To Form The Squad

Categories: SCHOOL OF THE SQUAD
Military Handbooks: The Plattsburg Manual

To form the squad the instructor places himself 3 paces in front of

where the center is to be and commands: Fall in.



The men assemble at attention, pieces at the order, and are arranged by

the corporal in double rank, as nearly as practicable in order of height

from right to left, each man dropping his left hand as soon as the man

on his left has his interval. The rear rank forms with distance of 40

inche .



The instructor then commands: Count off.



At this command all except the right file execute eyes right, and

beginning on the right, the men in each rank count one, two, three,

four--one, two, three, four; each man turns his head and eyes to the

front as he counts.



Pieces are then inspected.

The purpose of putting the left hand on the hip is to get enough elbow

room. A man should have sufficient space to operate his piece. These

four-inch intervals give it to him.



Note the space between elbows (interval) is 4 inches. The space between

the front and rear rank (distance) is 40 inches, and is measured from

the back of the man in front to the breast of the man in the rear.