The Plattsburg Manual | Page 4

the office will be too small for training camp use. If you have been living a sedentary life, ask for a pair of shoes larger than you ordinarily wear.
9. In case the tendon in your heel becomes tender, report at once to the hospital tent and get it strapped.

A DISCIPLINED SOLDIER
You will be expected to become quickly amenable both mentally and physically to discipline. A clear conception on your part of what drills are disciplinary in character and what discipline really is, will help you to become a disciplined soldier. Drills executed at attention are disciplinary exercises and are designed to teach precise and soldierly movements and to inculcate that prompt and subconscious obedience which is essential to proper military control. Hence, all corrections should be given and received in an impersonal manner. Never forget that you lose your identity as an individual when you step into ranks; you then become merely a unit of a mass. As soon as you obey properly, promptly, and, at times, unconsciously, the commands of your officers, as soon as you can cheerfully give up pleasures and personal privileges that conflict with the new order of life to which you have submitted, you will then have become a disciplined man.

DRESS
The uniform you will wear stands for Duty, Honor, and Country. You should not disgrace it by the way you wear it or by your conduct any more than you would trample the flag of the United States of America under foot. You must constantly bear in mind that in our country a military organization is too often judged by the acts of a few of its members. When one or two soldiers in uniform conduct themselves in an ungentlemanly or unmilitary manner to the disgrace of the uniform, the layman shakes his head and condemns all men wearing that uniform. Hence, show by the way in which you wear your uniform that you are proud of it; this can be best accomplished by observing the following rules:
1. Carry yourself at all times as though you were proud of yourself, your uniform, and your country.
2. Wear your hat so that the brim is parallel to the ground.
3. Have all buttons fastened.
4. Never have sleeves rolled up.
5. Never wear sleeve holders.
6. Never leave shirt or coat unbuttoned at the throat.
7. Have leggins and trousers properly laced.
8. Keep shoes shined.
9. Always be clean shaved.
10. Keep head up and shoulders square.
11. Camp life has a tendency to make one careless as to personal cleanliness. Bear this in mind.

SALUTING
The military salute is universal. It is at foundation but a courteous recognition between two individuals of their common fellowship in the same honorable profession, the profession of arms. Regulations require that it be rendered by both the senior and the junior, as bare courtesy requires between gentlemen in civil life. It is the military equivalent of the laymen's expressions "Good Morning," or "How do you do?" Therefore be punctilious about saluting; be proud of the manner in which you execute your salute, and make it indicative of discipline and good breeding. Always look at the officer you are saluting. The junior salutes first. It is very unmilitary to salute with the left hand in a pocket, or with a cigarette, cigar, or pipe in the mouth. Observe the following general rules:
1. Never salute an officer when you are in ranks.
2. Indoors (in your tent) unarmed, do not salute but stand at attention, uncovered, on the entrance of an officer. If he speaks to you, then salute.
3. Indoors, armed, render the prescribed salute, i.e., the rifle salute at order arms or at trail.
4. Outdoors, armed, render the prescribed salute, i.e., the rifle salute at right shoulder arms.
5. Outdoors, unarmed, or armed with side arms, salute with the right hand.

ARMY SLANG
The following army slang is universally employed:
"Bunkie"--the soldier who shares the shelter half or tent of a comrade in the field. A bunkie looks after his comrade's property in the event the latter is absent.
"Doughboy"--the infantryman.
"French leave"--unauthorized absence.
"Holy Joe"--the chaplain.
"K.O."--the commanding officer.
"On the carpet"--a call before the commanding officer for admonition.
"Q.M."--quartermaster.
"Rookie"--a new recruit.
"Sand rat"--a soldier on duty in the rifle pit during target practice.
"Top sergeant"--the first sergeant.
"Come and get it"--the meal is ready to be served.

HOW TO CLEAN A RIFLE AND BAYONET
Get a rag and rub the heavy grease off; then get a soft pine stick, pointed at one end, and with this point remove the grease from the cracks, crevices and corners. Clean the bore from the breech. When the heavy grease has been removed, the metal part of the gun, bore included, should be covered with a light coating of "3-in-1" oil. Heavy grease can be removed from the rifle by rubbing it with a rag which has been saturated with gasoline or coal oil.

FRIENDS
There are a few men in