INTRODUCTION.
[1.] Success in battle is the ultimate object of all military training; success may be looked for only when the training is intelligent and thorough.
[2.] Commanding officers are accountable for the proper training of their respective organizations within the limits prescribed by regulations and orders.
The excellence of an organization is judged by its field efficiency. The field efficiency of an organization depends primarily upon its effectiveness as a whole. Thoroughness and uniformity in the training of the units of an organization are indispensable to the efficiency of the whole; it is by such means alone that the requisite teamwork may be developed.
[3.] Simple movements and elastic formations are essential to correct training for battle.
[4.] The Drill Regulations are furnished as a guide. They provide the principles for training and for increasing the probability of success in battle.
In the interpretation of the regulations, the spirit must be sought. Quibbling over the minutiæ of form is indicative of failure to grasp the spirit.
[5.] The principles of combat are considered in [Part II] of these regulations. They are treated in the various schools included in [Part I] only to the extent necessary to indicate the functions of the various commanders and the division of responsibility between them. The amplification necessary to a proper understanding of their application is to be sought in [Part II].
[6.] The following important distinctions must be observed: