Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917 Part 44

The following diagram will ill.u.s.trate the positions taken:

A R - | | | | | C| |D | | | | - B

R is the relief; A, the new corporal; B, the old; C, the new sentinel; D, the old.

111. The instructions relative to the post having been communicated, the new corporal commands. Post: both sentinels then resume the right shoulder, face toward the new corporal and step back so as to allow the relief to pa.s.s in front of them. The new corporal then commands: "1. _Forward_, 2. March"; the old sentinel takes his place in rear of the relief as it pa.s.ses him, his piece in the same position as those of the relief. The new sentinel stands fast at a right shoulder until the relief has pa.s.sed six paces beyond him, when he walks his post. The corporals take their places as the relief pa.s.ses them.

112. Mounted sentinels are posted and relieved in accordance with the same principles.

113. On the return of the old relief, the corporal of the new guard falls out when the relief halts; the corporal of the old guard forms his relief on the left of the old guard, salutes, and reports to the commander of his guard: "Sir, the relief is present"; or "Sir, (so and so) is absent," and takes his place in the guard.

114. To post a relief other than that which is posted when the old guard is relieved, its corporal commands:

1. _(Such)_relief_, 2. FALL IN; and if arms are stacked, they are taken at the proper commands.

The relief is formed facing to the front, with arms at an order, the men place themselves according to the numbers of their respective posts, viz, two, four, six, and so on, in the front rank, and one, three, five, and so on, in the rear rank. The corporal, standing about two paces in front of the center of his relief, then commands: CALL OFF.

The men call off as prescribed. The corporal then commands: 1.

_Inspection_, 2. ARMS, 3. _Order_, 4. ARMS; faces the commander of the guard, executes the rifle salute, reports: "Sir, the relief is present "; or "Sir, (so and so) is absent"; he then takes his place on the right at order arms.

115. When the commander of the guard directs the corporal, POST YOUR RELIEF, the corporal salutes and posts his relief as prescribed (Pars. 108 to 111); the corporal of the relief on post does not go with the new relief, except when necessary to show the way.

116. To dismiss the old relief, it is halted and faced to the front at the guardhouse by the corporal of the new relief, who then falls out; the corporal of the old relief then steps in front of the relief and dismisses it by the proper commands.

117. Should the pieces have been loaded before the relief was posted, the corporal will, before dismissing the relief, see that no cartridges are left in the chambers or magazines. The same rule applies to sentinels over prisoners.

118. Each corporal will thoroughly acquaint himself with all the special orders of every sentinel on his relief, and see that each understands and correctly transmits such order in detail to his successor.

119. There should be at least one noncommissioned officer constantly on the alert at the guardhouse, usually the corporal whose relief is on post. This noncommissioned officer takes post near the entrance of the guardhouse, and does not fall in with the guard when it is formed. He will have his rifle constantly with him.

120. Whenever it becomes necessary for the corporal to leave his post near the entrance of the guardhouse, he will notify the sergeant of the guard, who will at once take his place, or designate another noncommissioned officer to do so.

121. He will see that no person enters the guardhouse or guard tent, or crosses the posts of the sentinels there posted without proper authority.

122. Should any sentinel call for the corporal of the guard, the corporal will, in every case, at once and quickly proceed to such sentinel. He will notify the sergeant of the guard before leaving the guardhouse.

123. He will at once report to the commander of the guard any violation of regulations or any unusual occurrence which is reported to him by a sentinel, or which comes to his notice in any other way.

124. Should a sentinel call "The Guard," the corporal will promptly notify the commander of the guard.

125. Should a sentinel call "Relief," the corporal will at once proceed to the post of such sentinel, taking with him the man next for duty on that post. If the sentinel is relieved for a short time only, the corporal will again post him as soon as the necessity for his relief ceases.

126. When the countersign is used, the corporal at the posting of the relief during whose tour challenging is to begin gives the countersign to the members of the relief, excepting those posted at the guardhouse.

127. He will wake the corporal whose relief is next on post in time for the latter to verify the prisoners, form his relief, and post it at the proper hour.

128. Should the guard be turned out, each corporal will call his own relief, and cause its members to fall in promptly.

129. Tents or bunks in the same vicinity will be designated for the reliefs so that all the members of each relief may, if necessary, be found and turned out by the corporal in the least time and with the least confusion.

130. When challenged by a sentinel while posting his relief, the corporal commands: 1. _Relief_, 2. HALT; to the sentinel's challenge he answers "Relief," and at the order of the sentinel he advances alone to give the countersign, or to be recognized.

When the sentinel says, "Advance relief," the corporal commands: 1. _Forward_, 2. MARCH.

If to be relieved, the sentinel is then relieved as prescribed.

131. Between retreat and reveille, the corporal of the guard will challenge all suspicious looking persons or parties he may observe, first halting his patrol or relief, if either be with him. He will advance them in the same manner that sentinels on post advance like parties (pars. 191 to 197), but if the route of a patrol is on a continuous chain of sentinels, he should not challenge persons coming near him unless he has reason to believe that they have eluded the vigilance of sentinels.

132. Between retreat and reveille, whenever so ordered by an officer ent.i.tled to inspect the guard, the corporal will call: "Turn out the guard," announcing the t.i.tle of the officer, and then, if not otherwise ordered, he will salute and return to his post.

133. As a general rule he will advance parties approaching the guard at night in the same manner that sentinels on post advance like parties. Thus, the sentinel at the guardhouse challenges and repeats the answer to the corporal, as prescribed hereafter (par. 200); the corporal, advancing at port arms, says: "Advance (so and so) with the countersign," or "to be recognized," if there be no countersign used; the countersign being correctly given, or the party being duly recognized, the corporal says: "Advance (so and so)," repeating the answer to the challenge of the sentinel.

134. When officers of different rank approach the guardhouse from different directions at the same time, the senior will be advanced first, and will not be made to wait for his junior.

135. Out of ranks and under arms, the corporal salutes with the rifle salute. He will salute all officers, whether by day or night.

136. The corporal will examine parties halted and detained by sentinels, and, if he have reason to believe the parties have no authority to cross sentinel's posts, will conduct them to the commander of the guard.

137. The corporal of the guard will arrest all suspicious looking characters prowling about the post or camp, all persons of a disorderly character disturbing the peace, and all persons taken in the act of committing crime against the Government on a military reservation or post. All persons arrested by corporals of the guard or by sentinels will at once be conducted to the commander of the guard by the corporal.

SECTION 7. MUSICIANS OF THE GUARD.

138. The musicians of the guard will sound calls as prescribed by the commanding officer.

139. Should the guard be turned out for national or regimental colors or standards, uncased, the field music of the guard will, when the guard present arms, sound, "To the color" or "To the standard"; or, if for any person ent.i.tled thereto, the march, flourishes, or ruffles, prescribed in paragraphs 375, 376, and 377, A. R.

SECTION 8. ORDERLIES AND COLOR SENTINELS.

140. When so directed by the commanding officer, the officer who inspects the guard at guard mounting will select from the members of the new guard an orderly for the commanding officer and such number of other orderlies and color sentinels as may be required.

141. For these positions the soldiers will be chosen who are most correct in the performance of duty and in military bearing, neatest in person and clothing, and whose arms and accouterments are in the best condition. Clothing, arms, and equipments must conform to regulations. If there is any doubt as to the relative qualifications of two or more soldiers, the inspecting officer will cause them to fall out at the guardhouse and to form in line in single rank. He will then, by testing them in drill regulations, select the most proficient. The commander of the guard will be notified of the selection.

142. When directed by the commander of the guard to fall out and report an orderly will give his name, company, and regiment to the sergeant of the guard, and, leaving his rifle in the arm rack in his company quarters, will proceed at once to the officer to whom he is a.s.signed, reporting: "Sir, Private ----, Company ----, reports all orderly."

143. If the orderly selected be a cavalryman, he will leave his rifle in the arm rack of his troop quarters, and report with his belt on, but without side arms unless specially otherwise ordered.

144. Orderlies, while on duty as such, are subject only to the orders of the commanding officer and of the officers to whom they are ordered to report.

145. When an orderly is ordered to carry a message, he will be careful to deliver it exactly as it was given to him.

146. His tour of duty ends when he is relieved by the orderly selected from the guard relieving his own.

147. Orderlies are members of the guard, and their name, company, and regiment are entered on the guard report and lists of the guard.

148. If a color line is established, sufficient sentinels are placed on the color line to guard the colors and stacks.

149. Color sentinels are posted only so long as the stacks are formed. The commander of the guard will divide the time equally among them.