igadier-general, colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, captain, first
lieutenant, second lieutenant. The grades of enlisted men are sergeant,
corporal and private. There are numerous special grades in each of these
general classes. Master sergeants, master electricians, etc., are the
highest paid enlisted men and rank all others. Every commissioned
officer ranks every enlisted man regardless of the length of their
respective services. All officers are of equal social rank. Officers and
enlisted men are forbidden to associate socially.

Cadets at the United States Military Academy are neither enlisted nor
commissioned but have a status of their own. Socially they rank with
officers. They are required to salute all officers but are not entitled
to the salutes of enlisted men. Flying cadets in the Signal Corps, who
are candidates for commissions as aviators or aeronauts, also have a
status of their own. They are required to salute officers but do not
receive the salutes of enlisted men. Officers salute one another, the
juniors saluting the seniors, who acknowledge the courtesy.

The infantry organization is based on the company. Under war conditions,
the company consists of 250 men. Four companies form a battalion, and
three battalions a regiment. A headquarters company, a supply company
and a machine gun company also are attached to each regiment. These
three are smaller than the other companies. The band is part of the
headquarters company.

The cavalry organization includes the troop, squadron of four troops,
and regiment of three squadrons, with headquarters, machine gun and
supply organizations. The field artillery regiment is made up of six
batteries, divided into two battalions. It also has headquarters and
supply companies.

The infantry company is divided into platoons and the platoons into
squads of eight men each. The field artillery battery is divided into
platoons and sections. The coast artillery until the war had no
regimental organization but consisted of several separate companies. All
the companies stationed in a coast defense district were under the
command of the ranking officer in that district. For service abroad with
heavy mobile artillery, several coast artillery regiments were organized
on the infantry model.

The United States Navy consists of commissioned officers, warrant
officers, petty officers and enlisted men without ratings. The officers'
grades are: Admiral of the Navy, vice-admiral, re