RAFINO

RAFINO Report
ISSUE 22 - Summer 1999
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WHAT A DIFFERENCE
66 YEARS MAKE!


(Ed: Jerry Ludick, a retired Ordnance Corps LTC, and a one-time instructor at the Finance School back in the mid-1960's in the Comptrollership Department, and a member of RAFINO, sent us these excerpts from the "Soldiers Hand Book, U.S.A., Revised 1913 Edition, which he researched " (Ed: Many, Thanks, Jerry!)

  • "FIRST AID AND PERSONAL HYGIENE:  It is stated by medical authorities that sexual intercourse is not necessary to preserve health and manly vigor, and the natural sexual impulse can be kept under control by avoiding association, conversation, and thoughts of a lewd character.
  • SALUTES:  When an enlisted man without arms passes an officer he salutes with the hand farthest from the officer.  If mounted, he salutes with the right hand.  Officers are saluted whether in uniform or not. (Ed: Note: In those days a soldier had to be ambidextrous to salute according to regulations.)

    Whenever "The Star Spangled Banner" is played at a military station, or at any place where persons belonging to the military service are present in their official capacity or present unofficially but in uniform, all officers and enlisted men present will stand at attention, facing toward the music, retaining that position until the last note of the air, and then salute.  With no arms in hand, the salute will be the hand salute.  The same respect will be observed toward the national air of any other country, when it is played as a compliment to official representatives of such country.  When played under the circumstances contemplated by this paragraph, "The Star Spangled Banner" will be played through without repetition of any part that is not required to be repeated to make the air complete.  (Note that the salute is rendered at the last note; not throughout the entire rendition of the national hymn.)
  • SOLDIERS' HOME:  An honest and faithful service of 20 years in the Army entitles a soldier to admission to the Soldiers' Home, Washington, DC. (Still holds true.)
  • FLOGGING:  No person in the military service shall be punished by flogging, or by branding, or tattooing on the body. 
  • MISCONDUCT AT DIVINE SERVICE:  It is earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers diligently to attend divine service.  Any officer who behaves indecently or irreverently at any place of divine worship shall be brought before a general court-martial, there to be publicly and severely reprimanded by the president thereof.  Any soldier who so offends shall, for his first offense, forfeit one-sixth of a dollar, for each further offense he shall forfeit a like sum and shall be confined 24 hours.  The money so forfeited shall be deducted from his next pay and shall be applied, by the captain or senior officer of his troop, battery, or company, to the use of the sick soldiers of the same.
  • GRADES OF RANKS OF OFFICERS AND NCOs: 
    1. Lieutenant General
    2. Major General
    3. Brigadier General
    4. Colonel
    5. Lieutenant Colonel
    6. Major
    7. Captain
    8. First Lieutenant
    9. Second Lieutenant
    10. Veterinarian, Cavalry and Field Artillery
    11. Cadet
    12. (a) Sergeant Major, Regimental; Sergeant Major, senior grade, coast Artillery Corps; 
    (b) Master Electrician, Coast Artillery Corps; Master Signal Electrician; Chief Musician;
    (c) Engineer, Coast Artillery Corps; Sergeant First Class, Hospital Corps; First Class Signal Sergeant; Electrical Sergeant, First Class, Coast Artillery Corps;
    13. Ordnance Sergeant; Quartermaster Sergeant, Quartermaster Corps; Sergeant First Class, Hospital Corps; First Class Signal Sergeant; Electrical Sergeant, First Class, Coast Artillery Corps.
    14. Quartermaster and Commissary Sergeant, Regimental; Electrician sergeant, Second Class, Coast Artillery Corps; Master Gunner, Coast Artillery Corps.
    15. Sergeant Major, Squadron and Battalion; Sergeant Major, Junior Grade, Coast Artillery Corps; color Sergeant; Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant, Engineers and Field Artillery;
    16. (a) First Sergeant; Drum Major;
    (b) Principal Musician, Chief Trumpeter
    17. Sergeant; Quartermaster Sergeant, Company; Stable Sergeant;
    18. (a) Corporal;
    (b) Fireman, Coast Artillery Corps

In each grade and sub-grade, date of commission, appointment, or warrant determines the order of precedence.  (Ed's comment  Thank Goodness some of the NCO grade titles have been revised since 1913.  My memory could not have stood up to this!)