The English of military communications

by William Addleman Ganoe

The principal Rolls with which the novice in the military service is confronted are the Muster and Pay Rolls. The former is rendered every two months and the latter every month.[23] Full instructions as to what is required in each set of rolls are found on the last page of each form. On application to the Adjutant General of the Army, a list of model remarks for the rolls will be furnished.

The principal Returns with which the novice should become familiar are the Ration, Clothing, Ordnance, Company (monthly), and Field Returns.

Estimates and Requisitions are used most frequently by the Supply Departments. But organizations must prepare Estimates of what they will need, and must prepare Requisitions for the desired articles when needed. The Clothing Estimate and Clothing Requisition are two common and important forms.

Among the Routine Reports in the military service should be mentioned the Morning, Inventory and Inspection, Sick, and certain Reports in official letter form.

The form of Routine Report which is most common is the Morning Report.

EXPLANATIONS

As we took up in each case after written work pertaining to combat the similar verbal task, so now after we have discussed written correspondence we are going to dwell upon the ordinary verbal labor incumbent upon officers and non-commissioned officers in the military service.

In war or peace a military leader is useless without an effective tongue. We have demonstrated his uselessness in combat; we shall see that he is just as unsatisfactory in training men for combat.

The work of any military individual in command of men is not only that of doing but also that of telling others how to do. The Explanation of the efficient leader is a continuous process from morning until night. He is constantly called upon to make his words count. If he halts, he loses time. If he hesitates, he makes his men restless. He must speak straight through to the end in a clear-cut way, never hedging or repeating; and when he has finished, the listeners should feel that the subject has been completely covered.