y covering
detachments when in advance of the march outpost. A support
commander's order should fully explain the situation to subordinates,
or to the entire command, if it be small. It should detail the troops
for the different outguards and, when necessary, define the sector
each is to cover. It should provide the necessary sentinels at the
post of the support, the patrols to be sent therefrom, and should
arrange for the necessary intrenching.

In posting his command the support commander must seek to cover his
sector (the front that he is to look after) in such manner that the
enemy can not reach, in dangerous numbers and unobserved, the position
of the support or pass by it within the sector intrusted to the
support. On the other hand, he must economize men on observation and
patrol duty, for these duties are unusually fatiguing. He must
practice the greatest economy of men consistent with the requirements
of practical security.

As soon as the posting of the support is completed, its commander
carefully inspects the dispositions and corrects defects, if any, and
reports the disposition of his support, including the patrolling
ordered, to the outpost commander. This report is preferably made by
means of a sketch.

By day the outpost will stack arms and the articles of equipment,
except the cartridge belt and canteen, will be placed by the arms. At
night the men will invariably sleep with their arms and equipment near
them.

In addition to the sentinel posted over the support, a part of the
support, say one-third or one-fourth, should always be awake at night.

Each outguard is marched by its commander to its assigned station, and
especially in the case of a picket, is covered by the necessary
patrolling to prevent surprise.

Having reached the position, the commander explains the situation to
his men and establishes reliefs for each sentinel, and, if possible,
for each patrol to be furnished. Besides these sentinels and patrols,
a picket must have a sentinel at its post.

The commander then posts the sentinels and points out to them the
principal features, such as towns, roads, and streams, and gives their
names. He gives the direction and location of the enemy, if known, and
of adjoining parts of the outpost.

He gives to patrols the same information and the necessary orders as
to their routes and the frequency with which the same shall be
covered. Each patrol should go over its route once before dark.