_The Director_: “I agree with you entirely that an identification is desirable, but it is not the job of the point to get it. Members of the point do not go off on excursions to the flank. They keep plugging along on the line of march. If flank patrols are to be sent out, they must come from the advance party or the support. I cannot conceive of any circumstances that would warrant sending two members of the point off on patrol duty. Now, Lieutenant Ralston, assuming that it is desirable to get an identification, what would you, as point commander, do?” _Lieutenant Ralston_: “I would send a message back to Lieutenant Wallace, who is with the advance party.” _The Director_: “By whom would you send this message?” _Lieutenant Ralston_: “By Private Bailey, the rear man of the point.” _The Director_: “Now state the exact message that you would send back.” _Lieutenant Ralston_: “I would fall back to where Bailey is marching. I would say to him: “‘Bailey, you go back to Lieutenant Wallace. Tell him that we fired on an enemy reconnoitering patrol of about one squad. Show him where they were. Tell him that they did not return the fire. That when we opened fire they withdrew. That there are probably two dead or wounded men in the woods. Rejoin the point when you can.’ “I would then double-time up to the point. As I pass Corporal Smith I would say: ‘Watch for signals from the advance party.’” _Captain Harvey_: “That solution seems to be all right, but don’t you think Lieutenant Wallace would come forward to the point when it halted? In that case he would know all about the situation, and it would not be necessary to send the message back to him.” _The Director_: “I am very glad you brought up that point, Captain Harvey. No; I do not think Lieutenant Wallace would leave his advance party at such a critical moment. In my opinion it would be absolutely wrong if he did. In the first place, he has no business up with the point. Sergeant Roberts is either capable of handling it or he is not so. If he is, he should be let alone to solve his own problem; if he is not capable, he should be relieved. On advance guard duty the commander of each element will have plenty to do if he sticks to his own job and does not go molesting that of someone else.” Procedure The class should now be conducted 200 or 300 yards farther along the road. It is here halted and the Director states: The point has now gotten into formation and is continuing the advance. A message has been sent back to the advance party commander as indicated in our solution a few minutes ago. At this moment you see about six mounted men of the enemy off in that direction (points out the location toward the flank). Solution _The Director_: “Captain Hodges, how do you size up the situation now?”