There was also the tendency, deeply rooted in American society, to encumber the military with comforts, conveniences, gadgets, technicians, "experts," special services, and complex command-control systems. Naturally, once these additions got started, they multiplied exponentially. For example, if one wanted to increase the number of dentists in a division one would also have to increase the number of dental technicians.
Dentists and technicians had to be fed and required more cooks. Cooks, dentists, and technicians needed trucks and their drivers and mechanics.
читать дальшеCooks, dentists, technicians, drivers, and mechanics needed medical care and that meant doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. The cooks, dentists, technicians, drivers, mechanics, doctors, nurses, and so forth needed clothing and that meant more quartermasters - and of course they all needed dental care, which again increased the requirement for dentists...
However, inexperienced AEF (экспедиционные силы в Европе в 1917 - 1918 гг.) battalion commanders, who often lacked even the experience of commanding a company, had never learned how to plan in their heads, make rapid but sound decisions, or use subordinates properly, often found their jobs overwhelming...
When it was time to move again the cables had to be recovered (even the rich Americans could not afford to abandon large amounts of cable), cleaned and rewound onto their spools...

J. Sayen «US Army Infantry Division»