Manual of Military Training Part 139

=1668.= 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. (106)

=1669.= 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. (107)

=1670.= 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; if 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. (108)

=1671.= When the relief arrives at six paces from a sentinel (See Par.

1729), 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. 1733.) (109)

=1672.= 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 a right shoulder, and observe that the old sentinel transmits correctly his instructions.

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

[Ill.u.s.tration]

R is the relief; A, the new corporal; B, the old; C, the new sentinel: D, the old. (110)

=1673.= 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. (111)

=1674.= Mounted sentinels are posted and relieved in accordance with the same principles. (112)

=1675.= 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. (113)

=1676.= 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. (114)

=1677.= 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. (115)

=1678.= 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. (116)

=1679.= 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. (117)

=1680.= 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 orders =in detail= to his successor. (118)

=1681.= 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. (119)

=1682.= 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. (120)

=1683.= He will see that no person enters the guardhouse, or guard tent, or crosses the posts of the sentinels there posted without proper authority. (121)

=1684.= 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. (122)

=1685.= 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.

(123)

=1686.= Should a sentinel call: "=The Guard=," the corporal will promptly notify the commander of the guard. (124)

=1687.= 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. (125)

=1688.= 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. (126)

=1689.= 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. (127)

=1690.= Should the guard be turned out, each corporal will call his own relief, and cause its members to fall in promptly. (128)

=1691.= 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. (129)

=1692.= 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. (130)

=1693.= 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. 1751 to 1757), 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. (131)

=1694.= 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. (132)

=1695.= 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. 1760); 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. (133)

=1696.= 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. (134)

=1697.= Out of ranks and under arms, the corporal salutes with the rifle salute. He will salute all officers whether by day or night.

(135)

=1698.= The corporal will examine parties halted and detained by sentinels, and if he has reason to believe the parties have no authority to cross sentinel's posts, will conduct them to the commander of the guard. (136)

=1699.= 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. (137)

Musicians of the Guard

=1700.= The musicians of the guard will sound call as prescribed by the commanding officer. (138)

=1701.= 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. (139)