What Makes a Good Unit?

ONE of Napoleon’s best known sayings is, “There are no poor regiments, there are only poor Colonels.”

Now what is it that “good” Colonels do to produce their “good” regiments?

Good Colonels insist that, in addition to having the necessary military knowledge, their men must be trained so that they can take in their stride such things as danger, hardship, and unforeseen eventualities.

But to get his men up to this high state of morale a commander must produce a motive force to urge his men to give willingly of their best.

In war it is not hard to find a motive on which to build, as all ranks cannot fail to appreciate that a good unit results in the minimum of casualties, sickness, hardship, and discomfort, whilst at the same time it produces victories, decorations, and military glory.

In peace, however, it is obviously far more difficult to create this vital motive force, without which the volunteer will soon lose interest, withdraw from the Army if he can, and above all discourage others from enlisting.

With a view to helping in this formidable task I mention the following points in the hope that they may help in the creation and maintenance of this motive force which is so vital to the efficiency of our peacetime Army.

Make Instruction Interesting

Fight monotony in instruction like the plague. In wartime even the dullest instructor, employing archaic instructional methods can hold the interest of the soldier, as the latter is learning how to save his life.

In peacetime, however, in our Volunteer Army, it is only by very careful forethought, planning, and hard work that military instruction can be made really interesting.

Unfortunately, men join a unit with varying degrees of military knowledge and at all periods of the year, and it is therefore very difficult to instruct them profitably immediately they enlist. They must be classified according to their previous training, and receive only appropriate instruction if they are to retain the motive force which impelled them to enlist.

Natural instructors are a rarity, and those who are so fortunate will find it almost impossible to maintain the interest of the modern soldier in peace, unless they follow closely the latest methods now being taught to the AMF by the AHQ Method of Instruction Team (AUSTMIT).

Long-winded instruction on non-essentials with endless repetition and without the many aids now available, is not acceptable in the AMF, where not a minute should be wasted on dull or superfluous instruction.

Teach only essentials, but teach them thoroughly. There are two things to teach: KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS.

KNOWLEDGE can be acquired by the mental process of being taught, but SKILLS are a habit resulting from much practice.

AUSTMIT assists greatly in the acquiring of KNOWLEDGE. Many soldiers do not yet fully realize how quickly men, who are imbued with the required motive force, can assimilate military knowledge.

I well remember during the Cretan Campaign, when the British Army crews of two Matilda tanks had been disposed of, how new crews of Australian gunners and infantrymen were trained in under 6 hours to successfully command and operate those tanks in action.

They had an abundance of motive power, because they were fighting for their lives.

Instructors must know every detail of the equipment and the name of every part, but the average soldier does not need this detailed knowledge, and quickly appreciating that his instructor is only filling in time, becomes bored.

Recognition of Progress

Every soldier cannot achieve the prize of non-commissioned rank, but some method should be devised of acknowledging and rewarding steady progress in a unit. Skill at Arms prizes are a case in point.

Competitions

Introduce the competitive spirit wherever you can. Cups, spoons, shields and other trophies should be provided for inter-Company, etc., competitions for sporting, physical, and also purely military prowess.

I well remember how sought after were the Silver Spoons awarded for the Weekly Rifle Shooting Matches in the pre-war militia.

Of course these competitions can be overdone, and in some pre-war militia units they became an obsession and absorbed a lot of precious time which could have been far more profitably spent on training for war.

Esprit de Corps

Make the maximum use of the proud records of your unit in World Wars I and II to build your men’s pride in their unit in order to produce that vital motive force.

The Australian Army is young compared to the British Army, but by hard fighting and initiative has built up a reputation second to none amongst the Armies of the main fighting nations of the world.

Many unit war histories are now becoming available, and there are several good books on the two World Wars which cover the actions of your units.

Esprit de corps is a powerful weapon, and it is amazing how the very considerable repetition required to perfect a unit Guard of Honour or competitive drill squad is readily accepted when the reputation of the unit is at stake.

Social Order has Changed

The days when an officer said “Carry on Sergeant Major,” and then proceeded to stand around with a cane under his arm, have gone for good except on the comedy stage.

The old social caste system is now mainly a relic of the past; today it is the degree of ability which decides who shall lead.

Officers can no longer afford to stand aloof from their men, but require to study them individually to find the best way to imbue each man with that vital motive force.

Development of Initiative

The Australian soldier is deservedly renowned for his initiative.

Possession of this trait enhances very considerably the value of a soldier.

Its development can be greatly assisted by first of all equipping the soldier with military knowledge and then giving him plenty of opportunity to exercise his initiative.

Patriotism

After the first World War men ignored history and dreamt of everlasting peace. Those dreams have been rudely shattered and men now realize that to be prepared for war is the only known way to avoid it.

All men are patriotic in greater or lesser degree.

Freely enlisted men must have been influenced by patriotic motives, as military training means sacrificing their leisure hours to learning to defend their country.

Fan the flame of patriotism all you can, as it is a powerful motive for military efficiency.

To this end decorate your Training Depots where appropriate with good prints and photographs of our war leaders and the campaigns in which your unit took part.