AMERICAN FORESTRY 



■ VOL. XXIII 



JUNE 1917 



NO. 282 



CO 



A FORESTRY REGIMENT IN ACTION 





iiO OMEWHERE in France," a full regiment of trained 

 1^ American woodsmen will soon be at work aiding the 

 cause of the Allies. The United States Forest Ser- 

 vice, at the request of the War Department, prepared plans 

 for the organization and is recruiting the men. These 

 men form a part of the Engineers' Reserve Corps, organized 

 for special duty behind the battle lines on the Western 

 front and the units of which are going into service as fast 

 as they can be equipped. The speed and efficiency which 

 have characterized the for- 

 mation of this regiment give 

 evidence of the whole- 

 hearted and thorough way 

 the American people are 

 "coming across," now that 

 they have been drawn into 

 the titanic struggle against 

 the enemies of democracy. 

 Swift and sure American 

 business methods can be 

 counted on to do the will of 

 the people with dispatch. 



A few days after Presi- 

 dent Wilson's proclamation 

 that a state of war existed 

 between the United States 

 and Germany, a census of 

 the trained foresters and woodsmen of the country was 

 begun by the United States Forest Service in conjunction 

 with state forestry boards and forest protective associations 

 all over the country. The purpose was double, it being 

 considered as necessary to furnish adequate protection for 

 the forests of the country as to furnish men to serve 

 the nation's need in military organizations. The men 

 were urged to refrain from rushing into military organi- 

 zations without giving consideration to the question as 

 to what they were best fitted to do. As a result the special 

 abilities of these men were not lost through random enlist- 

 ment and are now available to fill the urgent need which 

 our AUies, through Mr. Balfour, of the British Commission, 

 inform us exists and ask us to meet. 



The regiment is organized in units capable of handling 

 all kinds of woods work, and includes a number of portable 

 sawmill outfits and complete equipment for every phase 

 of a lumbering operation. It will be officered by trained 

 foresters and expert lumbermen who are thoroughly 

 familiar with producing and delivering lumber. The 

 Forest Service is exercising great care in selecting the men, 

 striving to get the most skilful workers in the several 

 specialized lines of woods and mill work, and it is stated 



FOREST REGIMENT FLAG 



The proposed flag for the regiment of United States expert woodsmen, which 



will soon be seen in France. 



that this will be the finest body of experts that it is possible 

 to gather. The classes of men in the ranks comprise axe- 

 men, teamsters, skidders, loaders, scalers, tie-hewers, 

 millwrights, saw-filers, sawyers, engineers, portable saw- 

 mill men, blacksmiths, lumberjacks, and carpenters, as 

 well as motorcycle and motor truck operators. In 

 addition, there are a number of cooks, commissary 

 experts, clerks, etc., for maintaining the large camps 

 necessary in connection with the woods operations. 



Although the regiment is 

 organized by the Forest Ser- 

 vice and officered by forestry 

 experts who have received 

 their training in Govern- 

 ment or State service, the 

 supreme command is in the 

 hands of an army officer 

 appointed by the War De- 

 partment and the entire 

 regiment is organized on 

 the military plan and is 

 under military law. 



The men are furnished 

 with the regular army uni- 

 forms, a necessity in the 

 war zone in order to insure 

 their treatment as prisoners 

 of war in case of capture by the enemy. Every man has 

 enlisted in the regiment for four years, but active service 

 will be required for only such part of that period as may 

 be necessary. The rules for enlistment require that a 

 man be between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, be 

 a citizen of the United States or have declared his 

 intention to become such, be physically sound and pass 

 the regular military physical examination. 



Pay of enlisted men, as well as officers, begins at date 

 of enlistment, and traveling expenses from the place of 

 enlistment to the training camp are met by the Govern- 

 ment. The salaries of officers are the same as those 

 received by officers of corresponding rank in other 

 branches of the military service, while those of enUsted 

 men are as shown in table on following page. 



The regiment is made up of six companies of 164 men 

 each, with twenty-six men on the battalion and regimental 

 staffs and a driver for each vehicle, in addition to the com- 

 missioned officers. The enlisted men will include: six 

 first sergeants, 18 sergeants, first-class, 1 sergeant bugler, 

 50 sergeants, 6 stable sergeants, 6 supply sergeants, 6 

 mess sergeants, 2 color sergeants, 19 cooks, 6 horse- 

 shoers, 108 corporals, 6 saddlers, 27 wagoners, 186 pri- 



325 



