Guard Duty

CS 326. Corporal of the Guard. - This is the most important duty that falls to the corporal. He should be perfectly familiar with the duties of the sentinel, and able to instruct the members of the guard in their duties.

CS 327. Ordinarily, a guard consists of a lieutenant and sergeant of the guard, and three corporals, one to each relief. As soon as the guard has marched on, it is divided into three reliefs. The senior corporal is assigned to the first relief, the next to the second, and the third corporal to the last relief.

CS 328. As soon as his relief has been assigned to him, the corporal makes a list of the names and numbers, beginning on the right, the odd numbers being in the front rank, and the even numbers in the rear rank. This list is handed to the sergeant of the guard. The corporal should keep a copy of it also.

CS 329. As soon as the list of the first relief is taken, the corporal marches it off to post it, accompanied by the corporal of the old guard. No. 1 is relieved first; he is always stationed at the guard-house, and is not required to march round the chain of sentinels with the relief. The other sentinels are relieved in succession, and are required to fall in in the rear and march round in order, at a "Support Arms." The Regulations prescribe:

"US 394. When a sentinel sees the relief approaching, he will halt and face to it, with his arms at a shoulder. At six paces, the corporal will command,
1. Relief. 2. Halt!
when the relief will halt and carry arms. The corporal will then add, 'No. 1,' or 'No. 2,' or 'No. 3,' according to the number of the post,
1. Arms 2. Port!
The two sentinels will, with arms at port, then approach each other, when the old sentinel, under the correction of the corporal, will whisper the instructions to the new sentinel. This done, the two sentinels will shoulder arms, and the old sentinel will pass, in quick time, to his place in rear of the relief. The corporal will then command,
1. Support Arms! 2. Forward. 3. March!
and the relief proceeds in the same manner until the whole are relieved."

CS 330. The first relief should be posted as promptly as possible, as both guards are kept waiting until all the sentinels have been relieved and have joined their guards to march off. The new guard does not "Stack Arms" until the old one has marched off.

CS 331. If the guard is small, there may be but one corporal; and he then would be required to post all the reliefs, and, in all probability, there would be no officer of the guard, and the sergeant then would be the commander of the guard. When there is a corporal to each relief, each corporal parades his own relief, posts it, and instructs the sentinels in their duty. He answers the call of the sentinels of his relief for "Corporal of the Guard."

CS 332. The reliefs are usually posted for two hours: they have, therefore, four hours off post. It may be necessary to have two or all the corporals visiting the sentinels at once. The corporals of the other reliefs may therefore be called on when the corporal whose relief is on post is absent on duty. Each corporal, however, answers the calls of his own relief as far as possible.

CS 333. The corporal should visit his relief thoroughly the first tour by daylight, and see that the sentinels know their day-orders well, and again the first tour at night, to see that they know and perform their night-duties properly. And they should be visited at other times also, until they know and perform their duties well; for the corporal will be held responsible by the officer of the guard that the sentinels are properly instructed.

CS 334. Corporals should remember that the only persons authorized to give them orders when on guard are the commanding officer, officer of the day, and the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the guard; and they take orders from no other persons.

CS 335. The privates of the guard should make their applications to be absent from the guard, through the corporals, who are required to see that they return punctually and are not absent longer than is necessary. The corporal is held responsible that he reports to the officer of the guard all neglect of duty or disobedience of orders or instructions by members of the guard.

CS 336. The corporal whose relief is on post at twilight receives the countersign and communicates it to the sentinels of his relief. Afterwards the countersign is communicated by the old sentinel to the new one when the relief marches round.