Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/347

 THE SECOND OFFICERS' TRAINING CAMP

��and technical founda- tion upon which they were able to extend their qualities for leadership, so that within a year they were acting on some of the most respon- sible positions in the A. E. F.

Years of inten- sive training and study, the discipline to keep themselves fit for such a time as this, as well as their simple, direct, considerate,

confident manner, all conspired to make them ideal training leaders for such a Camp.

The men w^ere quick to perceive in them qualities of real leadership and an un- usual loyalty devel- o p e d betw^een the Regular Army officers w^ho showed any dis- tinguishing characteristics and the men who were to be the leaders of the new National Army. This loyalty and admiration continues even after the details are forgotten — and the officers of the Regular Army will always have some better friends in civil life, because of the associations of those earlier days.

Every Fort Sheridan man, no matter how large his experience in business or professional life may have been, realized that there is something in the kind of intensive military training, the knowledge of practical details, the ease and simplicity of commanding leadership which cannot be imitated nor can it be learned with rapidity.

As a foundation for any future policy of adequate defense, they realize that there must be maintained a large and capable group of such highly trained military leaders.

As the Regular Army officers departed, the Reserve officers who had been selected in the First Camp at Fort Sheridan and Fort Reilly took their places. Most of these new^ officers had some previous military training before

���THE BROOM AND BUCKET BRIGADE

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