Command post

“ When any commissioned officer shall die or be killed in the service of the United States, the major of the regiment, or the officer doing the major’s duty in his absence, or in any post or garrison, the second officer in command, or the assistant military agent, shall immediately secure all his effects or equipage, then in camp or quarters, and shall make an inventory thereof, and forthwith transmit the same to the office of the department of war, to the end that his executors or administrators may receive the same. ”

“ The Body. The task organization, which consists of a tabular enumeration of task forces or task groups, the composition of each, and the rank and name of its commander, is the beginning of the body of the directive. It is customary to omit the name of the issuing officer from any task force or task group commanded by him. Any unit included in a force named in the task organization is, by virtue of that fact, directed to act under the command of the commander of the specified force. ”

“ Input From Commanders of Combatant Commands— The Joint Requirements Oversight Council in the Department of Defense shall seek and consider input from the commanders of combatant commands, in accordance with section 181 (d) of title 10, United States Code (as amended by subsection (a) ) . Such input may include, but is not limited to, an assessment of the following: (1) Any current or projected missions or threats in the theater of operations of the commander of a combatant command that would inform the assessment of a new joint military requirement. ”

“ He must also know the capabilities of the units supporting the company. He exercises command through his executive officer, operations officer, platoon leaders, and first sergeant. He employs the company based on missions and taskings from the corps G2 CM&D and on his consideration of METT-T. He prepares plans with help from his operations section. He stays abreast of the situation at all times. The commander maintains close coordination and liaison with the military intelligence brigade tactical operations center (TOC) and corps TOC. (2) Executive officer. ”

“ The company commander should not attempt to do all the work—to look after all the details in person—he should not try to command directly every squad and every platoon. The successful company commander is the one who distributes work among his subordinates and organizes the help they are supposed to give him. By War Department orders, Army Regulations and customs of the service, the lieutenants and noncommissioned officers are charged with certain duties and responsibilities. Let every one of them carry the full load of their responsibility. ”

“ While speaking of military organization, let me impress upon you that in the army the line always commands the staff. A staff officer cannot command troops except by express direction of the President. Enlisted men and junior officers must show a staff officer the respect due his rank, just as our conductor is respectful to the division freight agent, but when it comes to taking orders, that is another question. ”

“ INFORMATION.—In order that the commander's influence may be exerted to the best advantage it is essential that all vital information should reach him promptly, and that his orders should be communicated without delay. Subordinate commanders must keep their superiors and commanders of neighbouring units regularly informed as to the progress of the battle, and of important changes in the situation as they occur. Runners, who can be trusted to carry a verbal message or written order, are attached to each unit engaged and to its headquarters. ”

“ Every officer and soldier shall appear at his respective muster field, on the day appointed, by ten o’clock in the forenoon, armed and equipped. At every muster, the commanding officer of the company shall cause his roll to be called, and shall examine every person belonging thereto, and note down all delinquencies accruing therein, and shall personally inspect the arms, ammunition, and accoutrements, of all under his command, and make accurate return of the whole thereof, to the commanding officer of his battalion, in five days thereafter;Forms to be observed in returns. ”

“ SIR:—In consideration of all the circumstances governing the present situation of affairs at this station, I propose to the Commanding Officer of the Federal forces the appointment of Commissioners to agree upon terms of capitulation of the forces and fort under my command, and in that view suggest an armistice until 12 o'clock to-day. ”

“ The Higher Command, being a man of like passions with ourselves, has just finished tinned Oxford marmalade and a cigarette. He heads for the "IN" basket on his desk and takes from it the "Arrivals and Departures" paper. "Ha!" says he to the lady secretary, "I see six new divisions landed yesterday." He pauses. Outside there is no sound to be heard save the loud and continuous crash of the sentry's hand against his rifle as he salutes the passing A.D.C.'s. "What about signs?" says the Higher Command. The lady secretary says nothing. ”

“ Now, each platoon commander must get the orders to the men who are to make the attack. When the platoon arrives at a point in rear of the line of departure the platoon commanders will assemble their non-commissioned officers and scouts at a covered location near the line of departure where they can command a view of the front. Here he will explain the situation and give his orders for the attack. These orders will be issued in the regular five paragraph order form which I have already explained to you. The non-commissioned officers join their units. ”

“ The officers and agents charged with supplies are placed under the orders of the general in command of the troops, that is, they are obliged both in war and peace to obey, with the single qualification above named, of first making their observations and securing the written order of the general. ”

“ The first sergeant and right guide fall in on the right of the company. The blank files in the squads have to be filled by men from the file closers, and the remaining guides and file closers form on the left flank or at such places as may be designated by the company commander. The company commander next gives the order: 1. Take interval, 2. To the left, 3. MARCH, 4. Company, 5. HALT.
At the second command (to the left) the rear rank men march backward four steps of fifteen inches each and then halt. ”

“ The commanding officers of divisions, departments, and posts, should have the amplest powers, not only to command their troops, but all the stores designed for their use, and the officers of the staff necessary to administer them, within the area of their command; and then with fairness they could be held to the most perfect responsibility. The President and Secretary of War can command the army quite as well through these generals as through the subordinate staff-officers. ”

“ Each commander of a detail halts his detail, dresses it on the general line, salutes and reports as does the first; then takes his post in a similar manner. Should the commander of a detail not be a non-commissioned officer he passes by the right of the guard and retires.
4. Sergeant Major.—He takes one step to the right, draws sword and verifies the detail, and then commands: "Count off." He completes the last squad if necessary and indicates the division into platoons: then takes his post and commands: 1. Open ranks; 2. March. This is executed as laid down in the Infantry Drill Regulations. ”

“ This is a pretty fair sketch of the method of acting observed by a thorough-bred, gentlemanlike, well-instructed officer; and every one who has been in command, and in protracted difficulties, or has merely been employed in the ordinary course of service, will readily admit that, with the assistance of such men, every department of his duty has gone on better and more pleasantly than it could have possibly done if the persons under his command had been of a coarser stamp. ”

“ The importance to the Army of a competent Staff can be judged from the above account of their duties. The Staff forms the nervous system of the Command. The better trained the Staff, the more free will the General be to concentrate his attention on the situation, and his Subordinate Commanders to carry out his plans with co-operating intelligence. Good Staff Officers, it has been well said, are eyes, ears, and hands to their Chief. ”

“ If the commander of a large force moves from his stated position he must leave a senior officer of his staff to represent him on the spot and to forward urgent communications to him in his changed position. In the case of a small force a commander who vacates his stated position must arrange to leave a runner in the position stated as his headquarters, in order that messages may reach him without delay. ”

“ The subordinate commanders must bring to fruit with all the means at their disposal the scheme of the higher command, therefore they must, above all, understand that thought and then make of their means the use best suited to circumstances—of which, however, they are the only judge. ”

“ From the several grades of the officer corps, a permanent chain of command is instituted by the process of organization, the supreme command being reposed in a commander-in-chief. The basis of the permanent organization is that chosen as best suited to attain and maintain readiness. Its choice requires consideration of many factors, such as the types of weapons and vessels, their intended uses, and their capabilities, severally and in combination. Further specific demands are met by temporary arrangements effected through "task organization". ”

“ As Commander in Chief, United States Fleet, the officer holding the combined offices as herein provided shall have supreme command of the operating forces comprising the several fleets, seagoing forces, and sea frontier forces of the United States Navy and shall be directly responsible, under the general direction of the Secretary of the Navy, to the President therefor. ”

“ Five retired commissioned officers who served in leadership positions with either a military department command or combatant command, of whom no less than three shall represent the views of minority veterans. ”

“ An officer should know where his command is, and the command itself should know. Space is large. If you do not know where to send your troops, and how to direct them, to make them understand where they are to go, to give them guides if necessary, what sort of general are you? ”

“ An officer of the day will be daily appointed by the brigade commander, and shall have full charge of the execution of this order, and supervision of all the police arrangements of the command. Proper line officers will be detailed on guard duty, and sentries will be regularly posted at the bulkhead of the ship storeroom on the forward lower deck, at the sinks, over the lights at night, and on the middle line of the decks reserved under paragraph six. ”

“ Every officer commanding a regiment, an independent troop, battery, or company, or a garrison shall, in the beginning of every month, transmit, through the proper channels, to the War Department an exact return of the same, specifying the names of the officers then absent from their posts, with the reasons for and the time of their absence. ”

“ Every Formation should be formed of at least three subordinate Units.7 This gives the Commander of the whole due importance over his Subordinate Commanders, and ensures his retaining an adequate Command whenever he wishes to detach one of his Units. ”

“ In posting his command the support commander must seek to cover his sector in such manner that the enemy cannot reach, in dangerous numbers and unobserved, the position of the support or pass by it within the sector intrusted to the support. On the other hand, he must economize men on observation and patrol duty, for these duties are unusually fatiguing. He must practise the greatest economy of men consistent with the requirements of practical security. ”

“ On which the commandant deliver'd his command up, shouldering his firelock, and took the place of a common soldier, telling them, since the king was so good as to pardon them, he thought it his duty to accept it. The brigadier was so well pleased with the behaviour of the commandant, that he ran to him, took him in his arms, and embraced him: The rest of the soldiers follow'd the example of their late commandant, delivering their respective commands up to their proper officers. ”

“ The executive officer is the administrative and logistical coordinator for the company. He coordinates supply, maintenance, medical, and mess support. He also supervises the operation, movement, security, internal arrangement, and organization of the company operations base (COB) . The executive officer works closely with the operations officer, operations NCO, first sergeant, supply sergeant, communications platoon leader, and communications chief. He keeps abreast of the tactical situation. (3) Operations officer. The operations officer is the main planner and coordinator for the company. ”

“ It is not sufficient to simply notify the men on post at the time the patrol goes out, as a man cannot always be trusted to pass the information on to his relief. Word should be quietly taken along the line by the noncommissioned officer in charge of the relief in person. ”

“ There is no necessity for any other person than the patrol commander going up to the post. If others go it makes just that much more confusion and adds that much more chance for lurking scouts to locate the post and get information. ”

“ Think what a difference it makes to a Commanding Officer to have in his battalion a certain number of men, however few, whom he can send out to obtain information, and who are so accurate and so dependable that he can always act upon their reports. ”