MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. IX 



Section 3. Loyalty. 



Rut even with implicit ol)Grlienr'e you may yet fail to measure 

 up to that liijrh iKtaiulurd of duty wjiich is at once the pride and 

 glory of every true soldier. Not until you carry out tlie desires 

 and wishes of your superiors in a hearty, willing, and cheerful 

 manner are you meeting all the requirements of your profession. 

 For an order is but the will of your superior, however it may 

 be expressed. Loyalty means that you are for your organiza- 

 tion and its officers and noncommissioned officers — not against 

 them ; that you always extend your most earnest and hearty 

 i^upport to those in authority. No soldier is a loyal soldier who 

 is a knocker or a grumbler or a shirker. Just one man of this 

 class in a troop breeds discontent and dissatisfaction among 

 many others. You should, therefore, not only guard against 

 doing such things yourself but sliould discourage such actions 

 among any of your comrades. 



Section 4. Discipline, 



" 1. All persons in the military service are required to obey 

 strictly and to execute promptly the lawful orders of their 

 superiors. 



"2. Military authority will be exercised with firmness, kind- 

 ness, and justice. Punishments must conform to law and fol- 

 low offenses as promptly as circumstances will permit. 



*' 3. Superiors are forbidden to injure those under their au- 

 thority by tyrannical or capricious conduct or by abusive lan- 

 guage. While maintaining discipline and the thorough and 

 prompt perform.ance of military duty, all officers, in dealing 

 with enlisted men, will bear in mind the absolute necessity of 

 so treating them as to preserve their self-respect. Officers will 

 keep in as close touch as possible with the men under their 

 command and will strive to build up such relations of confidence 

 and sympathy as will insure the free approach of their men to 

 them for counsel and assistance. This relationship may be 

 gained and maintained without relaxation of the bonds of 

 discipline and with great benefit to the service as a whole. 



" Courtesy among military men is indispensable to dis- 

 cipline ; respect to superiors will not be confined to obedience 

 on duty, but will be extended on all occasions. 



