ing promptly all orders. By observing
day after day all rules and regulations and obeying promptly all
orders, it becomes second nature,--a fixed habit,--to do these things.

Of course, in the Army, like in any other walk of life, there must be
law and order, which is impossible unless everyone obeys the rules and
regulations gotten up by those in authority.

When a man has cultivated the habit of obeying,--when obedience has
become second nature with him,--he obeys the orders of his leaders
instinctively, even when under the stress of great excitement, such as
when in battle, his own reasoning is confused and his mind is not
working.

In order to win a battle the _will_ of the commander as expressed
through his subordinates down the line from the second in command to
the squad leaders, must be carried out by everyone. Hence the vital
importance of prompt, instinctive obedience on the part of everybody,
and of discipline, which is the mainspring of obedience and also the
foundation rock of law and order.

And so could we go on indefinitely pointing out the object of each and
every requirement of military training, for there is none that has no
object and that answers no useful purpose, although the object and
purpose may not always be apparent to the young soldier.

_And remember that the final object of all military training is to win
battles._

Advantages of Military Training

The following are the principal advantages of military training:

=14. Handiness.= The average man does one thing well. He is more or
less apt to be clumsy about doing other things. The soldier is
constantly called upon to do all sorts of things, and he has to do all
of them well. His hands thus become trained and useful to him, and his
mind gets into the habit of making his hands do what is required of
them,--that is to say, the soldier becomes handy.

Handy arms are a valuable asset.

=15. Self-control.= In the work of the soldier, control does not stop
with the hands.

The mind reaches out,--control of the body becomes a habit. The feet,
legs, arms and body gradually come under the sway of the mind. In the
position of the soldier, for instance, the mind holds the body
motionless. In marching, the mind drives the legs to machine-like
regularity. In shooting, the mind assumes command of the arms, hands,
fingers and eye, linking them up and making them work in harmony.

Control of the body, together with the habit of discipline