The Annual Inspection
Bo CooNLL C. F. CRAsI, I. S. National Army

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I IE annual inspection of 1917 will be ever memorable in the annals
of the Corps of Cadets, University of Wisconsin. With the Corps
stripped of the greater part of its officers and non-commissioned
oficers and a large number of privates, it put up an exhibition that was
qualled by few and surpassed by none of the institutions inspected by
()lonel (now General) Julius A. Penn, United States Army.
War with Germany was declared April 6th. Immediately some three
hundred students withdrew from their academic courses and entered uon
a course of intensive military training with a view to obtaining commis-
sions in the army. This was a hard blow to the Corps, as naturally every
man who was eligible elected to take this course and the result was that
rcgiments lost their field officers and companies lost their company officers
!nd non-commissioned officers and many privates. Howvccr, those left
iirned to with a will. Captains and lieutenants took command of battal-
1on, -sergeants took command of companies- -corporals and privates
took command of platoons, all of which will happen over there' when the
ciuulty lists commence to roll in.

The Corps, in a brigade of two regiments, was formed at Camp Randall
at 8:00 A. M. under the command of Colonel Fred J. Hodges. Colonel
Penn then inspected and reviewed the brigade. Following the inspection
( cot Call of the activities of the preceding year were exhibited, including close
and extended order by company and battalion, bayonet combat, first aid instruction, military
calistenics. position and aiming drills and gallery practice, shelter tent pitching, signaling with
flag, emaphor, heliograph, telephone, telegraph, and radio, machine gun work. ceremonies, etc.

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