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HE General of the Armies in his address at the graduation exercises of the Army War College on June 28, 1923, referred to the existence of plans for mobilization as follows:

"In another sense this class resumes active duty in the Army under new conditions. We now have, this month for the first time, a completed scheme of mobilization of the nation's man-power. While these plans are at present more or less imperfect, they will form a substantial basis for further study and many of you will be involved in their improvement. Formerly our studies were limited to a vague academic consideration of a possible Army for which no provision had been made, but today we must deal with divisions, corps and armies, the skeleton organizations of which are well on toward completion. The development of this and other plans must continue to inspire our best efforts. If we can bring cur countrymen to realize the wisdom of a reasonable state of readiness, and if we can succeed in maintaining an efficient basic organization of both the regular and citizen forces, then our duty will have been performed."

The plans mentioned by General Pershing have been under preparation by the War Department General Staff assisted by the chiefs of branches and corps area and department commanders for more than a year and are destined to exercise a profound and beneficial effect on the development of all components of the Army and in particular the Organized Reserves. The purpose of this brief article is to inform the readers of this number of the Recruiting News of just what these plans mean.

In the first place it is well to state that "mobilization" means the procuring, equipping and assigning of individuals, the organizing, equipping and training of units, and the movements incidental to assembling individuals into units.

Due to conditions inherent in our then existing system, the plans we had available when the United States declared war on April 6, 1917, were practically of no value, and our mobilization and the entry of our troops into theaters of operation were delayed accordingly. At that time we were sadly handicapped by limitations placed by the Act of June 3, 1916, on the employment of the General Staff; by restrictions laid by higher authority on all preparatory measures; by lack of experience and by faulty organization. Happily, under post-war conditions we find ourselves in a more favorable situation. We now have an adequate number of trained General Staff officers with war experience. The General Staff has

an excellent organization, and planning is its primary duty.

Under the provisions of the National Defense Act as amended by the Act of June 4, 1920, the War Department General Staff is specifically charged with the preparation of plans for the national defense and for the use of the military forces for that purpose, both separately and in conjunction with the naval forces, including the necessary plans for recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, mobilizing and demobilizing the Army of the United States. Furthermore, Section 3 of the above mentioned Act contains the essence of our present military policy in that it establishes the basis for mobilization in the following terms:

"The organized peace establishment, including the Regular Army, the National Guard and the Organized Reserves, shall include all of those divisions and other military organizations necessary to form the basis for a complete and immediate mobilization for the national defense in the event of a national emergency declared by Congress."

As the reader is doubtless aware, the basic plan for the organization of the Army of the United States announced in 1920 was completed and a definite plan for the training of all components thereof put in operation. The problem of evolving a mobilization plan was tackled at the same time, the fundamentals of that plan in so far as the Organized Reserves are concerned being laid down in Section IV, of Special Regulations No. 46, approved February 16, 1921.

The first step in formulating the mobilization plan involved the preparation of suitable and comprehensive mobilization regulations. These have just been completed and will be issued to all officers of the Army of the United States, including National Guard and Reserve officers, in the form of a confidential document entitled "Regulations Governing the Mobilization of Man-power for Military Purposes." The regulations consist of four parts or sections, the contents of each being briefly as follows:

Section I. General principles and definitions. This section defines various terms used and prescribes the several classes of plans and their relation to each other.

Section II. Establishes the responsibility for the preparation and execution of mobilization plans.

Section III. Covers special considerations affecting the mobilization of the Regular Army, the National Guard, and the Organized Reserves.

Section IV. Establishes a system of test mobilization applicable to all com

ponents of the Army of the United States which will enable the War Department to ascertain the readiness of any unit to execute its part of the plan.

The guiding principle is stated in the approval by the General of the Armies and the Chief of Staff as follows:

"In the preparation and execution of mobilization plans as provided for in these regulations, the principle of localizing recruitment, replacements, supply and training to include small units will be applied as far as practicable."

While it is not possible to go into detail in an article of this character, it may be of interest to the officers of the citizen components of the Army to know that our plans are divided into three classes.

First, there is the War Department mobilization plan which is basic to all other plans in that it establishes the basis for the mobilization including the forces to be mobilized, the mobilization rate, the phases of mobilization, the units involved, the mobilization area for each unit, procurement of man-power, replacements, training, supply, shelter, and the movements incidental to mobilization. As far as practicable the control is decentralized and in effect the War Department mobilization plan is a directive for the preparation of more detailed plans as indicated below.

Second, there are corps area, department and branch plans. These are based upon the War Department mobilization plan and include detailed instructions and arrangements for the mobilization of all department commanders and chiefs of branches.

Third, there are unit plans. These are required for each unit of the Regular Army, the National Guard and Organized Reserves, and cover all details and arrangements which are necessary to insure the orderly and prompt mobilization of the unit. Unit commanders are charged with the preparation and execution of these plans which are based upon extracts from the corps area and branch plans furnished them for the purpose. The preparation and revision of unit mobilization plans will form an important part of the continuing work to be carried on at all unit headquarters and will aid in the development of all units.

As indicated above the War Department mobilization plan and mobilization regulations provide for test mobilizations which are designed to test the plans as a whole and, in particular, those of independent units. These test mobilizations are to be conducted along the (Continued on Page Twelve)

T

OHE General of the Armies in his address at the graduation exercises of the Army War College on June 28, 1923, referred to the existence of plans for mobilization as follows:

"In another sense this class resumes active duty in the Army under new conditions. We now have, this month for the first time, a completed scheme of mobilization of the nation's man-power. While these plans are at present more or less imperfect, they will form a substantial basis for further study and many of you will be involved in their improvement. Formerly our studies were limited to a vague academic consideration of a possible Army for which no provision had been made, but today we must deal with divisions, corps and armies, the skeleton organizations of which are well on toward completion. The development of this and other plans must continue to inspire our best efforts. If we can bring our countrymen to realize the wisdom of a reasonable state of readiness, and if we can succeed in maintaining an efficient basic organization of both the regular and citizen forces, then our duty will have been performed."

The plans mentioned by General Pershing have been under preparation by the War Department General Staff assisted by the chiefs of branches and corps area and department commanders for more than a year and are destined to exercise a profound and beneficial effect on the development of all components of the Army and in particular the Organized Reserves. The purpose of this brief article is to inform the readers of this number of the Recruiting News of just what these plans mean.

In the first place it is well to state that "mobilization" means the procuring, equipping and assigning of individuals, the organizing, equipping and training of units, and the movements incidental to assembling individuals into units.

Due to conditions inherent in our then existing system, the plans we had available when the United States declared war on April 6, 1917, were practically of no value, and our mobilization and the entry of our troops into theaters of operation were delayed accordingly. At that time we were sadly handicapped by limitations placed by the Act of June 3, 1916, on the employment of the General Staff; by restrictions laid by higher authority on all preparatory measures; by lack of experience and by faulty organization.

Happily, under post-war conditions we find ourselves in a more favorable situation. We now have an adequate number of trained General Staff officers with war experience. The General Staff has

an excellent organization, and planning is its primary duty.

Under the provisions of the National Defense Act as amended by the Act of June 4, 1920, the War Department General Staff is specifically charged with the preparation of plans for the national defense and for the use of the military forces for that purpose, both separately and in conjunction with the naval forces, including the necessary plans for recruiting, organizing, supplying, equipping, mobilizing and demobilizing the Army of the United States. Furthermore, Section 3 of the above mentioned Act contains the essence of our present military policy in that it establishes the basis for mobilization in the following terms:

"The organized peace establishment, including the Regular Army, the National Guard and the Organized Reserves, shall include all of those divisions and other military organizations necessary to form the basis for a complete and immediate mobilization for the national defense in the event of a national emergency declared by Congress."

As the reader is doubtless aware, the basic plan for the organization of the Army of the United States announced in 1920 was completed and a definite plan for the training of all components thereof put in operation. The problem of evolving a mobilization plan was tackled at the same time, the fundamentals of that plan in so far as the Organized Reserves are concerned being laid down in Section IV, of Special Regulations No. 46, approved February 16, 1921.

The first step in formulating the mobilization plan involved the preparation of suitable and comprehensive mobilization regulations. These have just been completed and will be issued to all officers of the Army of the United States, including National Guard and Reserve officers, in the form of a confidential document

entitled "Regulations Governing the Mobilization of Man-power for Military Purposes." The regulations consist of four parts or sections, the contents of each being briefly as follows:

Section I. General principles and definitions. This section defines various terms used and prescribes the several classes of plans and their relation to each other.

Section II. Establishes the responsibility for the preparation and execution of mobilization plans.

Section III. Covers special considerations affecting the mobilization of the Regular Army, the National Guard, and the Organized Reserves.

Section IV. Establishes a system of test mobilization applicable to all com

ponents of the Army of the United States which will enable the War Department to ascertain the readiness of any unit to execute its part of the plan.

The guiding principle is stated in the approval by the General of the Armies and the Chief of Staff as follows:

"In the preparation and execution of mobilization plans as provided for in these regulations, the principle of localizing recruitment, replacements, supply and training to include small units will be applied as far as practicable."

While it is not possible to go into detail in an article of this character, it may be of interest to the officers of the citizen components of the Army to know that our plans are divided into three classes.

First, there is the War Department mobilization plan which is basic to all other plans in that it establishes the basis for the mobilization including the forces to be mobilized, the mobilization rate, the phases of mobilization, the units involved, the mobilization area for each unit, procurement of man-power, replacements, training, supply, shelter, and the movements incidental to mobilization. As far as practicable the control is decentralized and in effect the War Department mobilization plan is a directive for the preparation of more detailed plans as indicated below.

Second, there are corps area, department and branch plans. These are based upon the War Department mobilization plan and include detailed instructions and arrangements for the mobilization of all department commanders and chiefs of branches.

Third, there are unit plans. These are required for each unit of the Regular Army, the National Guard and Organized Reserves, and cover all details and arrangements which are necessary to insure the orderly and prompt mobilization of the unit. Unit commanders are charged with the preparation and execution of these plans which are based upon extracts from the corps area and branch plans furnished them for the purpose. The preparation and revision of unit mobilization plans will form an important part of the continuing work to be carried on at all unit headquarters and will aid in the development of all units.

As indicated above the War Department mobilization plan and mobilization regulations provide for test mobilizations which are designed to test the plans as a whole and, in particular, those of independent units. These test mobilizations are to be conducted along the (Continued on Page Twelve)