Advance Guard. In most commands too much of our limited field training period is devoted to work of advance and rear guards. It is important and must be taught, but if the other work which is the real foundation for this is properly done but little more time is required outside of the maneuver exercises for training the enlisted men. Patrolling and combat form most of the work in these exercises so far as the men are concerned.
There are many tactical problems that come to the officers in this class of work and they must know how to solve them. This is the work of the school for officers and should be effectively done.
Advance guard rencontre
The point is but a patrol with a special mission. The flanking groups are reconnoitering and scouting patrols but they involve some new features. When a rencontre engagement occurs on the march one of the first things the commander wants to know is the strength of the enemy and his location; if deployed, where is his line? Where its flank? If not deployed, what is he doing? As the advance party deploys and pushes on, these flanking groups have the best opportunity to observe and by reconnaissance to gain valuable information. They also become, temporarily at least, combat patrols to the firing line. The men must be taught to carry out this mission without further orders and to do it correctly. In case small detachments attempt to delay our march, these patrols by flanking them can greatly hurry their retreat and prevent the delay of our column.
Maneuver work
The general principle of advance and rear guards should be taught the company. This work can be done in part at the relief map and sand table, but the company should be exercised on the ground as the advance guard of a battalion and as the advance party of a larger advance guard, the other troops being imaginary. Afterwards two companies should work against each other, one as rear party of a rear guard, the other as advance party of an advance guard; also each as advance party in a rencontre.
If the foundation has been properly laid there is no difficulty in teaching the application of these principles to covering detachments. If it has not been so laid and the men do not thoroughly understand patrolling in its different forms, it will be hard to teach it in these exercises.
In maneuver exercises problems involving rencontre engagements and engagements involving a marching column encountering an enemy in position should be had to train the officers in tactics and to give the men practice in combat exercises and in the patrolling necessary.
Outpost training
Outposts. The general principles of outpost duty, the duties of sentinels, the general formation of an outpost line with its subdivisions must be taught the men indoors. The officers have much to learn in school or from books on this subject. With proper preparation by all the work outside is simple.