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| Camps and Trips IN no way is the advanced efficiency of the organized militia, or National Guard, better demonstrated than in its work in the field. Many whose recollection of service in the National Guard brings memories of pleasant outings at seaside or mountain resorts, full dress uniforms and the panoply and parade of the days of the old state encampments, would be suprised at the work of the organized militia of today in the field. In Maryland encampments for field instruction are held biennially, the whole brigade participating, and it has been the practice in recent years to have one or more of the regiments represent the State at joint army and militia maneuvers under the auspices of the Federal government. At these encampments and maneuvers the troops go into the field equipped as for actual service under war conditions. Nothing in routine or equipment is in any way dissimilar to what might be expected in time of war, and from the instant the militiaman reports at the armory for field service until he is dismissed at the end of the tour of duty he is constantly under the firm, yet reasonable, discipline of the regular army. Officers from the regular service are attached to the state troops for purposes of instruction, and these officers report to the War Department on the military capacity and capability not only of the organization as a unit, but of the officers collectively and individually. Map problems, studied in the armory during the winter months, are worked out in the field under assimilated service conditions, and it is to the credit of the militia that officers and men vie with each other in the effort to put into actual practice the theoretical training they receive in the armory. In these camps of instruction, and on visits to other cities, no organization in the Maryland National Guard has brought more credit to tte service, the city and the state than has the Fourth Regiment. Responding to every call, it invariably reported with the largest personnel of any command in the State militia. This is particularly true of encampments. The Fourth has been in the field 20 or more times—from its first encampment at Tolchester, nearly thirty years ago, to the last brigade maneuvers at Page Fom--r/lree |