The United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning ...



“The United States Army Infantry School; a Short History of the U. S. Army Infantry Schools from 1775 to Fort Benning, Georgia.”

By David Scott Stieghan

A Brief History of the Infantry School

By David Scott Stieghan

The United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia traces its creation to the beginnings of the Continental Army during the War for Independence. George Washington appointed Captain “Baron” von Steuben, Drillmaster of the Continental Army in 1778. The Prussian veteran instituted a single manner of infantry drill for the Continental Army by consolidating all junior officers into platoons and companies, and drilling them together to create a body of instructors for the entire army. Later, von Steuben convinced General George Washington to create a model company of infantry to demonstrate drill and maneuvers to the rest of the army. These were the origins of an American School of Infantry.[1] After the War for Independence, Congress undid most of the fine instrument created by Washington and von Steuben by reducing the Army to a single eighty-five man Infantry company for a year and allowing commanders of the Regular Army and the militia to use whatever drill suited them.

In 1813, the Army adopted a form of Duane’s Tactics during the War of 1812 to bring the Infantry to one standard drill.[2] In 1826, Major General Edmund P. Gaines established the first infantry post at Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis, Missouri. The Infantry School of Instruction began training enlisted men and small units and quickly expanded to training Infantry officers in their duties. By November 24, 1824, the post closed as all the troops and Infantry units were needed across the nation. Though what became known as the Infantry School of Practice lasted only two years, the overall efficiency of the United States Infantry improved immensely and the idea of recreating a similar school was not lost on those in attendance.[3]

In 1881, the Army created a military post-graduate program for officers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, known as the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry. This same program is now the Command and Staff School.[4] In 1892, the School of Application divided into a School for Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas, and a School for Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, leaving the infantry without a formal school.[5]

After the Spanish-American War, Lieutenant-General Arthur MacArthur ordered the establishment of new target ranges and a course of fire for every unit and post in the Department of California and the Columbia. The new U. S. Model 1903 Rifle manufactured at Springfield Armory and Rock Island Arsenal used a new M2, Model 1906 bullet and a rear sight with three apertures. It was LTC MacArthur determined that the troops under his command needed to master Musketry- controlling the distribution of small arms fire by junior leaders upon the enemy. To provide formal instruction for the marksmanship instructors, General MacArthur ordered that a school be established in the department. The first commandant, Captain Frank L. Winn, later commented, “From this idea the plan developed into a school of experiment and theory in the use of the rifle in battle and of improvement, by testing, in the rifle itself.” As a result, the War Department approved the establishment of the School of Musketry, Pacific Division, at the Presidio of Monterey, California. Though the original intent was the development of small arms use in the infantry, the scope of development and instruction soon grew to include, “all subjects connected with small arms, ammunition and tactics. The latter directive allowed the instructors to pursue research and training methods to prepare infantrymen for modern warfare.[6]

Initially, the school staff consisted of Captain Winn as the officer in charge, an assistant instructor, one company from each of the two divisions in the department and a machine-gun platoon. Each quarter, the rotating student body consisted of two officers from each of the infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments in the division, one enlisted man from each company, troop, and battery, and additional officers and enlisted men as selected by the division commander. The school cadre arrived on March 25th, 1907, and replaced the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry in garrison. The new school opened for business on April 1, 1907. In 1911, the Infantry School of Musketry co-located with the Field Artillery School of Fire at Fort Sill, Oklahoma until outgrowing that post during the height of World War I. By the summer of 1918, the Infantry cast about for a new home. [7]

In an attempt to lure an Army training camp to the Columbus area, the Encampment Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Columbus, Georgia, presented a “Proposal for the Lease of Land to the United States Government for Establishment of School of Musketry,” on January 17, 1918, to representatives of the United States Army. Included in the original proposal are endorsements from the Muscogee County Commissioners to build access roads and the Columbus Power Company to build electrical transmission lines if the government accepted the property for a training camp. With options secured on 7,400 of the 9,000 acres proposed at $2.00 per acre, total estimated construction costs for the cantonment came to $706,000. A formal plan dated January 23rd lists a total of 2008 students, instructors, and permanent party planned, housed and headquartered in 67 buildings.[8] While the original proposal for the camp envisioned a lease on the land, the Army decided later to convert the cantonment to a permanent facility and continue training there after World War I.

On August 17, 1918, a telegram arrived in Columbus, confirming the selection of the area for the new site of the Army’s Infantry School of Arms. By October 6, troops transferring from Fort Sill, Oklahoma stepped off the train in Columbus. They stood in formation on October 19 christening the new post “Camp Benning” in honor of a local Confederate General, Henry Lewis Benning. Unlike most temporary training facilities created in haste during the Great War, Camp Benning survived postwar budget cuts to become a permanent Infantry school in 1920. In 1921, the Army formally designated the post as the Infantry School and changed the name to Fort Benning in 1922. As the home of the largest branch of the Army, Fort Benning continued to grow in facilities and troops assigned through the lean years of the Great Depression.[9]

During the peacetime draft buildup in 1940, Fort Benning grew rapidly to become not only an infantry post, but the home of what became the 2nd Armored Division, commanded by Major General George S. Patton, Jr. That same year, the Airborne “Test Platoon” initiated the Airborne School that still graduates thousands of parachutists for the United States military each year. The Officers Candidate School (OCS) began graduating Infantry lieutenants in 1941 and still operates as the only Federal OCS program in the Army. Over 100, 000 soldiers entered the Army as privates or lieutenants at Fort Benning during World War II and the fort earned the nickname: “The Benning School for Boys.” At the end of the Second World War, Fort Benning remained a vibrant facility as Ranger training began, the Infantry developed a mechanized component, and the Infantry prepared troops and leaders for the Korean War, Vietnam, and other Cold War commitments. At this writing, the U.S. Army Infantry School and other units of the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) at Fort Benning have more troops assigned as cadre or in training than any other facility in the United States military.[10]

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Fort Benning became involved in the Global War on Terror. Troop training and the deployment of on-post units and small groups through the CONUS (Continental United States) Replacement Center continued through Operation Enduring Freedom to Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two significant events were the accelerated deployments for the initial ground combat in 2003 followed by The Surge of 2007 and 2008 in Iraq. As the situation in Iraq stabilized, many of the troops returning as part of the drawdown processed through Fort Benning.

As a result of the Base Realignment and Closing bill passed by Congress in 2005, many branches of the United States Army were directed to combine at selected posts. This was known as BRAC 2005 and required the Armor School to move from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2009, the United States Army Infantry Center was re-designated the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the Infantry School became one of the many important activities and units at Fort Benning. Many offices and functions that both branches maintained in their separate locations were consolidated within the MCOE staff to avoid a duplication of effort.

In 2009, the Armor School moved from Fort Knox, Kentucky, to Fort Benning and the Home of Infantry became the Home of Armor and Infantry. Now, the combat forces from two of the maneuver branches train and develop doctrine together in the classrooms and on the range. Today, the post remains one of the largest and most important military installations in the western world. Fort Benning is now the Home of the Maneuver Center of Excellence.

The Commanders of the MCOE are major generals who substitute between those who originally commissioned as Infantry or Armor officers. Their commissioned and non-commissioned staff are alternated in much the same way, including the Post Garrison Command. The captains from both the Armor and Infantry branches study together in the Maneuver Captains Career Course (MCCC) and the in-coming battalion and brigade commanders of both branches are combined in the Maneuver Pre-command Course (MPCC). To achieve parity in command responsibility, many courses and their support units for whom the Infantry Commandant is the proponent are assigned to units within the Armor School since that school and branch are smaller than the Infantry branch. The same combinations of branch leader development are used in the Henry Caro Non-commissioned Officers Academy (NCOA).

On October 19, 2018, Fort Benning celebrates one hundred years as the Home of Infantry. While the schools of Infantry operated in a number of locations across the country throughout history, Fort Benning is where the branch found a permanent setting. The current training mission of the Infantry School at Fort Benning is quite diverse, and concentrates upon preparing soldiers for most known infantry missions. Since the basic weapon system of the Infantry is the soldier, the oldest of the branches is often considered primitive in its outlook and training by the rest of the military. In the post-industrial age, a fighting force which depends upon the brains and brawn of groups of humans fighting on foot seems outmoded. However, with the end of the use of total war by great powers with the development of nuclear weapons, the individual foot soldier and the small team around are still necessary to conduct war.

While military technology advances, leadership and human reaction change little. While the Infantry uses wheeled and armored vehicles, parachutes and helicopters, skis and rubber rafts, these methods only represent modes of transportation to approach the battlefield. For the last 100 yards to close with an enemy, Infantry must advance on foot or at a crawl in that space without the support of other branches or services. The necessity to close with to kill or capture an enemy, to seize and hold ground, will always be the primary missions that only the Infantry can perform.

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Bibliography

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Commandant’s Office. Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School, 1932.

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United States Army, Records of the Adjutant General. Copy in Infantry Archives,

1932.

“History of Special Associate Basic Infantry Course, Fort Benning, Georgia, December

1948-August 1949.” Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School.

Fournoy, Josiah, Jr. “Proposal from Columbus, Georgia, for School of Musketry,

January 17, 1918.”

“Fourteen Months of Actions and Events in the Infantry School- Instruction and

Management.” United States Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, July 1964.

Gallagher, Major General (Retired) Philip E. Recorded interview, July 22, 1972, reel to

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[General Gallagher was stationed at Camp Benning, Georgia, from October 1918

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Names for the Features of Terrain at the Infantry School, Camp Benning,

Georgia, February 10, 1921. Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School, 1921.

________________. “Fire Control Map [Ranges], Fort Benning, Georgia, 1928-1929 (copy).” Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School.

________________. “Programs of Instruction, The Infantry School, The Assistant

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[Standing Operating Procedures], 1974.” Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School,

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Tilden, Captain Richard A., and Private First Class Rosalind Roulston. “A History of the

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Assistant Commandant- The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, November

11, 1944.” [Note: binder contains loose papers and articles from the 1940s

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Consolidated Index and Tables of Contents for the Infantry School Mailing List

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Marshall, George. “The Infantry School.” Infantry Journal. May 1928, 572.

Tucker, F. “The Preparation of Infantry for Battle.” Army Quarterly, October 1944, 74.

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Congress of the United States. American State Papers. Documents Legislative and

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First Congress to the Second Session of the Fifteenth Congress, Inclusive:

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Volume I. Washington: Gales & Seaton, 1832.

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Tactics, Embracing the Discipline…..Philadelphia: The Author, 1809.

____________. A Handbook for Infantry: Containing the First Principles of Military

Discipline, Founded on…. Philadelphia: Printed for the Author, 1813.

Steuben, Baron Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, Baron von. United States War Department, Inspector General’s Office. Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States….Portsmouth, Printed by J. Melcher, Printer to the State of New Hampshire, 1794. [Philadelphia: Styner & Cist, 1779.]

_____________________________________________________. “A Letter on the Subject of an Established Militia of the United States and Military Arrangements Addressed to the Inhabitants of the United States.” New York: J. McLean, 1794.

Secondary Sources

From Infantry Magazine

Infantry Magazine Sources Referring to Infantry School Training and Doctrine:

“Advanced NCO Course,” NCO Academy Staff (J-F 84, pp. 7-8).

“ANCOC: A Student’s Viewpoint,” SSG Mark S. Wafler (M-A 84, pp. 6-8).

“Army National Guard OCS,” LTC Duncan M. Thompson (J-A 86, pp. 11-13).

“Back to Basics: Training Close Combat Skills,” LTC Thomas A. Dempsey (N-D 94, pp. 44-46).

“BATS: The Bradley Advanced Training System,” COL Ronald J. Jebavy (July—December 97, pp. 34-35).

“Battalion Officer School,” CPT Walter A. Schrepel (J-F 82, pp. 34-35).

“The Best Kept Secret,” COL Frederick Peters (M-J 86, pp. 12-13).

“Close Combat Training,” CPT Darryl W. Daugherty and CPT Drew Watson (J-A 90, pp. 38-40).

“Curriculum Changes,” MG John W. Foss (J-F 85, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, p. 2).

“Developing Lieutenants,” CPT Craig J. Currey (M-J 90, pp. 9-11).

“Developing the Warrior Spirit in Ranger Training,” CPT William M. Connor, Jr. (May-August 99, pp. 45-47).

“Doctrinal Manuals,” CPT Terrence N. Thomas (J-F 83, pp. 32-33).

“Doctrinal Publications,” MAJ Bruce D. Mackey (M-A 85, pp. 38-40).

“Duty in a Training Company,” LT Peter C. Molin (N-D 91, pp. 9-10).

“Expanding Sniper School Programs,” SSG Jeffrey T. Davis (September-December 2000, pp. 20-22).

“Improving MOUT and Battle Focused Training,” LTC Karl W. Eikenberry (M-J 93, pp. 36-39).

“Infantry OCS, l941” (S-O 87, PAST TIMES, Infantry Magazine, pp. 45-46).

The Infantry School, MG Edwin H. Burba, Jr. (M-A 86, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 2-4).

Infantry School training, MG John W. Foss (M-J 84, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, p. 14).

“Infantry Small Arms and Marksmanship Training,” MG John W. Foss (N-D 85, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 2-3).

“The Infantry Training Center,” MG Carmen J. Cavezza, COMMANDANT’S NOTE (M-J 91, pp. 1-2).

“Infantry Training Center,” MG James J. Lindsay (M-A 84, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, p. 2).

“Infantry Training—From the Beginning,” MG Jerry A. White, COMMANDANT’S NOTE (J-F 93, pp. 1-2).

“Infantry Training Strategies,” MG Carmen J. Cavezza (S-O 90, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 1-2).

“Initial Entry Training Company METL Assessment,” MAJ Joseph C. Sloop (N-D  96, pp. 44-45).

“The IOBC Mentorship Program,” CPT David M. Toczek (M-A 96, pp. 45-46).

“IOBC Tactical Problems,” CPT Stephen A. Johnson (N-D 88, pp. 39-41).

“IOBC: Training Infantry Platoon Leaders,” MSG Charles G. Beer (N-D 89, pp. 33-35).

“The Light Leaders Course,” CPT William D. Phillips (J-F 85, pp. 35-37).

“LRSU Course,” William Lyde, Jr. (N-D 86, pp. 37-38).

“The Making of an Infantry Lieutenant,” CPT Robert C. Pittard (S-O 84, pp. 27-28).

“Marksmanship Training: A Better Way,” MAJ Michael C. Okita (J-A 93, pp. 43-45).

“Marksmanship Training: More Than the Basics,” SFC Steven D. Miller (September-December 99, pp. 41-44).

“Marksmanship Training: Quick-Fire Techniques,” CPT Bryan P. Hernandez (May-August 99, pp. 43-45).

“Marne Maneuver Training,” LTC Richard J. Morgan, Jr. (N-D 83, pp. 34-36).

“Master Fitness Course,” CPT Samuel J. Padgett, Jr. (M-A 88, pp. 38-39).

“Master Gunner Course,” SFC Russell K. Butts (M-J 86, pp. 36-37).

“Military History: Its Importance Today,” MAJ John L. Lane (M-J 87, pp. 11-12).

“Mountaineering and Leadership: The 5th Ranger Training Battalion,” MAJ Stephen A. Hiller and Major Mark R. Morrow, (January-April 98, pp. 37-39).

“The NCO Academy,” MG Kenneth C. Leuer (M-J 88, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 1-2).

“Pathfinder Training,” CPT Keith P. Antonia (J-F 87, pp. 34-35).

“Preparing for Airborne Training,” CPT Danny L. Greene (J-A 86, pp. 13-15).

“Pre-Ranger Training,” Ranger Training Brigade Staff (S-O 91, pp. 34-36).

“The Ranger Course,” MG Carmen J. Cavezza, COMMANDANT’S NOTE (S-O 91, p. 1).

“The Ranger Course,” Ranger Training Brigade Staff (M-J 91, pp. 37-39).

“Ranger Orientation Program,” CPT Charles T. Sniffin and SFC Mallory L. Sump (M-A 90, pp. 42-45).

“Ranger Training,” MG John W. Foss (J-F 86, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 2-3).

“Small Group Instruction,” MG Carmen J. Cavezza, COMMANDANT’S NOTE (M-A 91, p. 1).

“Sniper-Observer Teams,” CPT James W. Bowen (M-A 86, pp. 35-37).

“Sniper Training Program,” MG Kenneth C. Leuer (J-F 88, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 1-2).

“Squad Combat Training,” CPT Guy Sands-Pingot (S-O 87, pp. 38-39).

Tactical Leadership Course, MG John W. Foss (J-A 84, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, p. 2).

“Tough Training in Tough Times: Infantry Officer Candidate School—1942,” From an INFANTRY Magazine interview with Colonel Robert B. Nett, U.S. Army, Retired (September-December 99, pp. 32-35).

“TOW Trainer Course,” LT Michael T. Zaryczny (M-A 90, pp. 41-42).

“Training Lieutenants,” CPT David S. Sutter, SWAP SHOP (J-A 90, p. 41).

“Training Lieutenants,” MAJ James W. Townsend (J-A 83, pp. 32-34).

“Training New Lieutenants,” CPT Samuel K. Rock, Jr. (N-D 84, pp. 35-37).

“Training the Force,” MG Kenneth C. Leuer (N-D 87, COMMANDANT’S NOTE, pp. 1-2).

“The Use of History in Professional Development,” CPT Steven R. Van Kirk (N-D 93, pp. 35-37).

“U.S. Army Sniper School,” CPT Mark L. Rozycki (M-J 89, pp. 33-34).

“The U.S. Army Sniper School: Selecting the Best Students,” SFC Earl S. Ellis (N-D 91, pp. 37-38).

“Walk and Shoot Training,” COL David H. Petraeus and MAJ Robert A. Brennan (January-February 97, pp. 36-40).

Unpublished Sources

“History of the Infantry School.” 1 January- 31 December 1951, 1 January- 31

December 1952. Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School.

Stoutner, Major Everette A. “The Physical Environment of the Infantry School, Fort

Benning, Georgia. Masters Thesis, Geography. Indiana University, June 1952.

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Historical Officer, The Infantry School. “History of the Infantry School.” 1

January- 31 December 1951, 1 January- 31 December 1952. Fort Benning,

Georgia: Infantry School.

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Fort Benning, Georgia: Infantry School.

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[1] Steuben, Baron Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, Baron von. United States War Department, Inspector General’s Office. Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States…. Portsmouth, Printed by J. Melcher, Printer to the State of New Hampshire, 1794. [Philadelphia: Styner & Cist, 1779.] Yarborough, History of the Infantry School, 4. Ganoe, History of the United States Army, 55.

[2] Yarborough and Smith, Infantry School, 5. Ganoe, U. S. Army, 116, 128. Duane, William. A Handbook for Infantry: Containing the First Principles of Military Discipline, Founded on…. Philadelphia: Printed for the Author, 1813.

[3] General Order 13, Army General Orders 1826. Ganoe, U. S. Army, 166. Infantry Journal, Vol. XXIV, 263-267.

[4] Ganoe, U. S. Army, 355-356.

[5] Infantry Journal, Vol. X, 908-913.

[6] Yarborough, 12-13. General Order 4, Pacific Division, 21 Feb., 1907.

[7] General Order 5, Pacific Division, 6 March 1907. Yarborough, 15-17.

[8] Original documents from the Infantry Archives, Fort Benning, Ga.

[9] St. Onge, Jennifer, Connie Bridges, Richard Brill, and Terry Ray. History of Fort Benning; Diamond Jubilee, 1918-1993. (Columbus, Ga.: The Advertiser Company, 1994), 44-45..

[10] Ibid, 38-41, 52-55.

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