Show CADETS IN MAKE PRACTICAL TEST THEORIES LEARNED season of the year when the embryo soldiers of west point work out war problems and evolutions the good old summertime is a season of the year which Is specially welcomed by the cadets of uncle sams military school at west point tor it affords opportunity for drill and working out of war problems which is not possible at any other time of the year during the winter much technical knowledge is acquired which Is put to practical test during the outdoor season from septem her to june the time of the cadet Is fully occupied with the academic part of his education leaving only an hour or so a day tor the practical work which tor this period consists of little more than disciplinary drill but with the middle of june and on agh july and august the corps of cadets lays aside the books and has opportunity for its practical work after the first or senior class has been graduated grad jated and the new second class has gone off to enjoy its ten weeks vacation the only one to which a cadet is entitled during the four years course at the academy the new firs and third year classes march the barracks to the camp near by e they are joined about july 1 by th new fourth year class and the sum mer then begins in earnest for ten wee s abey are in camp spending all of their time in the open air ahing as near as possible the routine life of the soldier in the field and becoming acquainted with much which will fall to their lot as officers from seven clock in the morning until one in the afternoon each hour is filled with some duty for every cadet in general it may be said that the greater portion of this time is de doted to the prescribed drills and ex excises of the various arms of the serelle including at the same time as much practical field work as pos sible As a general rule it may be said that at all drills and exercises the men of the lower classes perform the duties which in service tall to the lot of the enlisted men while those of the first class exercise the functions of officers in the equitation ring or bullpen as it is more familiarly known the cadets of the first class take the final degree in horsemanship in the target practice the course fol lowed Is the same as that prescribe 1 for the officers and enlisted men of the army A cadet team waa sent to the last national competition at sea girt N J to compete in the matches in the national match this team se cured twenty fourth place among the 37 teams representing the finest mill tary shots in the country it Is in the infantry work that the cadet gets the greaber part of hia field experience the country around the post Is heavily wooded and broken it is therefore admirably adapted for dismounted scouting pa trolling advance guard and outpost work and Is correspondingly impracticable for mounted work once a week the entire rooming Is devoted to the establishment of an outpost tern and the whole battalion in the work an outpost tern Is a g ard consisting of several lines thrown it by a body of troops to protect it aiom surprise on the part of an enemy this work leads naturally to the more extended field work when the cadets cross the river and strike into the for five das of strenuous life in the field then for the first time these young men who will gome day command regiments perhaps arm ies find themselves traveling with the field allowance of baggage and what is more to the point they are carry CADETS AT SIEGE MORTAR DRILL ing that each cadet caries the reg equipment of the infantry or cavalry soldier consisting of blanket roll haversack canteen mese equip ment tin cup rifle or saber and am belt in the roll and haver ack are his blanket shelter tent poncho an extra pair of shoes extra underwear mess equipment and toilet articles for once bell buttons and white trousers are left behind each morning at 5 30 clock they creep from their shelter tents make their simple toilets and line up sol dier fashion mess pan and tin cup in hand tor breakfast after breakfast they pack their kitchen equipment and stores in the company wagons clean up the camp ground and arr pare to strike their tents at 6 30 a m with camp broken and secure ly rolled up and on their shoulders they are in ranks and ready for the work of the day consisting of a lem in minor tactics or in other words of planned and ex eluted for the purpose of demonstrate demon strat ing the normal methods by which bodies of troops would be handled in actual warfare in typical engagements of lesser importance |