Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917 Part 43

74. When no special prisoner guard has been detailed (par. 300), he will, as far as practicable, a.s.sign as guards over working parties of prisoners sentinels from posts guarded at night only.

75. The commander of the guard will inspect all meals sent to the guardhouse and see that the quant.i.ty and quality of food are in accordance with regulations.

76. At guard mounting he will report to the old officer of the day all cases of prisoners whose terms of sentence expire on that day, and also all cases of prisoners concerning whom no statement of charges has been received. (See par. 241.)

77. The commander of the guard is responsible for the security of the prisoners under the charge of his guard; he becomes responsible for them after their number has been verified and they have been turned over to the custody of his guard by the old guard or by the prisoner guard or overseers.

78. The prisoners will be verified and turned over to the new guard without parading them, unless the commanding officer or the officer of the day shall direct otherwise.

79. To receive the prisoners at the guardhouse when they have been paraded and after they have been verified by the officers of the day, the commander of the new guard directs his sergeant to form his guard with an interval, and commands: 1. Prisoners, 2.

_Right_, 3. FACE, 4. _Forward_, 5. MARCH. The prisoner's having arrived opposite the interval in the new guard, he commands: 1. Prisoners, 2. HALT, 3. _Left_, 4. FACE, 5. _Right_(or_left)_, 6. DRESS. 7. FRONT.

The prisoners dress on the line of the new guard.

SECTION 5. SERGEANT OF THE GUARD.

80. The senior noncommissioned officer of the guard always acts as sergeant of the guard, and if there be no officer of the guard, will perform the duties prescribed for the commander of the guard.

81. The sergeant of the guard has general supervision over the other noncommissioned officers and the musicians and privates of the guard, and must be thoroughly familiar with all of their orders and duties.

82. He is directly responsible for the property under charge of the guard, and will see that it is properly cared for. He will make lists of articles taken out by working parties and see that all such articles are duly returned. If they are not, he will immediately report the fact to the commander of the guard.

83. Immediately after guard mounting he will prepare duplicate lists of the names of all noncommissioned officers, musicians, and privates of the guard, showing the relief and post or duties of each. One list will be handed as soon as possible to the commander of the guard; the other will be retained by the sergeant.

84. He will see that all reliefs are turned out at the proper time, and that the corporals thoroughly understand, and are prompt and efficient in, the discharge of their duties.

85. During the temporary absence from the guardhouse of the sergeant of the guard, the next in rank of the noncommissioned officers will perform his duties.

86. Should the corporal whose relief is on post be called away from the guardhouse, the sergeant of the guard will designate a noncommissioned officer to take the corporal's place until his return.

87. The sergeant of the guard is responsible at all times for the proper police of the guardhouse or guard tent, including the ground about them and the prison cells.

88. At first sergeant's call he will proceed to the adjutant's office and obtain the guard report book.

89. When the national or regimental colors are taken from the stacks of the color line, the color bearer and guard, or the sergeant of the guard, unarmed, and two armed privates as a guard, will escort the colors to the colonel's quarters, as prescribed for the color guard in the drill regulations of the arm of the service to which the guard belongs.

90. He will report to the commander of the guard any suspicious or unusual occurrence that comes under his notice, will warn him of the approach of any armed body, and will send to him all persons arrested by the guard.

91. When the guard is turned out its formation will be as follows: The senior noncommissioned officer, if commander of the guard, is on the right of the right guide; if not commander of the guard, he is in the line of file closers, in rear of the right four of the guard; the next in rank is right guide; the next left guide: the others in the line of file closers, usually each in rear of his relief; the field music, with its left three paces to the right of the right guide. The reliefs form in the same order as when the guard was first divided, except that if the guard consists of dismounted cavalry and infantry, the cavalry forms on the left.

92. The sergeant forms the guard, calls the roll, and, if not in command of the guard, reports to the commander of the guard as prescribed in drill regulations for a first sergeant forming a troop or company; the guard is not divided into platoons or sections, and, except when the whole guard is formed prior to marching off, fours are not counted.

93. The sergeant reports as follows: "Sir, all present or accounted for," or "Sir, (so-and-so) is absent"; or if the roll call has been omitted, "Sir, the guard is formed." Only men absent without proper authority are reported absent. He then takes his place, without command.

94. At night the roll may be called by reliefs and numbers instead of names; thus, the first relief being on post: Second relief: No. 1; No. 2, etc.; Third relief, Corporal; No. 1, etc.

95. Calling the roll will be dispensed with in forming the guard when it is turned out as a compliment, on the approach of an armed body, or in any sudden emergency; but in such cases the roll may be called before dismissing the guard. If the guard be turned out for an officer ent.i.tled to inspect it, the roll will, unless he directs otherwise, always be called before a report is made.

96. The sergeant of the guard has direct charge of the prisoners, except during such time us they may be under the charge of the prisoner guard or overseers, and is responsible to the commander of the guard for their security.

97. He will carry the keys of the guardroom and cells, and will not suffer them to leave his personal possession while he is at the guardhouse, except as hereinafter provided. (Par. 99.) Should he leave the guardhouse for any purpose he will turn the keys over to the noncommissioned officer who takes his place.

(Par. 85.)

98. He will count the knives, forks, etc., given to the prisoners with their food, and see that none of these articles remain in their possession. He will see that no forbidden articles of any kind are conveyed to the prisoners.

99. Prisoners when paraded with the guard are placed in line, in its center. The sergeant, immediately before forming the guard, will turn over his keys to the noncommissioned officer at the guardhouse. Having formed the guard, he will divide it into two nearly equal parts. Indicating the point of division with his hand, he commands: 1. _Right_(or_left)_, 2. FACE, 3.

_Forward_, 4. MARCH, 5. _Guard_, 6. HALT, 7. _Left_ _(or_right)_, 8. FACE.

If the first command be RIGHT FACE, the right half of the guard only will execute the movements; if LEFT FACE, the left half only will execute them. The command HALT is given when sufficient interval is obtained to admit the prisoners. The doors of the guardroom and cells are then opened by the noncommissioned officer having the keys. The prisoners will file out under the supervision of the sergeant, the noncommissioned officer, and sentinel on duty at the guardhouse, and such other sentinels all may be necessary; they will form in line in the interval between the two parts of the guard.

100. To return the prisoners to the guardroom and cells, the sergeant commands; 1. _Prisoners_, 2. _Right_(or_left)_,_ 3. FACE, 4. _Column_right_(or_left)_, 5. MARCH.

The prisoners, under the same supervision as before, return to their proper rooms or cells.

101. To close the guard. the sergeant commands: 1. _Left_(or_ _right)_, 2. FACE, 3. _Forward_, 4. MARCH, 5. _Guard_, 6. HALT, 7. _Right_(or_left)_, 8. FACE.

The left or right half only of the guard, as indicated, executes the movement.

102. If there be but few prisoners, the sergeant may indicate the point of division as above, and form the necessary interval by the commands: 1. _Right_(or_left)_step_, 2. MARCH: 3.

_Guard_, 4. HALT, and close the intervals by the commands: 1. _Left_(or_right)_step_, 2. MARCH, 3. _Guard_, 4.

HALT.

103. If sentinels are numerous, reliefs may, at the discretion of the commanding officer, be posted in detachments, and sergeants, as well as corporals, required to relieve and post them.

SECTION 6. CORPORAL OF THE GUARD.

104. A corporal of the guard receives and obeys orders from none but noncommissioned officers of the guard senior to himself, the officers of the guard, the officer of the day, and the commanding officer.

105. It is the duty of the corporal of the guard to post and relieve sentinels and to instruct the members of his relief in their orders and duties.

106. Immediately after the division of the guard into reliefs the corporals will a.s.sign the members of their respective reliefs to posts by number, and a soldier so a.s.signed to his post will not be changed to another during the same tour of guard duty, unless by direction of the commander of the guard or higher authority. Usually, experienced soldiers are placed over the arms of the guard, and at remote and responsible posts.

107. Each corporal will then make a list of the members of his relief, including himself. This list will contain the number of the relief, the name, the company, and the regiment of every member thereof, and the post to which each is a.s.signed. The list will be made in duplicate, one copy to be given to the sergeant of the guard as soon as completed, the other to be retained by the corporal.

108. When directed by the commander of the guard, the corporal of the first relief forms his relief, and then commands: CALL OFF.

Commencing on the right, the men call off alternately rear and front rank, "one," "two," "three," "four," and so on; it in single rank, they call off from right to left. The corporal then commands: 1. _Right_, 2. FACE, 3. _Forward_, 4. MARCH.

The corporal marches on the left, and near the rear file, in order to observe the march. The corporal of the old guard marches on the right of the leading file, and takes command when the last one of the old sentinels is relieved, changing places with the corporal of the new guard.

109. When the relief arrives at six paces from a sentinel (see par. 168), the corporal halts it and commands, according to the number of the post: No. (----.)

Both sentinels execute port arms or saber; the new sentinel approaches the old, halting about one pace from him. (See par.

172.)

110. The corporals advance and place themselves, facing each other, a little in advance of the new sentinel, the old corporal on his right, the new corporal on his left, both at right shoulder, and observe that the old sentinel transmits correctly his instructions.