvised by modifying a machine gun cart and attaching the RL-16 wire cart as trailer, all to be drawn by one mule. SERVICE COOPERATION As the studies and investigations made by the board cover such a broad field, it is manifest that the board can not perform its functions with the desired efficiency except by effective cooperation on the part of all Infantry- men. At Fort Benning the board has available for consultation a large number of officers of varied experience in the faculty and student body of the Infantry School and among the commissioned personnel on duty with the school troops. This personnel includes a large number of officers who have been selected for their expert knowledge or special qualifications for the work on which they are engaged. The Infantry Board takes full advantage of the opportunities for consultation, advice and valuable cooperation thus made possible. The assistance of all these agencies has always been of material aid to the board in preparing its recommendations or conclusions. The board encourages and Welcomes suggestions from any person fofficer, enlisted man or civilianj who is interested in the Infantry. Much valuable assistance has been received from these sources in the past that has been highly appreciated by the board. All officers may be assured that any proposals submitted will receive careful thought and consideration and whether your ideas are adopted or not, recommendations will be made that proper notations be made on your military record and official recognition 'Wg pgs? 111 5' 21 9 gg -6 W 5 , . r. p ls, vi? 46- A ill

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In v-1-r A ii -s f . A 5'--ye V1 x l. -:A I 4fdi. of 'ig 3, fl' 'NY - 1 N gk For tests or demonstrations that involve the use of troops the Commanding Officer of the proper demonstration troops is consulted and arrangements are made through him for the necessary cooperation. Questions pertaining to Infantry Organization, training and tactics are, as a rule, referred through the Assistant Commandant to the proper depart- ment of the Infantry School for the views and recommendations of the appro- priate departments of the school. These opinions are reviewed in the office of the Assistant Commandant to insure coordination before return to the Infantry Board. Minor questions are covered by informal conference of the Working member of the board with such instructor specialists as may have special knowledge of the subject under investigation. During the progress of the tests or while awaiting comments from the school or other sources the member in charge makes such other study of the subject as is practicable. On receipt of the Report of Test and such other opinions as may have been requested, the study is completed. A tentative report for the action of the entire board is then drawn up in which are given a brief statement of the subject, a statement of the salient facts in the case, and a statement of the opinions of the board with appropriate conclusions and recommendations. Regular meetings of the board are held every Tuesday. In addition to the regular members of the board the Director of the Department of Experi- ment and the Commanding Officer of the 29th Infantry are always present at these meetings. As a rule specialists in the subjects to be considered are also present at the meeting to give the full board such information as the members may desire. After approval or modification by the full board the papers including Report of Test, if any, are forwarded to the Chief of In- fantry. The presence of the Commandant and the Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School on the Infantry Board insures that there will be coordination between the work of the board and that of the Infantry School. Personnel of the Infantry School is kept informed of such recommendations of the Infantry Board as may interest them and also of such action as may be taken on these recommendations by higher authority. The number of projects before the board naturally varies but usually it averages between 40 and 50 projects on the live file. Some of these involve test or investigation that require several months. A few of the projects now I ft GIF L Y ,J -, -I2 -f-S 5 4 , S Q I S P. lx, 1,5-x iq-- mit I

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-la ,X ll ,FJ f f i dm. -u Q- ' . J A: be given for all work of this kind that may be performed. No doubt valu- able suggestions occur to many officers who, through modesty, fail to give the service the benefit of these ideas. Officers are urged to study and develop any ideas they may have for improvement of the Infantry, and give the service the benefit. Both the service and the individual will derive benefit from any such study. All proposals or suggestions from personnel located at points other than Fort Benning should be sent to the Chief of Infantry. When the Infantry Board was originally organized, General Farnsworth, who was then President of the Board, sent a memorandum and letter to the commanding officer of each infantry brigade, regiment and machine gun bat- talion, urging cooperation with the board and asking that the contents of the memorandum be called to the attention of all officers of their organiza- tions. The letter and memorandum are published in full in the Infantry Journal for june 1920. General Orders 112, War Department, 1919, covers the subject of Military Education in the Army. In paragraph 4 of that order it states: It will be the constant aim of all concerned to improve and perfect the methods employed. With this end in view, officers of all grades shall be encouraged to submit proposals for improvements in methods or char- acter of instruction through proper channels to the War Department. These proposals will receive careful consideration by superiors, and their action thereon will be such as to encourage initiative upon the part of their subordinates and to make certain that no proposals of merit escape recognition. The principle contained in the foregoing paragraph applies with equal force to suggestions for the improvement of the Infantry Service. Progress is always necessary if we are to keep abreast of development and-progress in other nations and have our arm of the service properly prepared to play' its part in the national defense. This progress which is vital to efficiency cannot be maintained except by the earnest cooperation of all infantrymen. iff. ow ' it fr 'vii' - , . I .1373 9 Y , ff I ' , ,gi weft. r 1 if e r i if is x t' . . fax, lu . yy. up -f X , a ge? ,L LQ- f ifty. Qi s f f' - 1 - A f '- ,,g..',,4.L.-g1T,Eil-.r-:rg-. .-.f f- -- -,-- . -7, f m .-- - HA-- f1'fi-'-XJQY -.x-K, c ,. T -.V X.. .. 2, ,Y 5 I-As... -sw.. - L '- f V -.-XJ