Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army / of the United States 1917. To be also used by Engineer Companies (Mounted) for Cavalry Instruction and Training

by United States. War Department

• Page.
• Chapter I. Military discipline and courtesy [9]
• Section 1. Oath of enlistment [9]
• Section 2. Obedience [9]
• Section 3. Loyalty [11]
• Section 4. Discipline [11]
• Section 5. Military courtesy [13]
• Section 6. Saluting [13]
• Section 7. Rules governing saluting [15]
• Section 8. Courtesies in conversation [18]
• Chapter II. Arms, uniforms, and equipment [20]
• Section 1. The rifle [20]
• Section 2. Care of the rifle [21]
• Section 3. Cleaning the rifle [23]
• Section 4. Uniforms [27]
• Section 5. The service kit [30]
• Section 6. The surplus kit [32]
• Section 7. Assembling equipment [33]
• Chapter III. Rations and forage [36]
• Section 1. The ration [36]
• Section 2. Individual cooking [37]
• Section 3. The forage ration [41]
• Chapter IV. Personal hygiene and care of the feet [43]
• Chapter V. Extracts from Cavalry Drill Regulations, 1916 [50]
• Section 1. Definitions [50]
• Section 2. General provisions, individual instruction [54]
• Section 3. School of the trooper, dismounted [57]
• Section 4. School of the trooper, mounted [112]
• Section 5. General provisions, elementary collective instruction [134]
• Section 6. Basic principles of the drill [134]
• Section 7. The school of the squad [139]
• Section 8. Tent pitching [176]
• Chapter VI. Field service [180]
• Section 1. Principles of training [180]
• Section 2. Combat [181]
• Section 3. Patrolling [199]
• Section 4. Advance guards [210]
• Section 5. Rear guards [212]
• Section 6. Flank guards [213]
• Section 7. Outposts [213]
• Section 8. Rifle trenches [219]
• Chapter VII. Marching and camping [223]
• Section 1. Breaking camp and preparation for a march [223]
• Section 2. Marches, camps [225]
• Chapter VIII. Target practice [233]
• Section 1. Preliminary training and marksmanship [233]
• Section 2. Sight adjustment [233]
• Section 3. Table of sight corrections [235]
• Section 4. Aiming [235]
• Section 5. Battle sight [236]
• Section 6. Trigger squeeze [237]
• Section 7. Firing positions [238]
• Section 8. Calling the shot [240]
• Section 9. Coordination [241]
• Section 10. Advice to riflemen [241]
• Section 11. The course in small-arms firing [243]
• Section 12. Targets [244]
• Section 13. Pistol and revolver practice [245]
• Chapter IX. Extracts from Manual of Interior Guard Duty, 1914 [254]
• Section 1. Introduction [254]
• Section 2. Classification of interior guards [255]
• Section 3. Details and rosters [255]
• Section 4. Commander of the guard [258]
• Section 5. Sergeant of the guard [263]
• Section 6. Corporal of the guard [266]
• Section 7. Musicians of the guard [271]
• Section 8. Orderlies and color sentinels [271]
• Section 9. Privates of the guard [273]
• Section 10. Orders for sentinels [273]
• Section 11. Countersigns and paroles [282]
• Section 12. Guard patrols [283]
• Section 13. Watchmen [283]
• Section 14. Compliments from guards [284]
• Section 15. Prisoners [286]
• Section 16. Guarding prisoners [289]
• Section 17. Stable guards [292]
• Section 18. Flags [296]
• Section 19. Reveille and retreat gun [298]
• Section 20. Guard mounting [298]
• Section 21. Relieving the old guard [306]
• Chapter X. Map reading and sketching [309]
• Section 1. Military map reading [309]
• Section 2. Sketching [322]
• Chapter XI. Message blanks [325]
• Chapter XII. Signals and codes [326]
• Chapter XIII. First-aid rules [338]
• Chapter XIV. Laws and regulations [350]
• Section 1. General provisions [350]
• Section 2. The Army of the United States [351]
• Section 3. Rank and precedence of officers and noncommissioned officers [351]
• Section 4. Insignia of officers and noncommissioned officers [353]
• Section 5. Extracts from the Articles of War [353]
• Chapter XV. English-French vocabulary [371]
• Appendix. Form for last will and testament [389]

MANUAL
FOR
NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND PRIVATES Of CAVALRY
OF THE
ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES.

CHAPTER I.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND COURTESY.

Section 1. Oath of enlistment.

Every soldier on enlisting in the Army takes upon himself the following obligation:

"I, ——, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all-their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me according to the Rules and Articles of War." (109th Article of War.)

Section 2. Obedience.

The very first paragraph in the Army Regulations reads:

"All persons in the military service are required to obey strictly and to execute promptly the lawful orders of their superiors."

Obedience is the first and last duty of a soldier. It is the foundation upon which all military efficiency is built. Without it an army becomes a mob, while with it a mob ceases to be a mob and becomes possessed of much of the power of an organized force. It is a quality that is demanded of every person in the Army from the highest to the lowest. Each enlisted man binds himself, by his enlistment oath, to obedience. Each officer, in accepting his commission, must take upon himself the same solemn obligation.