Passage 3

The U. S. Army Infantry (步兵), which calls Fort Benning home, has fought in every major conflict involving the nation’s military. Yet developing a program for effective infantry training came neither quickly nor easily. The first movement to shape the country’s foot soldiers into a superior force came more than 200 years ago at the request of the general who became the first president of the United States. Revolutionary forces commanded by General George Washington were barely surviving as they camped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the winter of 1777. Washington realized that his soldiers, shivering in rags. Needed better training if there were to be any hope of winning against the well-schooled British army. He sought advice from the respected Prussian (普鲁士) general, Baron Fredreich von Steuben. Von Steuben agreed to help, but recognized the huge challenge he faced to change the loose band of rebels into a disciplined, well-organized force. As one observer at the time noted, the colonial army "was the finest body of troops he had ever seen out of step ’. Von 8teuben’s own assessment was that the Continental Army was a shame. "There was no uniformity of drill, no similarity of organization , and no teamwork of any kind ", wrote Leroy Yarborough, first lieutenant (中尉) of infantry , in an unpublished 1931 history of Fort Benning. No two companies drilled alike. And they all drilled poorly. But Von Steuben was resourceful and energetic and known for his persuasiveness. He established standard drill exercises and taught them patiently, but persistently to the troops. Once he saw progress, he chose those most skilled in military formations to demonstrate for the rest to imitate. This practice of using the best troops to model techniques and tactics become fundamental in military training, continuing long after the Revolutionary War. For his efforts, Von Steuben is known as the "Father of the U. S. Infantry."

（） proved to be an effective training method.